Yamamoto Toyoichi

Yamamoto: Kannon (Ōfuna / Kamakura )

Yamamoto Toyoichi ( Japanese 山 本 豊 市 ; born October 19, 1899 in Tokyo ; † February 2, 1987 ) was a Japanese sculptor of the Shōwa period .

life and work

Yamamoto was born in the Yotsuya area of ​​Tōkyō. During the time he attended middle school, he decided to become a sculptor, and after graduation he became a student of Tobari Kogan , studied at the Taiheiyō Gakai ( 太平洋 画 会 ) art school . In 1929 he showed a sculpture entitled "Torso" ( ト ル ソ , Toruso ) at the Nihon Bijutsuin exhibition and was accepted as an associate member in 1923. In 1924 Yamamoto went to France, where he continued his education under Aristide Maillol . He stayed in Europe for a total of five years.

Upon returning to Japan, Yamamoto visited a number of temples in the Nara and Kyoto areas to study early Buddhist sculpture. Around 1935, when it was getting difficult to get bronze, he used the experience he had gained from studying the old masters and began making sculptures from dried varnish, as was done in ancient times. His first sculpture using this method, “Iwato Kagura”, was shown and honored at the first Teiten exhibition in 1936. From 1950 Yamamoto was in a relationship with the Shinju-kai ( 新 樹 会 ) and showed his works at their exhibition every year.

Yamamoto made his lacquer work by laying numerous layers on top of each other and then polishing the outermost layer. The figures are rich in volume and beautifully modeled. He showed his "portrait head" in 1953 at the 38th Inten exhibition, followed by the sculpture "Vogel" ( 小鳥 , Kotori ). In 1957 he received the Minister of Culture ( 文 部 大臣 賞 , Mombudaijin-shō ) for his solo exhibition the year before. For “Etude” ( エ チ ュ ウ ド , Echūdo ) he received the Mainichi Art Prize at the 7th Shinju-kai exhibition. In 1960 the large Kannon figure was completed in Ōfuna. When the sculpting department of Nihon Bijutsuin was dissolved in 1961, he joined the SAS sculpting group. He followed the SAS when it joined the Kokuga-kai ( 国画 会 ) in 1963 . He was represented at the first São Paulo Biennale and the 28th Venice Biennale . From 1953 to 1967 Yamamoto was a professor at Geidai . In 1983 he was honored as a person with special cultural merits .

Of the works of Yamamoto are u. a. to mention: "Seated woman with knees up" ( 立 て 膝 の 女 , Tatehiza no onna ) and "Hair" ( 髪 , Kami ).

Remarks

1. ↑ Iwato Kagura ( 岩 戸 神 楽 ) is a performance of an ancient legend.
2. ↑ State Art Exhibition, Teikoku bijutsuten rankai ( 帝国美術展覧会 ), abbreviated as "Teiten" ( 帝展 ).

literature

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

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