Stand by you

In March 2025, on the day “Garyū Shōrai” was completed at Takehiko Sugawara’s atelier, I was speaking with Mr. and Mrs. Sugawara.

I learned that their son was also an artist, and they offered to show me several of his pieces displayed outside the atelier.
It was there that I encountered “Stand by you”（Japanese title: Tonari ni Ite Ageru – “I’ll be by your side”）by Riku Sugawara.

We seated “Stand by you” on a bench outside the tennis court.
The piece gazes out over the entire AERO property with the watchful eyes of a philosopher.