Teshigahara Sofu Exhibition

Feb 10 - Mar 16

Taka Ishii Gallery will be holding a solo exhibition by Sofu Teshigahara from Saturday, February 10th to Saturday, March 16th. Teshigahara, the founder of the Sogetsu style of ikebana, was a rare figure who not only led the postwar avant-garde ikebana movement, but also connected with the contemporary art of the same period in Japan and abroad, and led it as a sculptor. In this exhibition, his second solo exhibition at Taka Ishii Gallery, he will present approximately 15 works, mainly two-dimensional works, such as calligraphy on folding screens and paintings with the theme of "Mt. Fuji."

Teshigahara cites line, color, and mass as the three elements that make up ikebana. Teshigahara, who placed particular importance on lines, advocated boldly shaping flowers without compromising their beauty, such as by cutting, bending, and pinning unnecessary branches. In addition to his ikebana and sculpture works, Teshigahara created many calligraphy works because he saw similarities between calligraphy and ikebana, which are composed of the same lines (branches). The calligraphy is as organic as a plant, emitting energy as if the concept being represented is breaking through the shell of the hieroglyphic kanji and radiating outward. As seen in his work ``Hakuun'' (1950s-1960s), the technique of coloring the ground of the characters, which are diagrams, makes the impression more distinct, and at the same time emphasizes the relationship between lines and blocks in ikebana. It can be seen that they are superimposed on each other.

Since the early 1960s, Teshigahara has created numerous folding screens, oil paintings, and watercolors with Mt. Fuji as the subject. From his villa on the shores of Lake Yamanaka, he gazed at this sacred mountain before sunrise, during the day, and at night. I drew it with brush strokes. Teshigahara's sculptures and calligraphy convey a sense of ferocious nature and awe towards it, while the works of Mt. You can get a sense of his strong desire for creation, which reacts instantly to change and can't help but shape it.

Sofu Teshigahara, whose work has been increasingly reevaluated in recent years, will be participating in the Yokohama Triennale ``Wild Flowers: Living Here and Now'' to be held in March of this year.

Sofu Teshigahara was born in 1900 as the eldest son of Hisatsugu Teshigahara, a flower arranger. He received ikebana instruction from an early age and gained attention for his outstanding talent, but he had doubts about the formalistic style of ikebana up to that point and broke up with his father, and in 1927 he decided to pursue a career in the Sogetsu school in Tokyo. Created a new flow. Along with Toyoun Ohara and Yukio Nakagawa, he led the postwar ``avant-garde ikebana movement,'' which greatly deviated from traditional ikebana. From the 1950s to the 1970s, he actively held ikebana exhibitions and demonstrations not only in Japan but throughout Europe and the United States, as well as creating numerous sculptures, paintings, calligraphy, and collage works. He interacted with post-war avant-garde art movements such as Jikken Kobo, Informel, and Gutai Art Association, and under the direction of his son Hiroshi, he held the ``John Cage and David Tudor Event'' (1962) and ``Mars...'' at the Sogetsu Art Center. Cunningham Dance Company" visited Japan (1964), introducing a wide range of avant-garde art to Japan. He continued to create until his final years, passing away in 1979.


Schedule
Saturday, February 10, 2024 - Saturday, March 16, 2024

Opening Information
Time: 12:00 - 19:00
Closing Day: Mondays, Sundays, holidays
Opening Party: Saturday,February 10, 2024 from 17:00 to 19:00

Admission Fee
Free

Exhibition URL
https://www.takaishiigallery.com/jp/archives/31679/

Venue
Taka Ishii Gallery
http://www.takaishiigallery.com/

Address
6-5-24 complex665 3F, Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032

Access
2-minute walk from exit 1b of Roppongi Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line/Toei Oedo Line, 8-minute walk from exit 7 of Azabu-Juban Station on the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line/Toei Oedo Line, walk from exit 5 of Nogizaka Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line 11 minutes