Ryo Kajiyama - The Ultimate Balloon Sculptor
One of the most vibrant childhood highlights is getting a quirky helium balloon.
Visiting the balloon kiosk at fairs or at birthday parties and bringing back a monkey-shaped balloon would be one of the best feelings as a kid. The squeaks of the twisting and the spell-binding variety of colors would add even more excitement to it. All this is pretty much lost in adulthood, but one Japanese artist brings balloon art in full force: Ryo Kajiyama.
Kajiyama seems like the typical Japanese man but is actually the most talented balloon artist in the entire world. In fact, he keeps his personal life to himself but regularly posts his crafty masterpieces on his social media, and his range is mind-blowing. He takes inspiration from daily life, movies, and anime characters, recreating functional objects like pinballs, Pokemon toy vending machines, a flushable toilet, an entire golf set, a Rubik’s Snake toy, tuna, and even childbirth.
Additionally, he has brought to life the iconic Marilyn Monroe, as well as multiple Disney and Ghibli characters, and beloved personas from Bleach, Jujutsu Kaisen, Sailor Moon, Tokyo Ghoul, and more.
He has previously mentioned that it takes him around six to eight hours of work to sculpt these, using fifty to a hundred biodegradable balloons. He displays them at his office for his coworkers to marvel at, then discards them once it deflates. The lifespan of these ephemeral sculptures adds more charm and wonder to the art.
Challenging the impossible one twist at a time, Kajiyama delivers balloons that would easily level up the floating house from Up. The crazy details of his sculptures are sure to leave anyone agape.
