Hirakushi Denchu

Hirakushi around 1960

"Angler of Izura"

Hirakushi Denchū or Hiragushi Denchū ( Japanese 平 櫛 田中 ; real first name Takutarō ( 倬 太郎 )) (born January 15, 1872 , in Okayama Prefecture ; died December 30, 1979 ), was a Japanese sculptor of the Taishō and Shōwa period .

life and work

Hirakushi learned the basics of wood sculpture from Nakaya Seiko ( 中 谷 省 古 ), a carver of wooden figures for the performance of Bunraku dramas in Osaka. In 1897 he moved to Tōkyō and trained under Takamura Kōun . After he had shown work at the exhibitions of Nihon Bijutsuin , he also submitted sculptural works for the first art exhibition of the Ministry of Culture ( 文部省 美術展 覧 会 , Mombushō bijutsu tenrankai ) in 1907, which were then also accepted. In the same year he founded, together with Yamazaki Chōun (1867-1954), Yonehara Unkai ( 米 原 雲海 ; 1869-1925) and Katō Keiun ( 加藤 景雲 ; 1874-1943) the "Japanese Sculptors Association" ( 日本 彫刻 協会 ) . Hirakuchi's contribution to the Society's first exhibition the following year was the "archer" ( Katsujinsen ), who won Okakura Kakuzō's recognition . Hiraguchi felt confirmed in his style by Okakura Kakuzō and continued to work in this artistic direction.

In 1912, Hirakushi won third place at the Ministry of Culture's exhibition for his contribution, but two years later he joined the revived Nihon Bijutsuin. He remained loyal to the institution until 1961, when the sculpture department was dissolved, and served as a key member. In 1937 he became a member of the Japanese Academy of Arts , in 1954 he was appointed Person of Special Cultural Merit and in 1962 he was awarded the Order of Culture . - Hirakushi was from 1944 to 1952 professor at the Tōkyō bijutsu gakkō ( 東京 美術 学校 ), the forerunner of today's Geidai , where he was heavily involved in the education of the next generation. - He was made an honorary citizen of Ibara (1958), Fukuyama (1965) and Kodaira (1975).

Early works include the figure of the fictional sage "Wuyou" ( 烏 有 先生 , Uyū-sensei ) and the grim figure "Life Change " ( 転 生 , Tenshō ) in bronze. The latter work reveals an occupation with classic Japanese wood sculptures. The sculpture “Lion Dance” ( 鏡 獅子 , Kagami-jishi ) from 1958, a figure from a Kabuki piece that is over 2 m high, must also be mentioned. Hirakushi worked on it from 1940 to 1958, creating over a dozen partial sculptures. There are also many outstanding sculptures that he created at Okakura, including the statue “Angler of Izura” ( 五 浦 釣 人像 , Izura chōjin-zō ) in front of the Fukuyama train station and the large wooden sculpture (see below) owned by the National Museum of Modern Art Art in Tōkyō.

Hirakuchi's end-of-life residence was expanded by his relatives to become the “Hirakuchi Denchu ​​Sculpture Museum of the City of Kodaira” ( 小平 市 平 櫛 田中 彫刻 美術館 ). The museum has many excellent works by Hirakushi. The "Hirakuchi Denchū Art Museum of the City of Ibara" ( 井 原 市立 田中 美術館 ) was established at his birthplace . Hirakushi Denchū died on December 30, 1979 at the old age of 107

Remarks

1. ↑ Okakura owned a country house on the Bay of Izura ( 五 浦 海岸 , Izura kaigan ). Between 1906 and 1913 the artists of the Bijutsuin also worked there.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ CV at 20 世紀 日本人 名 事 典, entered in the birth register later.
2. ↑ Hirakushi's place of birth was incorporated into Ibara.

literature

• Tazawa, Yutaka: Hirakushi Denchū . In: Biographical Dictionary of Japanese Art. Kodansha International, 1981. ISBN 0-87011-488-3 .
• Laurance P. Roberts: Denchu . In: A Dictionary of Japanese Artists. Weatherhill, 1976. ISBN 0-8348-0113-2 .

Web links (sculptures)

• 鶴 氅 (Kakushō) 1942. Literally "crane in plumage ", shown is Okakura.

Web links

Commons : Hirakushi Denchū  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Collection of the Hirakuchi Museum in Kodaira
• Okakura in the Chinese Hechang (鶴 氅) garb of the Han period , Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art

Japanese name: As is common in Japan, the family name comes before the first name in this article . So Hirakushi is the family name, Denchū the first name.