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Torii Ippo
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Torii Ippo

Torii Ippo began his career in bamboo arts at the age of 21, after his father’s death. There was no choice for him, since the family business was the only means of support for his family. He taught himself by making copies of his father’s baskets.

In 1959, he visited an exhibition of treasures housed at Todaiji Temple in Nara. At the time, he was feeling unsure whether he had the talent for bamboo. “I remember how that day my eyes stopped at a bamboo basket that was said to have been used as a flower basket for the memorial service of Emperor Seimu in 757 A.D.,” he recalled. “The basket was rather flat-shaped and it had remained in perfect condition for over 1,200 years. Its power instantly charmed me. That moment determined my career as a bamboo artist.”

Torii was often selected as a judge for public art exhibitions in Japan, and he demonstrated bamboo art in Germany. His pieces are in collections at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA; Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FlL; De Young Museum, San Francisco, CA; Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA; Nishio City Museum; Nishio Cultural Center; and the Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC.

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description

Torii Ippo began his career in bamboo arts at the age of 21, after his father’s death. There was no choice for him, since the family business was the only means of support for his family. He taught himself by making copies of his father’s baskets.

In 1959, he visited an exhibition of treasures housed at Todaiji Temple in Nara. At the time, he was feeling unsure whether he had the talent for bamboo. “I remember how that day my eyes stopped at a bamboo basket that was said to have been used as a flower basket for the memorial service of Emperor Seimu in 757 A.D.,” he recalled. “The basket was rather flat-shaped and it had remained in perfect condition for over 1,200 years. Its power instantly charmed me. That moment determined my career as a bamboo artist.”

Torii was often selected as a judge for public art exhibitions in Japan, and he demonstrated bamboo art in Germany. His pieces are in collections at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA; Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FlL; De Young Museum, San Francisco, CA; Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA; Nishio City Museum; Nishio Cultural Center; and the Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC.

BIO/CV

1930-2011, Aichi Prefecture, Japan

Education
  • 1930

    Born the first son of bamboo craft artist Torii Hounsai

  • 1951

    Began his career as a bamboo artist


Exhibitions + Accolades
  • 1957                     

    Winner of the Governor of Tokyo Award at the Japan Flower and Tea Ware Craft Arts Exhibition

  • 1980                    

    Admitted to the Japan Modern Craft Arts Exhibition for the first time (thereafter admitted 12 times)

  • 1981                      

    Admitted to Nitten (Japan Fine Arts Exhibition) for the first time (thereafter admitted 18 times)

  • 1982                     

    Winner of the Chunichi Newspaper Award at the Japanese Modern Craft Arts Exhibition, Tokai Division

  • 1987                     

    Became a full member of the Japan Modern Craft Arts Association
    Winner of the Modern Craft Art Award at the Japan Modern Craft Arts Exhibition

  • 1988                    

    Received the Nishio City Cultural Merit Award

  • 1991                      

    Winner of the Japan Modern Craft Art Member’s Award at the Japan Modern Craft Art Exhibition

  • 1992

    Artists of the Tokai Area, Aichi Prefecture
    Participated in Japanese Contemporary Craft Arts Exhibition in Germany

  • 1993                     

    Judge at the Japan Modern Craft Arts Exhibition

  • 1994                    

    Judge at the Toyota Citizen’s Art Exhibition

  • 1996                    

    Judge at the Japan Traditional Craft Arts Exhibition

  • 1997                     

    Judge at the Seto Citizen’s Arts Exhibition
    Judge at the Nishio Citizen’s Arts Exhibition

  • 2000

    Winner of the Chunichi New Paper Award at the Japan Modern Craft Arts Exhibition, Tokai Division
    Bamboo Fantasies, TAI Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
    Meet the Masters, TAI Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
    Exhibited at Tigerman Himmel Gallery, Chicago, IL

  • 2003

    Shared Passion: Sara & David Lieberman Collection of Contemporary Ceramics and Craft, Nelson Fine Arts Center, Tempe, AZ

