Exhibition
Celebrating the 110th Birth and 50th Death Anniversaries of TOKUNO Taikū
Tokuno Taikū, who was a leader in postwar calligraphy, pursued the possibilities of modern calligraphy while expanding his range of works to include highly figurative and single-character calligraphic works. This exhibition features the calligraphy of this period (classified as modern era calligraphy), when he began experimenting with various forms of expression.
There are 19 explanations.
Upstairs
１ Rin-Rantei-jo
This is another piece that is done after Wang Xizhi. This style, ranteijo, is the complete form of the gyōsho style. It is the most famous script in the history of shodō. The strokes are smooth, and there is a great variety in the shape of the characters. The piece consists of poems that were written after a cleansing ceremony that took place in a place called Rantei. After the ceremony, it was time to celebrate, and so each person took to writing his own poem.
２ Shunkōkagestu-no-yo
春江花月夜
Showa Year 22 (1947)
This is a famous poem from China’s Tang Dynasty. The poem describes the beautiful nature of the Yangtze River, and the poet’s melancholy at the setting spring moon as he ponders about his loved ones who are far away.
This piece is made into a folding screen, which serves as a room divider as well as a decoration.
３ Grassy Meadow 草原
Showa 38 (1963)
According to the author, this work, was in its conceptual stage for over ten years. It was written using the old Chinese character “艸” for “grass” and took four days to complete. The visual gradation of the tens of thousands of “grass” characters evokes the image of a meadow.
４ Kazan – Volcano 火山
Showa 33 (1958)
In this work, the artist was conscious of the height of the viewer’s eye and increased the margin at the top of the paper. With the signature being stamped at the top, the balance of space is achieved. It is as if we can feel the energy of a volcano. The folding screen also creates a three-dimensional impression of a mountain range. The artist completed the work in the cold month of January, when there was no heating, with so much vigor that he was sweating.
５ Yume ゆめ
Showa 33 (1958)
This is a piece written in the hiragana alphabet. Hiragana is an alphabet that is unique to Japan. It originally developed from kanji, Chinese characters. See the typeface of the kana below.
６ O-totsu 凸凹
Showa 36 (1961)
The first character on the right, 「凸」 means “protruding”. The character to its left, 「凹」means “indented”.
７ Nushi 主
Showa 37 (1962)
This piece represents the kanji “主”, which means to be in the center of things.
８ Tenkoku – Seal Carving
Tenkoku is the act of carving characters into a piece of stone or wood or some hard material to create your own, original seal. Because the characters are carved, they produce a very different feel from characters written on paper with a brush. The script used for tenkoku is often tensho, but lately the roman alphabet is also known to be used. One can carve one’s name, or even a favorite word.
※For an explanation of the tensho script, please check the description of calligraphic style types.
Seals are often used, for example, on pieces of art or calligraphy. The seal acts as a signature, proof that the work was produced by that specific person. The size of the seal, its position, and its style can impact the piece on which it is stamped, making the overall piece more balanced, or giving it a visually tightening effect.
９ White 白
“白” is white.
10 Shina 品
Showa 39（1964）
This piece was painted in the image of a large rock garden at a temple. The character “品” refers to the quality of a thing, or its inherent value.
11 Hitoe 単
Showa 41 (1966)
The character “単” means “one”, as in “one group” or “one person”. The blotted characteristic of the pale ink adds beauty to the piece.
12 Kegai 化外
Showa 48 (1973)
Two characters are depicted here. They mean, “off center and out of power”. The characters can also mean uncivilized or barbaric. The meaning seems to be superimposed on way the characters are written as well. The script is based on an ancient Chinese type.
13 Hana 花
Showa 49(1974)
“花” is flower.
14 Tenshin ¬– Divine Will
TESHIMA Yūkei (1901-1987)
Showa 41 (1966)
Featured in the Dokuritsu Shojindan Exhibition
Teshima Yūkei was born in Kochi prefecture as Teshima Namiki. He first studied under Kawatani Shōtei, and then after moving to Tokyo, under Hidai Tenrai. He began making artistic pieces early in his career, manipulating the dark and light areas of the sumi ink with ease. Many of his works are also characteristic of his use of blank space. He aimed to produce pieces that not only conveyed imagery through the contents of the words, but also through the appearance of the characters, regardless of whether they were single-character kanji calligraphy or kanji calligraphy using multiple characters called, “shōsho”. Two of his famous pieces, “hōkai” and “hōgyū” gained international acclaim, and were an important key to the internationalization of shō calligraphy. His skillful use of blank space here is characteristic of his works, leaving a sort of lingering feeling in the viewer.
Once the tip of the brush moves along the surface of the paper, it leaves an outline beyond which a light-colored halo continues to bleed. The later brush strokes aren’t overshadowed by the ones preceding them. The black ink has a transparency to it. The first character, “天” means “sky” or “the gods”, while “心” refers to the heart.
First floor
15 Nobara のばら
TAKESHI Sōfū (1913-2008)
Showa 24(1949)
TAKESHI Sōfū was born in Gunma prefecture. He studied under HANDA Shinrai and HIDAI Tenrai. He attempted a variety of expressions, such as using musical scores as a canvas. He consistently sought a style in which he intentionally strayed from portraying the characters as words, sometimes departing the literary nature of the work.
16 Shishobyōbu 詩書屏風
HIDAI Tenrai (1872-1939)
Taishō 14(1925)
HIDAI Tenrai was born in Nagano prefecture. He studied under KUSAKABE Meikaku.
Tenrai published and a book on the methodology of calligraphy study, which involves studying and reproducing ancient masterpieces of the classics. He was a very influential in the education field. He is considered the father of modern calligraphy, and many of his disciples continued to innovate the world of calligraphy. This piece, written in a traditional style with broad brushstrokes, fully demonstrates the charm of Tenrai’s later years.
17 Hana-ni-daishi-kusani-fushi-tsuki-wo-chiribame-kumo-wo-saisu
題花賦草鏤月裁雲
To enjoy the elegance of flowers, grass, the moon, clouds, and nature, it is customary to compose poems and songs in praise of them.
The piece is written on paper imported from China in modern times. The beautiful paper has been dyed, coated with gofun (white pigment), waxed, and then painted with silver mud to depict plum blossoms.
18 Awajishima 淡路嶋
UHIDA Kaku-un（1898-1978）
UHIDA Kaku-un was born in Okayama prefecture. He studied under NIWA Kaikaku, IHARA Untei, and ANDO Seikūni, and excelled in Japanese kana calligraphy. As can be seen in this piece as well, many of his works express movement at the end of the brush strokes.
Originally, kana was written in small script, on a desk. The style of writing large kana and expressing them on a large wall began during his time.
19 Gogonkoshi 五言古詩
SUMIYAMA Nanboku (1895-1979)
SUMIYAMA Nanboku was born in Kagawa prefecture. He studied under KAWATANI Shōtei. He was a member of the first postwar delegation to China and was a leader in the calligraphy circles of the Kansai region.
The kanji for “moon”(月) is written in the second, fifth, and seventh lines from the right. The poem is about a journey, and the personification of the moon following (“walking with”) him is interesting.
The brush strokes are long and pointed, and the gradation of the ink adds depth and beauty to the piece.
