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.

BIO/CV

1930-2011, Aichi Prefecture, Japan

Education

1930
Born, first son of bamboo craft artist Torii Hounsai
1951
Began his career as a bamboo artist

Exhibitions + Accolades

1957
Winner of Governor of Tokyo Award at Japan Flower and Tea Ware Craft Arts Exhibition
1980
Admitted to 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 Chunichi Newspaper Award at Japanese Modern Craft Arts Exhibition, Tokai Division
1987
Became full member of Japan Modern Craft Arts Association
Winner of Modern Craft Art Award at Japan Modern Craft Arts Exhibition
1988
Received Nishio City Cultural Merit Award
1991
Winner of Japan Modern Craft Art Member’s Award at Japan Modern Craft Art Exhibition
1992
Artists of the Tokai Area in Aichi Prefecture
Participated in Japanese Contemporary Craft Arts Exhibition in Germany
1993
Judge at Japan Modern Craft Arts Exhibition
1994
Judge at Toyota Citizen’s Art Exhibition
1996
Judge at Japan Traditional Craft Arts Exhibition
1997
Judge at Seto Citizen’s Arts Exhibition
Judge at Nishio Citizen’s Arts Exhibition
2000
Winner of Chunichi New Paper Award at 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

I found a catalog when I was rearranging my bookshelves the other day. It is an exhibition catalog of treasures housed in Nara’s Shosoin Treasure House. It was the second exhibition after the war of these national treasures being displayed in public at Ueno’s Tokyo National Museum in 1959. At that time, I was still novice to this craft for eight years, 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 the picture of 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 this 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 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 me back the memories of forty some years ago.