Fetal movements of young artists and their trajectories.
[Tokyo University of the Arts, The University Art Museum] “Taito Ward Collection Exhibition-Artists who left Ueno, a cultural and art park-” preview report

The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts

Taito Ward and Tokyo University of the Arts have deepened exchanges and cooperation over many years, starting with the “Taito Ward Mayor Award” established in 1981. Many artists have made their way into the world through the Taito Ward Mayor’s Award, and it can be said that the award has made a great contribution to the development of young artists.

In this exhibition, 40 of the Taito Ward Mayor Award-winning works created by the students will be exhibited.

 

Exhibited at the “Taito City Collection Exhibition – Artists who have left Ueno, a city of culture and art -” is the “ Taito City Collection”, which honors outstanding students of Tokyo University of the Arts and whose graduation works are collected by Taito City. A collection of works that won the Mayor’s Award . In other words, they are all student works.

The Taito Ward Mayor’s Award system, which began in 1981, is awarded to one person each from Japanese paintings and oil paintings / prints of the painting department of the Faculty of Fine Arts. joined). Many of the awardees later went on to be active on the front lines of the industry, and we can see that they played a role as a gateway to success for young artists.

Tracing the “changes” of expressions in Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa

The themes of this exhibition are “transition” and “diversity.”
In this exhibition, 40 works from the Taito Ward Mayor Award, which has been awarded for more than 40 years over the three eras of Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa, will be displayed. Since then, artists who have been active on the front lines and recent winners who are expected to make great strides in the future will gather together in one place the works that they have created as a culmination of their student days.
Of course, each piece is attractive, but we also pay attention to the changes in trends over time and the diversity of ideas that are not bound by the framework of “Japanese painting” or “oil painting”.

This exhibition consists of two parts, and the first half introduces award-winning Japanese paintings, oil paintings, and prints that have been collected in Taito Ward since the previous exhibition (2016). Originally, the 6th “Taito Collection Exhibition” was scheduled to be held in conjunction with the Tokyo 2020 Games, but it was postponed due to the new coronavirus infection and was held for the first time in seven years.
In the first half, the works of young artists created over the past seven years are exhibited at once.

On the other hand, in the second half, works carefully selected from the successive works of the Taito Ward Mayor’s Award are exhibited. Starting with the work of Yuji Tezuka (Professor Emeritus, Tokyo University of the Arts), who won the first award, there will be a line-up of gems that have won the same award over the past 42 years.

What you can feel at the venue is the energy of the “fetal movement” of the young artists who are about to take off. In novels, it is often said that “the maiden work contains all of the writer’s work,” but it may be possible to find themes and styles that underlie their subsequent works in these works. .
It can be said that this exhibition will provide vivid discoveries and impressions for both fans who are already familiar with their activities and those who will come into contact with their work for the first time.

Introduction of exhibited works

Here are some of the works on display.

“Labyrinth” Yuji Tezuka 1981

Is this what a real “meeting” is like? A mysterious space where animals talk

A meeting where everyone expresses their own opinions. The labyrinth spreads endlessly behind the woman who is the chairman. It is a work that expresses a chaotic and mysterious world by comparing the people around you to animals. (From the creator)

<Yuji Tezuka>
Born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1953. Member of the Japan Art Institute, executive director, professor emeritus at Tokyo University of the Arts, and special director of the Fukui Fine Arts Museum. As a Japanese painter who leads the contemporary Japanese painting world, he continues to work vigorously.

 

“Dancing in the fields with pillows” Masafumi Kikuchi 1992

A work that reconstructs the stage he directed as a “landscape painting”

1992, Minami-Azabu Sannohashi. Released every Saturday and Sunday for about two months Weekly one-shot play “Is the Great Detective Really There?” Many people who have seen the whole story have not seen this picture. (From the creator)

<Masafumi Kikuchi>
Born in Kobe in 1968. Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, Department of Painting, Oil Painting. Engaged in painting, theater production, and music production, he has held numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Japan and overseas. “Nobe ni Makura de Odori Makure” was produced in 1992 with the aim of experiencing the stage play “Wet Feathers Can’t Grab the Sky” through landscape paintings.

 

“Encounter with Trees” Yasuto Ide 1989

The mystery of Yakushima where light and darkness intersect

When I entered graduate school, I went on a trip to Yakushima alone. It is an island with banyan trees on the coastline, virgin forests in the forest, and heavy snowfall at the summit. I sketched while staying at a mountain hut and created an impression of walking around in the forest. The world where moss-covered branches stretch in all directions, and darkness and light intersect is a mysterious and solemn space. (From the creator)

<Yasuhito Ide>
Born in 1962 in Fukuoka Prefecture. Completed graduate school at Tokyo University of the Arts. Currently, the Japan Art Institute special treatment. Professor of the Faculty of Arts, Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts. It is characterized by a gentle and fantastical style that women and flowers create.

Overview of the event

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