  • 2004

    Exhibited at the Hand Workshop Art Center, Richmond, VA

  • 2005                    

    Weavers of Wonder, the Naples Museum, FL

  • 2006                   

    Power & Delicacy: Master Works of Japanese Bamboo Art, TAI Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
    Hin: The Quiet Beauty of Japanese Art, Grinnell College, IA and Chicago Cultural Center, IL
    Exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
    Recipient of the prestigious Tokusen Prize

  • 2008

    New Bamboo: Contemporary Japanese Masters, Japan Society, New York, NY

  • 2009                   

    Many Shapes of Bamboo III, Oita Prefecture Art Museum, Oita

  • 2011

    Beauty in All Things: Japanese Art and Design, Museum of Art and Design, New York, NY

  • 2013-2014 

    Fired Earth, Woven Bamboo, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA

  • 2016                     

    Discovering Japanese Bamboo Art: The Rusty & Ann Harrison Collection, Herron School of Art & Design, Indianapolis, IN

  • 2017                     

    Masterpieces of Japanese Bamboo Art, TAI Modern at Joan B. Mirviss Gallery, New York, NY

  • 2017

    Japanese Bamboo Art: The Abbey Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY


Museum Collections
  • Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
    Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA
    de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA
    Mint Museum of Craft & Design, Charlotte, NC
    Nishio City Museum
    Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
    Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL
    Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN


ARTIST STATEMENT

The other day, while rearranging my bookshelves, I found an exhibition catalog of treasures housed in Nara’s Shosoin Treasure House. It was the second exhibition after the war of national treasures displayed in public at Ueno’s Tokyo National Museum in 1959. At that time, after eight years working as an artist, I was still a novice to this craft and wondering if I should continue. During fall of that year, I went to Tokyo to see my business associates and visit museum exhibitions. By chance, I went to see this exhibit, and it made my career.

I browsed through this dear catalog, and my eyes stopped suddenly at a picture of a bamboo basket. I can still visualize this work. It is a rather flat shaped morikago style basket. The ajiro (twill) plating bottom of the basket curves upward using Ayame weaving technique. Its walls are made by gozame (mat plating) up to the rim; then, arrowroot vine wrap to tie each group of three bamboo strips to finish the work. This was said to be used as a flower-serving basket. According to the catalog, the basket was used for the first memorial service of Emperor Seimu in 757 AD. There is no doubt that the basket, remaining in perfect shape for well over 1000 years, has mystic power to charm people who see it. Among all of the treasures of the Nara Period housed in the Shosoin for 1200 years, this basket remains my favorite. It determined my career as a bamboo artist. Looking at this catalog brought back the memories of forty some years ago.

  • SFR Picks—Week of July 21

    Courtesy TAI Modern Original article Weave Me Like You Do Last chance to check out TAI Modern’s exhibition of a bamboo art master “We’d worked with [bamboo sculptor Torii Ippo] for so long, it surprised us we never had a show directly for him, so this is a retrospective,” Margo Thoma, director of TAI Modern, […]
  • FIRED EARTH, WOVEN BAMBOO

    Original article at Asian Art Newspaper.com THE MUSEUM OF Fine Arts in Boston has recently received a transformative gift of over 90 pieces spanning the late 20th and 21st centuries, given by collectors Stanley and Mary Ann Snider from their Japanese art. This continues the tradition of collectors of Japanese art making donations to the […]
  • PRESS RELEASE: TAI Modern at Art Miami 2017

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: TAI Modern at Art Miami 2017 December 5th– 10th, 2017 One Herald Plaza, Miami, FL Contact: Arianna Borgeson Arianna@taimodern.com (505) 984-1387 TAI Modern is pleased to announce its participation in the 28thyear of Art Miami. This year’s fair will be held at a new location at One Herald Plaza, on 14thStreet between […]
  • PRESS RELEASE: TAI Modern at Asia Week New York

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: TAI Modern at Asia Week New York Realization of Form: Masterworks of Japanese Bamboo Art March 15th– 24th, 2018 Exhibiting at Jason Jacques Gallery 29 East 73rd St, Apt. 1 New York, NY  10021 NEW YORK, NEW YORK—TAI Modern is pleased to announce its participation in Asia Week New York 2018. The […]

SFR Picks—Week of July 21

Courtesy TAI Modern
Original article

Weave Me Like You Do

Last chance to check out TAI Modern’s exhibition of a bamboo art master

“We’d worked with [bamboo sculptor Torii Ippo] for so long, it surprised us we never had a show directly for him, so this is a retrospective,” Margo Thoma, director of TAI Modern, tells SFR. “Even though he passed away in 2011, this is his first solo show in the United States.”

