Itozono Wasaburō

Itozono Wasaburō ( Japanese 糸 園 和 三郎 ; born August 4, 1911 in Nakatsu , Ōita Prefecture ; died June 15, 2001 ) was a Japanese western-style painter ( Yōga ) during the Shōwa period .

life and work

Itozono was the third son of the merchant Itozono Tatsujirō. At the age of eleven he suffered an inflammation of the bone that prevented any further education. In 1927 he was able to go to Tōkyō with the support of his father, where he studied painting at the Kawabata School ( 川端 画 学校 Kawabata gagakkō ). He then continued his education under Maeta Kanji . At the eighth annual exhibition of the artists' association Shunyō-kai ( 春陽 会 ) in 1930 he was able to exhibit for the first time, namely his painting "Red Lilies" ( 赤 い 百合 Akai yuri ).

From the following year he exhibited at the "Independent Art Association" ( 独立 美術 協会 Dokuritsu bijutsu kyōkai ). In 1933 Itozono founded the Shiki-kai association with Tsukahara Seiichi and others. In the following year, in connection with the inclusion of the writer Saitō Chōzō ( 斎 藤 長 三 ; 1910–1994), the group name was changed to "Decorative Image " ( 飾 画Kazari-e ). From this time on Itozono was influenced by Surrealism, so that in 1939 he took part in the establishment of the Artistic Cultural Society ( 美術 文化 協会 , Bijutsu bunka kyōkai). This society around the painter Fukuzawa Ichirō ( 福 沢 一郎 ; 1898–1992) then dealt mainly with surrealism and abstract art.

In 1943 Itozono participated, together with Ai Mitsu , Matsumoto Shunsuke , Asō Saburō and others, in the founding of the "Association of New Artists" ( 新人 画 会 Shinjin-gakai ), a group that was centered around the painter Inoue Chōzaburō ( 井上 長 三郎 , 1906–1995) pawed. In 1945 Itozono lost almost all of the pictures in the air raids on Tōkyō during the Pacific War .

In 1947 Itozono joined the "Association of Free Artists" ( 自由 画家 協会 Jiyū gaka kyōkai ), but left it in 1964 and worked from then on as an artist without being a member of a group. During this time he was able to show the pictures “Vogelfangende Frau” ( 鳥 を 捕 ら え る 女Tori o toraeru onna ) and “Mauer” ( 壁Kabe ) at the fourth São Paulo Biennale in 1957 and won the same year at the fourth international art exhibition in Japan the Kasaku price ( 佳作 賞 ). At the eighth “Exhibition of Contemporary Japanese Art” ( 現代 日本 美術展Nihon kokusai bijutsu-ten ) he won a prize for the painting “The Wall of the Bird” ( 鳥 の 壁Tori no kabe ) in 1968 Itozono's works were featured at the “Exhibition of Contemporary Art ”( 現代 美術展Gendai bijutsu-ten ), namely“ Black Water ”( 黒 い 水Kuroi mizu ) and“ Yellow Water ”( 黄色 い 水Kiiroi mizu ) with the award donated by Mr. K. ( K 氏 賞K- shi shō ) excellent.

Itozono picked up motifs from everyday life, but at the same time created deeply symbolic works with a poetic touch. In 1972 Itozono was awarded the Yasui Prize, named after the painter Yasui Sōtarō . In 1978, nearly 140 of Itozono's works were shown in a large exhibition at the Kitakyushu Municipal Museum , from the earliest to the most recent.

Remarks

1. ↑ Generally, an award for excellent work.

literature

• Suzuki, Toshihiko (Ed.): Itozono Wasaburo. In: Nihon daihyakka zensho (Denshibukku-han) . Shogakukan, 1996.
• Tazawa Yutaka: Itozono Wasaburo. In: Biographical Dictionary of Japanese Art . Kodansha International, 1981, ISBN 0-87011-488-3 .

Web links

• Picture example

Japanese name: As is common in Japan, the family name comes before the first name in this article . Thus Itozono is the family name, Wasaburō the first name.