Takada Hiroatsu

Takada Hiroatsu, 1962

Takada Hiroatsu ( Japanese 高田 博厚 ; born August 19, 1900 in Nanao ( Ishikawa Prefecture ); died June 17, 1987 ) was a Japanese sculptor, writer, translator during the Shōwa period .

life and work

Takada Hiroatsu moved to Tōkyō in 1919, where he studied Italian at the foreign language school, the "Tōkyō Gaikokugo Gakkō" ( 東京 外国語 学校 ), but broke off. He learned sculpture from Takamura Kōtarō . From 1925 onwards, his work won prizes in the Kokuga-kai ( 国画 会 ) exhibitions . From 1931 to 1958 Takada lived in France, where he continued his education under Maillol , made a career and was invited to exhibitions in the Salon des Tuileries . He made friends with a number of French intellectuals, so with Romain Rolland , Alain , Georges Duhamel , Georges Rouault , with the poets and playwrights Charles Vildrac (1882-1971) and Jules Romains (1885-1972).

In 1957 Takada returned to Japan, but only took his extensive library with him. He then lived in Tōkyō, became a member of the “New Creative Association” ( 新 製作 協会 Shin Seisaku-kyōkai ) and the “Association of Japanese Artists” ( 日本 美術 家 連 盟 Nihon Geijutsuka remmei ), became a board member of the Japanese PEN Club , lecturer at the Tōkyō Geijutsu Daigaku and took on other tasks. After he had worked for the department of arts and crafts at the "Kyūshū Sangyō Daigaku" ( 九州 産業 大学 ) in 1966 , he gradually withdrew from public life. The memories of him are nurtured in his studio in Kamakura.

Takada's sculptural style was influenced by contemporary French artists. In his busts of well-known personalities, he relied on a portrait-like realism. His well-known works include the “Portrait of Professor Kozai” ( 博士 の 像 ), as well as the busts of Alain and Jean Cocteau . In addition, Takada developed a considerable writing activity. He is the author of the books “From France” ( フ ラ ン ス か ら ), “Memories and People” ( 思 い 出 と 人 々 ), “Rouault” and “Watershed” ( 分水嶺 Bunsuirei ).

On the "Takasaka Sculpture Promenade" ( 高 坂 彫刻 プ ロ ム ナ ー ド ) in Higashimatsuyama ( Saitama Prefecture ) 32 sculptures by Takada are displayed.

Selection of sculptures on the promenade

• 

  Takamura Kōtaro

• 

  Female torso

• 

  Paul Signac

• 

  Rabindranath Tagore

• 

  Munakata Shikō

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  Torso outdoors

• 

  Nitobe Inazō

• 

  Miyazawa Kenji

• 

  Takahashi Motokichi

• 

  Alain

Remarks

1. ↑ Takahashi Motokichi ( 高橋 元吉 ; 1893-1965) was a poet.

literature

• Tazawa, Yutaka: Takada Hiroatsu . In: Biographical Dictionary of Japanese Art. Kodansha International, 1981. ISBN 0-87011-488-3 .

Web links

• Takasaka Sculpture Promenade

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