In case you didn’t know, that’s kind of a big deal. Originally, Ippo began working with bamboo to support his family following his father’s death, but what began simply as traditional baskets and tea ceremony articles evolved into complex works of art. In Japan, bamboo is used for myriad utilitarian functions, from furniture to fishing nets, but with his particular brand of artistry, Ippo has become recognized as one of the most celebrated bamboo artists in the world.

And it is not an easy material to work with either—from harvesting the material itself, splitting it and setting it into a dye. The bamboo is then woven into something more recognizable through a process of bending, shaping and knotting. Such a practice requires a lifetime of study and immense patience.

“These are sculptural works, and it’s all very dynamic,” Thoma explains. “There’s a sense of energy and movement inspired by the shapes and feels of waves. The visual impact is pretty strong—it feels so much bigger than the dimensions.”

You’ll find Ippo’s works on display at Tai Modern through Saturday, July 24. (Riley Gardner)

Torii Ippo: 10 am-5pm through July 24th. Free. TAI Modern, 1601 Paseo de Peralta, (505) 984-1387

FIRED EARTH, WOVEN BAMBOO

Asian Art Newspaper, , JANUARY 6, 2014

Original article at Asian Art Newspaper.com

THE MUSEUM OF Fine Arts in Boston has recently received a transformative gift of over 90 pieces spanning the late 20th and 21st centuries, given by collectors Stanley and Mary Ann Snider from their Japanese art. This continues the tradition of collectors of Japanese art making donations to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), that have included such gifts from Ernest Fenollosa and William Sturgis Bigelow. Stanley and Mary Ann Snider represent a new generation of Bostonians who want to ensure that visitors to the museum will understand the vibrancy of Japanese art and culture in our own time by viewing their collection of ceramic and bamboo art.

This exhibition, curated using their recent gift,  highlights the craftsmanship and highly creative sculptural forms of Japanese decorative arts. Among the first exhibitions to present contemporary ceramics alongside baskets, Fired Earth, Woven Bamboo offers an in-depth look at 60 objects created by dozens of leading artists based in Japan. Many of the works are on view for the first time and are enhanced by a selection of contemporary textiles, screens and paper panels.

During the late 19th century and into the 20th century, ceramics and bamboo arts in Japan evolved from traditional crafts into modern art forms, as those who produced them evolved from craftspeople into artists. As modernisation continued, a new generation of artists began to assume creative control over the works they produced, creating unique pieces with their own hands, based on their own ideas. Creativity – rather than mere technical excellence – became the standard for an artist’s work.  In ‘basket with bamboo-root handle’ (1930s), for example, Maeda Chikubosai demonstrates an early example of bamboo art as a form of personal expression.

In the years following World War II, avant-garde clay artists in Japan declared that their work no longer had to take the form of traditional vessels. Many of these artists maintained respect for ancient methods and aesthetics, while embracing the non-functionality of their ceramics. The earliest generation of contemporary ceramic artists live through a major turning point in the history of the medium: a shift in creative control from kiln foreman or craftsman to artist, and the ensuing evolution of ceramics from commercial products to works of art. Beginning in the early 20th century, leading ceramicists, while still influenced by traditional approaches, explored the medium as a means of self-expression and gave shape to their own aesthetic sensibilities by working directly with the materials. Akiyama Yo intentionally exploited deformations that would be considered defects in commercial products with Untitled MV-1019 (2010), which purposely employs cracks in the clay to provide a weathered effect. Fukami Sueharu, who brought Japanese ceramic arts to global attention, also adopted inventive approaches to traditional techniques. His The Moment (Shun) (1998) is a keenly edged abstract work of porcelain that slices through space like a knife.

