Okamura Utarō

Okamura Utarō ( Japanese 岡村 宇 太郎 , born September 5, 1899 in Funai County ( 船 井 郡 ), Kyōto Prefecture , died October 11, 1971 ) was a Japanese painter of the Nihonga direction during the Taishō and Shōwa periods .

life and work

Okamura Utarō was born as the third son of Sakaki Jirō I. ( 初 坂 喜 次郎 ). At the age of nine he was the adopted son of Okamura Jirōkichi ( 岡村 次郎 吉 ), who ran a Yūzen dyeing factory in Kyoto . In 1918 he graduated from the "Technical School for Art and Applied Arts Kyōto" ( 京都 市立 美術 工 芸 学校 Kyōto shiritsu bijutsu kōgei gakkō ) in the field of painting and then studied at the "Technical School for Painting Kyōto" ( 京都 市立 絵 画 専 門 学校 ) until 1921 , whereby he graduated both times with honors.

Already during his studies in 1919 Okamura's picture “ Peonies ” ( 牡丹 Botan ) was accepted at the 2nd exhibition of the artist group “Kokuga sōsaku kyōkai” ( 国画 創作 協会 ), which was awarded the prestigious Chogyū Prize. At the 3rd exhibition he showed a “study on fishermen” ( 魚 夫 の 習作 Gyobu no shusaku ), on the 4th in 1923 the picture “Fischer” ( 魚 夫 Gyobu ), “At sunset” ( 日 没 頃 Nichibotsu goro ) and "After storm and rain" ( 暴風雨 の 後 Bōfū no ato ) and on the 5th “flowers and birds” ( 花鳥 Kachō ).

Around 1923 he continued his education under Tsuchida Bakusen , dealt with the artist magazine Shirakaba and was impressed by Kishida Ryūsei and by the artist group Sōdosha ( 草 土 社 ). Okamuara's preoccupation with fishermen, which he reproduced in detail, caught the interest of the entrepreneur and art lover Naiki Seibe ​​( 内 貴 清 兵衛 ; 1878–1955), who then supported him. In 1926 Okamura showed the picture “Adler” ( 鷲 Washi ) at the 6th exhibition , and the picture “Chestnuts” ( 栗 Kuri ) at the 7th .

In 1924 Okamura became a friend of the "Kokuga sōsaku kyōkai", and in 1926 he was accepted as a full member. When the artist group disbanded in 1928, he joined the Shinjukai ( 新 樹 会 ) and exhibited there. When this association dissolved again after the 2nd exhibition, Okamura withdrew from the public artist business, but continued to paint and exhibit. His style changed from post-decorative to black and white painting to the traditional Yamato-e line and then ended up in black and white painting .

Web links (images)

Owned by the Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art :

• "Monkey" ( 猿 図 Saru-zu ), beginning of Shōwa
• "After storm and rain" ( 暴風雨 の 後 Bōfū no ato ), 1920
• “At sunset” ( 日 没 頃 Nichibotsu goro ), 1924

Remarks

1. ↑ The Chogyū Prize ( 樗 牛 賞 ) is awarded in memory of the author and literary critic Takayama Chogyū .

literature

• National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto (ed.): Okamura Utarō . In: Kyōto no Nihonga 1910–1930. National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, 1986. ISBN 4-87642-117-X .

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