In Tomohiro Inaba’s intimate metal sculptures, majestic animals and gentle humans are the stuff of dreams and fairytales. As if scribbled energetically in 3D, delicate lines of iron transition the solid forms of deer, foxes, or sheep into thin air—what Inaba calls the “gradient to blank.” Yet this emptiness takes on a life of its own, spinning a sense of mystery and inviting the viewer to question what forces might be causing it or where the boundary lies between presence and absence.

Woodland creatures provide the basis for many of Inaba’s compositions, referencing folk tales, the human connection to nature, and a sense of wonder. A cosmic fox sprints in “Hearing footsteps left by a star,” for example, while a young woman and an ethereal horse commune in “Good night no. 2.” The artist’s current solo exhibition, A Story That You See at Yukiko Mizutani Gallery, draws special attention to the margins between what feels real or solid and what may only be a figment of our imagination or a dream half-remembered.

A Story That You See continues through August 31 in Tokyo, and Inaba’s work will be on view in a solo exhibition at Villa Domus in Honfleur, France, from October 19 to November 17. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.