'Pete Rose' sculptor Tom Tsuchiya to build Blink's first permanent outdoor sculpture

You've probably encountered "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" depicted by three monkeys sitting next to each other.

What if those wise little monkeys also worked together to protect one another from evil?

That's the inspiration behind local artist Tom Tsuchiya's "Embrace No Evil," coming this fall to the Court Street Plaza as part of Cincinnati's light and art festival, Blink. In a twist on the popular Buddhist and Confucian proverb, the sculpture will depict the three monkeys hugging, with the Japanese translation of the proverb “Mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru," spelled out at its base.

Tsuchiya is the brains and hands behind the iconic, cantilevered "Pete Rose" statue outside Great American Ballpark. His latest piece is part of the "Embrace No Evil" series, the first of which he made of recycled materials. It's been displayed to the public at Music Hall − part of an augmented reality experience during the Cincinnati Opera's showing of "Madame Butterfly" − and at the Cincinnati Zoo.

This version of "Embrace No Evil" will instead be made of semi-translucent fiberglass with a set of interior LED lights.

"It's essentially a big shell," Tsuchiya told The Enquirer. Unlike his last sculpture in the series, which was porous, this one will be built to weather the outdoor elements. During Blink, it will not only emit ambient light but also the music. Tsuchiya is working with this brother to compose a special piece for the festival.

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This is the artist's first piece in Blink, which runs throughout Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine and Downtown neighborhoods, as well as Northern Kentucky's Covington and Newport from Oct. 17-24.

"I'm actually incredibly excited since I've been a big fan of Blink since it's started," Tsuchiya said. "In terms of artistic exhibitions, it's definitely the biggest and most impressive ... Whatever taste you have in art, there's something for everyone."

Justin Brookhart, Blink's executive director, told The Enquirer that 950 artists applied for the 2024 festival, compared to 250 artists in 2022.

After Blink, "Embrace No Evil" will still feature a dim glow at night but no sound. It's slated to go up on the southwest corner of E. Court and Walnut streets in September.

Cincinnati's city planning commission is expected to vote Friday to approve the location of the piece since it would sit on city-owned property. Tsuchiya is working with the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., also known as 3CDC, and the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber on the sculpture.

It will be the fifth public art piece designated for Court Street Plaza, which was redesigned in 2020. 3CDC will pay for Tsuchiya's installation through a pool of leftover money from the plaza project, according to the nonprofit developer's spokesperson Joe Rudemiller. He declined to say how much the sculpture cost.

Blink's Brookhart said Tsuchiya's sculpture was chosen for this site to pay homage to the city's Asian community. Court Street Plaza was the site of the annual Asian Food Fest, held at the end of April, and served as the location for the Asianati Night Market during Blink 2022.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Artist Tom Tsuchiya to design Blink's first permanent sculpture