Hirohiko Araki Discusses His Favorite Auguste Rodin Sculpture – The Kiss

The National Museum of Western Art in Japan has launched a new special website called “Everyone’s 3D Rodin Encyclopedia,” featuring 3D models of 60 Auguste Rodin sculptures. They asked individuals from various fields to talk about their favorite Rodin sculptures from the museum’s collection. The participants were the manga artist Hirohiko ArakiHirohiko ArakiHirohiko Araki, born Toshiyuki Araki, is a Japanese manga artist and the author of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. He made his debut in 1980 with his one-shot Poker Under Arms, and began his professional career with the short series Cool Shock B.T., Baoh the Visitor, and Gorgeous Irene. Araki's biggest series,..., editor and critic Goro Yamada, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum Director Akiya Takahashi, and sculpting artist Ken Matsuura.

To create the 3D models and launch the special website, they held a crowdfunding campaign over the course of about four months. Thanks to the support of 356 backers, they raised 5,582,000 yen. By publishing these 3D models, they hope to offer more people a chance to experience Rodin’s works.

My Favorite Rodin Work – Hirohiko Araki

You can watch the video with English subtitles below, by turning on the captions button.

Hirohiko Araki reflects on how he first encountered Rodin’s work through the baseball manga Star of the Giants by Ikki Kajiwara, which featured The Thinker. His favorite work is The Kiss, sculpted in 1882. He is impressed with how sculptors conceptualize sculptures with two people.

He admires how Rodin and Michelangelo convey weight, emotion, and life through musculature and posing. Looking at sculptures influences how he composes characters and dramatic poses in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Araki believes the atmosphere, material, and subtle details all come together naturally with sculptures, as if it’s fate.