Hirakushi Denchū
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

was a Japanese sculptor. He was noted for his traditional Japanese wood sculptures, especially realistically rendered painted wooden portrait sculptures, often incorporating
Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
themes.Roberts, Laurance P. ''A Dictionary of Japanese Artists: Painting, Sculpture, Ceramics, Prints, Lacquer.'' Tokyo: Weatherhill, 1976. pg 43 He was appointed to the Imperial Art Academy in 1937 and in 1944 was appointed an
Imperial Household Artist An was an artist who was officially appointed by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan to create works of art for the Tokyo Imperial Palace and other imperial residences. History The system came into being during the Meiji period in 1890 and ...
. He was named a
Person of Cultural Merit is an official Japanese recognition and honor which is awarded annually to select people who have made outstanding cultural contributions. This distinction is intended to play a role as a part of a system of support measures for the promotion of ...
in 1954 and in 1962 was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit.Tazawa, Yutaka. ''Biographical Dictionary of Japanese Art.'' Tokyo: Kodansha International in Collaboration with the International Society for Educational Information, 1981. ppg 437-8 His carving of a pair of dragon gods can be found in the rear alcoves of Kaminarimon Gate at the entrance to Tokyo's
Sensō-ji is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. It is Tokyo's oldest temple, and one of its most significant. Formerly associated with the Tendai sect of Buddhism, it became independent after World War II. It is dedicated to Kann ...
Temple, installed in 1978 on the 1,350th anniversary of the Kannon's first appearance in
Asakusa is a district in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. It is known as the location of the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several other temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals, such as the . History The ...
.Enbutsu, Sumiko. ''Old Tokyo: Walks in the City of the Shogun''. Tokyo: Tuttle, 2012


Biography

Denchū was born in Shitsuki (now part of
Ibara is a Cities of Japan, city located in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on March 30, 1953. , the city has an estimated population of 41,460 and a population density of 170 people per km². The total area is . Mergers On March ...
) in
Okayama Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,906,464 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 7,114 Square kilometre, km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefectur ...
,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
in 1872, under the name Tanaka. In 1882, he was adopted by Hirakushi family of Numakuma in
Hiroshima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Hiroshima Prefecture has a population of 2,811,410 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 8,479 km² (3,274 sq mi). Hiroshima Prefecture borders Okayama ...
and took on the new name. He began his career as an artist in 1893, starting as an apprentice to woodcarver Nakaya Seiko, who carved puppets for
bunraku (also known as ) is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theatre, founded in Osaka in the beginning of the 17th century, which is still performed in the modern day. Three kinds of performers take part in a performance: the or ( puppeteers ...
puppet dramas in
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
. In 1897 he moved to Tokyo and studied under artist Kōun Takamura (sculptor of the 1898 bronze statue of
Saigō Takamori was a Japanese samurai and nobleman. He was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history and one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration. Living during the late Edo and early Meiji periods, he later led the Satsum ...
which stands in Ueno Park in Tokyo). In 1907, Denchu and three other sculptors established the ''Nihon Chōkoku Kai'' ( Japan Sculpture Society), and he submitted his 1908 wood sculpture ''Katsujinsen'' ("The life-bearing arrow") to its first exhibition, winning the attention of the influential art scholar Okakura Tenshin. One of Denchu's best-known works is the -tall statue ''Tenshō'' (Reincarnation) of 1920. The statue depicts a wrathful figure with a halo of flames – perhaps the Buddhist deity Fudô-myôô – as it vomits out a tiny human figure.Hirakushi, Denchû, Masayoshi Homma, and Anne Gossot. ''Personnages De Légende, Figures Historiques Du Japon Ancien: Sculptures Sur Bois Par Hirakushi Denchû 1872-1979''. Tokyo: Asahi Shimbun, 1996. Note to Plate 15.Mason, Penelope E, and Donald Dinwiddie. ''History of Japanese Art''. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. ppg. 360-1 "Old Mother of Heian" is also known as his work. According to Penelope Mason's ''History of Japanese Art'': :'' e tiny human is clearly a loathsome wretch at best – possibly so unpalatable that even a demon would not eat him – unworthy of release from the cycle of death and rebirth, the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice. Whatever the exact identification, the image's expression of divine disgust at the human condition is patently clear. Using traditional materials and fusing classic Buddhist themes, Hiragushi has succeeded in creating a powerful and modern statement.'' Denchū died on December 30, 1979, and is buried at
Tama Cemetery in Tokyo is the largest municipal cemetery in Japan. It is split between the cities of Fuchu and Koganei within the Tokyo Metropolis. First established in April 1923 as , it was redesignated Tama Cemetery in 1935. It is one of the largest green a ...
in Fuchū in western Tokyo. There are two museums dedicated to his work: *The Ibara Municipal Denchu Art Museum (井原市立田中美術館)] in
Ibara is a Cities of Japan, city located in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on March 30, 1953. , the city has an estimated population of 41,460 and a population density of 170 people per km². The total area is . Mergers On March ...
,
Okayama Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,906,464 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 7,114 Square kilometre, km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefectur ...
in western Japan, the place of his birth. The museum also maintains a memorial garden to Denchū in Ibara and his old home in Tokyo's
Asakusa is a district in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. It is known as the location of the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several other temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals, such as the . History The ...
district. *The Kodaira Hirakushi Denchu Art Museum (小平市平櫛田中彫刻美術館) in
Kodaira is a city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 195,207 in 93,654 households, and a population density of 9500 persons per km². The total area of the city was . Geography Kodaira ...
in western Tokyo, which preserves his last home and studio.


See also

*
Yasuo Mizui was a Japanese stone sculptor who lived in France. He preferred abstract form in public sculpture within architectural contexts and took part in several symposia on sculpture in Europe, the US, Israel, and Japan. Biography Yasuo Mizui entered i ...
*
Tokyo University of the Arts or is the most prestigious art school in Japan. Located in Ueno Park, it also has facilities in Toride, Ibaraki, Yokohama, Kanagawa, and Kitasenju and Adachi, Tokyo. The university has trained renowned artists in the fields of painting, scul ...


References


External links


Ibara Municipal Denchu Art Museum, English versionKodaira Hirakushi Denchu Art Museum, English version
{{DEFAULTSORT:Denchū, Hirakushi 1872 births 1979 deaths Japanese sculptors Japanese centenarians Men centenarians People from Okayama 19th-century sculptors 20th-century sculptors Recipients of the Order of Culture Persons of Cultural Merit Imperial household artists Artists from Okayama Prefecture