Okamoto Studio Carved Chess Pieces in Manhattan

This graceful and beautiful 14-piece ice sculpture chess set was set up in Midtown Manhattan back in December. Carved by Okamoto Studios, this installation was inspired by the game between Russian chess champion Gary Kasparov and Deep Blue, the IBM computer.

Illuminated IceWall Filled With Seeds at MIT

Last spring, third-year architecture student Yushiro Okamoto designed and built IceWall, a temporary installation facing the Charles River for MIT’s 150th year anniversary. Flower seeds were frozen into the ice blocks and when spring came, the ice melted and released the seeds into the ground, where they germinated and eventually bloomed.