Recently, international praise has centred on pioneering female ceramists. Until the post-war era, virtually no women in Japan were ceramic artists; men feared that the presence of women would pollute their kilns. Koike Shoko was one of the first female graduates of the ceramic department at Tokyo National University of the Arts. Her shell-shaped vessels, such as Shell 95 (1995), were first thrown on a wheel and then sculpted from the clay of the Shigaraki region. Whereas traditional Shigaraki vessels are left unglazed, Koike applies layers of white slip (liquefied clay) to the surface. Sakurai Yasuko, also among the first women to work with clay on a university campus, plays with forms that make the viewer aware of light and shadow in Vertical Flower (2007).

In contrast to ceramic art, contemporary bamboo art continues to be dominated by artists who were trained through apprenticeships, often in regions where bamboo work has traditionally flourished. During the last century, however, the medium has seen great change. Since the 1950s, Japanese bamboo artists have created highly original pieces that transcend utilitarian use and represent independent works of sculpture. Contemporary bamboo art continues to be dominated by artists trained in the facilities or apprenticeships in regions where bamboo work has traditionally flourished, including Oita, Osaka, Shizuoka, Tochigi, and Niigata. Most of the artists whose works are collected (in this exhibition) were trained in or are active in these regions. Despite this adherence to tradition, the medium has greatly evolved and diversified over the last century. As bamboo art focuses not on the application of decoration, but on fashioning the form of the object itself, it calls forth more radical originality from artists seeking innovation.  In the late 19th century and early 20th centuries, the making of Chinese-style baskets flourished, primarily in Osaka, against a background of sencha (tea) ceremony culture. Soon, as with ceramics and other crafts, those who made bamboo works began to gain recognition as artists rather than merely as craftsmen.

By the 1920s, bamboo artists had begun to show their work in public exhibitions such as the Japan Art Exhibition (Nitten), and from the 1950s at the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition, which demanded originality from participants.

A novelty introduced by artists working in the style where curving forms predominate is the appearance of quasi-architectural structures, composed of straight lines. This is illustrated in Yako Hodo’s piece in the exhibition – Late Autumn. The more daring and experimental work is done by artists exhibiting in shows such as the Japan Art Exhibition and the Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition, along with other artists who are not affiliated with any arts and crafts organisations. Among the artists in this category are Torii Ippo, Honma Hideaki, Watanabe Chiaki, Yamaguchi Ryuun, Shono Tokuzo, Honda Shoryu, Morigami Jin, and Mimura Chikuho. These artists often generate a unique and lyrical sense of movement in their work through the spatial properties of braided structures that make dynamic use of the material’s pliability and elasticity.

In Fire (2011), Yamaguchi Ryuun displays his creative approach by leaving the ends of strips of bamboo unbound, allowing them to spread out and create a voluminous form. Morigami Jin produces shapes that are possible only in bamboo sculpture, his Red Flame (2007) is vessel-like but is transformed into an expression of lines and silhouette in brilliant colours. The development of bamboo works as art – freed entirely from functional use as vessels or baskets – can also be seen in works by Fujitsuka Shosei. Fujitsuka’s pieces span a range from useful objects such as lampshades to the minimalist, elegant flames of Fire (mentioned above). Tori Ippo’s undulating works are far from traditional, functional wares. His Flight (2003), features complex, contrasting bands of twisting bamboo that arc and command the space around them. Another novelty introduced by contemporary bamboo artists, where curving forms predominate, is the appearance of quasi-architectural structures composed of straight lines, such as Yako Hodo’s Late Autumn (2004).

Until 8 September, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, www.mfa.org.

PRESS RELEASE: TAI Modern at Art Miami 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

TAI Modern at Art Miami 2017
December 5th– 10th, 2017
One Herald Plaza, Miami, FL

Contact:
Arianna Borgeson
Arianna@taimodern.com
(505) 984-1387

TAI Modern is pleased to announce its participation in the 28thyear of Art Miami. This year’s fair will be held at a new location at One Herald Plaza, on 14thStreet between the Venetian and MacArthur Causeways. Art Miami opens with a VIP preview on Thursday, December 5th, and runs through Sunday, December 10th. TAI Modern will be exhibiting recent works by contemporary Japanese bamboo masters, as well as contemporary American artists of various media.

