TANABE CHIKUUNSAI IV & APPRENTICES: TRADITION
& INNOVATION
TRADITION AND INNOVATION
In 1901, Tanabe Chikuunsai I became independent from his renowned master Wada Waichisai I and received from him the artist’s name Chikuunsai. The first Chikuunsai laid the foundation of Japanese bamboo art by taking the culture of the Chinese literati as a model. During an era when Chinese literati philosophy was central to the thinking of bamboo artists, Chikuunsai II created simple and delicate openwork weaving. His simplified forms and techniques resembled minimal art, and he introduced a new, uniquely Japanese style of bamboo craftsmanship. Chikuunsai III, the oldest son of Chikuunsai II, and his younger brother, Tanabe Yota, boldly incorporated the concepts of Western art into their work, creating a world that transformed bamboo art from craft to abstract expression.
Over the course of 120 years, each generation of Chikuunsai has not simply passed down the same techniques and styles but has taken on the challenge of creating original works of art, aspiring to create work that would not be influenced by the times, but would create the times. The Tanabe family motto is “Tradition is a challenge.” This is the philosophy that each generation of Chikuunsai and his disciples should carry on into the future.
At the present - day Chikuunsai Studio, apprentices master the seven signature Chikuunsai techniques, as well as learning the philosophies introduced by each generation. The training at the Chikuunsai Studio is rigorous and lasts 10 years. It includes four levels: an apprentice receives the rank of Hatsuden after three years, Chuden after five, Okuden after seven, and finally, after ten years, Kaiden . After they achieve Kaiden status, they are a fully initiated Tanabe school bamboo artist and are given an artist’s name, along with the right to become an independent artist and have their own apprentices. During their apprenticeship, the apprentice not only learns the Tanabe lineage techniques but also actively engages in the world of contemporary art by accompanying Chikuunsai IV to overseas exhibitions and assisting in the process of creating installations. The Chikuunsai Studio aims to be a hybrid studio where apprentices can learn traditional craft and create contemporary art at the same time.
In this exhibition at TAI Modern, each participating apprentice created two pieces: a traditional work and an objet d’art. Working together in the studio daily, each artist is able to witness the sensitivities and techniques of others and receive a great deal of inspiration from one another. Concepts and designs are presented in the studio repeatedly until the works are completed. Working together, through trial and error, each work in this exhibition was created. Although they may still have a ways to go, each artist has started on the path toward becoming an independent artist.
Each generation that has carried the Chikuunsai name has enjoyed taking on new challenges while carrying on tradition. Continuing a tradition while innovating it this is a contradictory and very difficult task. However, I believe that striving together with the younger generation, moving with the times and discovering new concepts will lead bamboo art into a bright future.
n Tanabe Chikuunsai IV
Peony Basket, 2024, 23.25 × 13 × 13 inches
Reclining Dragon, 2023,12.25 × 42 × 12 inches
ar um a, 2 0 24, 23 × 19.25 × 2 0 75 inches
D
Mononofu Spirit of the Samurai, 2024, 10.75 × 28.25 × 8.5 inches
Stand, 2024, 15 × 30.5 × 19.75 inches
Sail Wind, 2024, 10.75 × 25 × 10.25 inches
Ray of Light, 2024, 6.25 × 26 × 9.75 inches
55 YEARS OF LIVING WITH BAMBOO
Koto, wife of Chikuunsai I
Chikuunsai II
Chikuunsai III
Chikuunsai IV
Chikuunsai IV’s three children
When I married Chikuunsai III, Koto - san taught me many things. She did so with great care and love. For 120 years, the heart of the Chikuunsai lineage from its founding generation has been
Be humble
Never forget to be grateful
The spirit of hospitality Kindness to others
There have been many hard times, sad times, difficult times, and of course, many joyous times. On more than one occasion, I found myself questioning whether I could continue. At such times, I was always encouraged by the words of Koto - san:
“Heaven knows, earth knows, people know.”
God is watching over us. Our Ancestors are supporting us. Above all, the people around us are looking out for us.
With these words of support, I have been able to live my life with dedication and respect as a member of the Tanabe family.