For TAI Modern’s return to the fair, the gallery will present works which reflect the continued development of the Japanese bamboo arts. Representing over 35 artists in this medium, including Living National Treasure Fujinuma Noboru, TAI Modern has been the premier gallery for contemporary Japanese bamboo art for over 20 years. Other noteworthy bamboo artists include Honda Syoryu, Fujitsuka Shosei, and Nagakura Kenichi, who each exemplify varying traditional and regional aesthetics with their unique sculptural styles. These artists have pieces in several major American museum collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is featuring its first exhibit of Japanese bamboo art.

To compliment the selection of Japanese bamboo, TAI Modern will also feature works by contemporary American painters Erik Benson, Siobhan McBride, and Monique van Genderen. Benson’s work is highly detailed with an urban edge, creating cityscapes with his signature technique of cutting shapes from acrylic paint and applying them to canvas. McBride’s work is fragmented and dream-like, her subject matter and color choice represent a combination of the mundane and unfamiliar.  In contrast, van Genderen’s work focuses more on the versatility of her color and her use of direct brushstrokes, which result in highly lyrical compositions.

For more information about Art Miami or to request a pass to the fair, please contact Arianna Borgeson at arianna@taimodern.com, or (505) 984-1387.

PRESS RELEASE: TAI Modern at Asia Week New York

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

TAI Modern at Asia Week New York
Realization of Form: Masterworks of Japanese Bamboo Art
March 15th– 24th, 2018

Exhibiting at Jason Jacques Gallery
29 East 73rd St, Apt. 1
New York, NY  10021

NEW YORK, NEW YORK—TAI Modern is pleased to announce its participation in Asia Week New York 2018. The exhibition, Realization of Form: Masterworks of Japanese Bamboo Art, will be on view March 15-23 at Jason Jacques Gallery, 29 East 73rd St, Apt. 1, New York, NY. An opening party will take place Friday, March 16th, 6-9 pm.

For TAI Modern’s first year participating in Asia Week, the gallery will present both historic and contemporary works which exemplify the dialogue that occurs between the artist and the bamboo. “Bamboo art is a material specific art,” Director of Japanese Art Koichi Okada explains. “This exhibition explores the relationship between artists and their chosen medium. Monozukuriis a term often used by Japanese artists and craftsmen. It can be described as ‘the process of creating an object in harmony with the medium through pride of craftmanship.’”

Veteran artists often speak of the necessity of listening to the bamboo. One might wait years to find the right bamboo for a basket or the right form for a particular piece of bamboo. Artist Tanioka Aiko described her bond with the material, saying “This medium gives me joy and challenges me…Bamboo is both delicate and powerful. It is not a tame material to shape according to my desire. It gives me joy when my will and the will of the bamboo fit together nicely.”

Among the more than 30 bamboo artists in the exhibition are noteworthies such as 101-year old Monden Kogyoku, Living National Treasure Fujinuma Noboru, and cult-favorite Tanioka Shigeo, each of whom excel at expressing the unique character of bamboo. These artists are in several major American museum collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Asian Art Museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

TAI Modern has been the premier gallery for contemporary Japanese bamboo art for over 20 years, and currently represents over 35 artists in this medium. During Asia Week New York, TAI Modern’s exhibition at Jason Jacques Gallery will be available for viewing Monday through Saturday from 10am-6pm or by appointment.

For more information, please contact Arianna Borgeson at arianna@taimodern.comor (505) 984-1387.

  • TAI Modern at EXPO Chicago 2025
    April 24, 2025–April 27, 2025
  • Curatorial Vignette: From Bamboo to Brush
    January 26, 2024–February 29, 2024
  • Mountains & Sky
    November 19, 2021–December 31, 2021
  • Torii Ippo
    June 25, 2021–July 24, 2021
  • Masterpieces of Japanese Bamboo Art
    June 14, 2017–July 6, 2017
  • Against the Current
    Against the Current
  • Dancing Waves
    Dancing Waves
  • Distant Wave
    Distant Wave
  • Floating Clouds
    Floating Clouds
  • Midair
    Midair
  • Unfurling
    Unfurling

Tuesday–Saturday
10am–5pm

 

1601 Paseo de Peralta
Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 984 1387

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