I will be 80 years old this year. My son and his young apprentices are engaging sincerely with bamboo, and it is a joy to spend my days working alongside them. What a blessed and peaceful way to spend my old age! I am grateful that this is my reward for 55 years of doing my best to support the Tanabe family. I look forward to the growth of my grandchildren and the apprentices and will continue to work with my beloved bamboo and bamboo sheath until the end of my life.
n Mitsuko Tanabe
2024, 25 × 14 × 16.25 inches
Blaze,
Traveler, 2024, 33.75 × 16 × 10 inches
TASHIMA SHIUN NAKAMURA EMIKA
HAYASHI JUNPEI ICHIKAWA YONA
APPRENTICES
HONDA YOKO SANO KAYOKO
TASHIMA SHIUN
At the center of my life is always my child. Thinking of her, who gives me so much love, facing her, I preserve my memories in a form of my own expression. Aiming to create works that are appealing without being decorative, I focus on forms that evoke the lovely and adorable, touchable cheeks, bottom, and belly of my child at this moment.
Moe, 2024, 13 × 16 × 16 inches
NAKAMURA EMIKA
I am soothed and captivated by the beautiful green color of plants and the pure atmosphere they create. In plants, leaf veins play an important role in supporting the leaves and carrying water and nutrients. The way the leaf veins spread out aligns with my own desire to expand my knowledge and technical experience, and I express this through the pattern of the twined bamboo.
Veins of a Leaf, 2023, 2.75 × 13 × 15.5 inches
Leaf Sheep , 2024, 13 × 10.25 × 10.25 inches >
HONDA YOKO
I saw my own internal organs for the first time during an endoscopy at a medical check - up. I felt a sense of vitality and fascination from the color and luster of the organs I saw. I was inspired to create these works by the shapes of the organs, the mental image of digestion and the absorption of nutrients in the body, and the variety of functions performed by different organs. In these works, I expressed the way solid food is digested and the way the villi absorb nutrients.
Sublimation, 2022, 13 × 15.5 × 15.5 inches
Perception B, 2024, 14 × 6.5 × 6.5 inches
Perception A, 2024, 17.75 × 6.5 × 6.5 inches
KAYOKO SANO
The colors and shapes of seeds are so varied that one never gets tired of looking at them. It is fun to imagine what kind of sprout will emerge and what color of flower will bloom, and I also wonder how life is stored inside the hard outer shell. The unknown potential of the energy contained within sparks my imagination.
Memory of Seeds, 2024, 8.5 × 16.75 × 12 inches
Memory of Seeds, 2024, 7 × 12.75 × 12.75 inches (two views) >
HAYASHI JUNPEI
When I look at the sky, I sometimes unexpectedly encounter a beautiful moment. The wind blows, the clouds drift, and the light mixes with the sky, changing endlessly, so no two moments are the same. The sky I saw that day and the sky I see today are the same sky, yet it is never the same, and the way I see it changes depending on my feelings. I hope to capture these infinite moments and changes in a single work of art.
Air, 2021, 11.25 × 12.5 × 12.5 inches
Streamline, 2024, 9.25 × 34.25 × 7.75 inches >
“In this world, all being is all the universe.” These are the words of Dogen, a Zen monk of the Kamakura period (1185 –1333) whom I deeply respect. One day, I took inspiration from the red and white flowers that herald the coming of spring and the flowers that bloom like a full moon. When I look at nature, I sense the great energy and order of the universe in the natural world. From Dogen’s words, I learned that the workings of nature are connected to the laws of the universe and provide guidance for understanding human nature, the essence of being, and living a fulfilling life. I also feel the order of the universe in the bull’s - eye pattern that I like. I want to express this commonality in my work.
Full Moon Scent, 2024, 11 × 17.5 × 17.5 inches
ICHIKAWA YONA
Early Spring Plum Blossom, 2023, 8.5 × 17.5 × 17.5 inches
SHIMIZU YUKI
We always live in tandem with time. There are things around us that stay the same and things that change. Things in the world show us their present state through the concept of time. In Clear Wave , I expressed the beauty of ripples on the surface of water that have remained unchanged for billions of years. Plants protect themselves by producing toxins and thorns to survive and evolve in response to various environments. In Crystal , I represented their current state of evolution as a crystal embodying the concept of time.
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Clear Wave, 2024, 7.5 × 18.75 × 19.5 inches
Crystal, 2024, 15 × 17.25 × 16 inches
