Honda Syoryu, 2017

HONDA SYORYU

When I first learned that bamboo artist Honda Syoryu studied under Kadota Niko, I was puzzled. Kadota Niko, a prominent member of the Iwao lineage, worked in the traditional style of the Beppu region and was known for his imposing, extremely intricate jar-shaped bamboo flower baskets. Honda is recognized primarily as a sculptor, and even the vessels he made in his early career had an artistic style and sensitivity that felt modern, innovative and foreign to Beppu. I wondered if Honda was rebelling against his teacher and the regional tradition he had been taught. However, I soon began to feel the spirit of Kadota Niko in his work. I no longer see Honda’s sculptures as a rejection of tradition but an embracing and evolution of a great bamboo art legacy.

Much of Honda’s work has drawn upon two very basic plaiting techniques — twining and twill plaiting. These age - old techniques have been used in Beppu to make bamboo baskets and boxes for over a century. Honda uses these ordinary techniques to create extraordinary results. By controlling the width and thickness of his twined bamboo strips and altering the spacing between each row, Honda transforms what would be a simple cylinder into the dynamic, undulating shapes of his signature “Dance” series. In his “Rhythm” series, he rolls up a length of flat twill plaiting into a tube, which he bends and ties into an elegant, looping composition. Though these techniques have been used for hundreds, if not thousands of years, no one ever used them in the ways Honda does.

In his second solo exhibition at TAI Modern, Honda is introducing two brandnew series. In the “Spring” series, a synthesis of two earlier bodies of work, Honda bundles and coils airy twined tubes into free-form shapes. Also new is the “Ring” series. Other than Honda, who else could create something fresh out of the bullseye plaiting (rinko - ami) technique which has been used as the base of baskets for centuries!

Honda uses some of the most common techniques passed down from early basket makers, yet he is able to adapt these traditional techniques to create completely original sculptural forms. In this, Honda is an embodiment of a core tenet of Japan’s craft art — the marriage of continuity and change. n

Koichi Okada, 2017

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Ring of Fire, 2017, 22 × 26 × 10 inches

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ARTIST STATEMENT I create sculptures about space and time, about the magnificence and mystery of the universe. Six years ago, I moved to the city of Matsumoto, where the sky and mountains spread out before my eyes. I am becoming more and more inspired by the beauty of this area.

Working with bamboo, it is almost impossible to have total control over the form that you intend to make. When I make my art, I am in constant dialogue with the bamboo. This material’s unique pliability allows me to draw beautiful, naturally curving lines in space. The textures I create cannot be achieved with any other medium. I feel great satisfaction when working together with bamboo leads me to create a sculpture beyond my imagination.

Collectors in the U.S. have almost single-handedly supported my artistic career. I am so grateful to them. It is my hope to create many more works which will inspire the viewer. I also hope to devote my time to training the next generation of bamboo artists. Keeping the art form alive and passing it on to future generations is the best way for me to honor all of the support I have been given. n

Honda Syoryu, 2017

Floating Wheels, 2017, 23.5 × 15 × 12 inches

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Chain Reaction, 2016, 11.75 × 30 × 15 inches

Embrace, 2014, 41.25 × 25 ×12 inches

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Aurora, 2016, 13.75 × 20 × 15 inches

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Summer Clouds, 2017, 31.5 × 15 × 12 inches

Flight, 2017, 42 × 27 × 22 inches

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Big Wave, 2015, 17.25 × 17.25 × 16.5 inches

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Above: Duet, 2016, 9 × 14.5 × 8 inches Opposite: Transformation of the Soul, 2017, 38 × 14.5 × 12 inches

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Prominence, 2016, 23.5 Ă— 32.5 Ă— 15 inches

Reincarnation, 2016, 22 × 17 × 11.75 inches

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Early Autumn, 2016, 26 × 15 × 8 inches

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HONDA SYORYU Honda Syoryu was born in 1951 in Kagoshima on the southwestern tip of Kyushu Island. His family made functional bamboo products. Helping out with the family business as a child is the start of Honda’s working with bamboo. In 1977, Honda moved to the town of Beppu to attend the bamboo craft training school. After completing the one - year course, he remained in Beppu to study under Kadota Niko, a nationally recognized bamboo artist. As the largest center for the bamboo craft in Japan, Beppu offered Honda the chance to measure his talent against many of Japan’s most highly skilled craftsmen and artists.

After becoming independent, Honda began to show original work at local and regional public competitions and was soon exhibiting at the national level in the prestigious Japan Traditional Craft Arts Exhibitions. It was apparent from the beginning that Honda intended to introduce different sensibilities into the Beppu basketry tradition. He often incorporated techniques and styles from other regions to make his vessels stand out. Though there were few collectors in Japan for his major exhibition pieces, Honda became successful designing simple yet elegant flower baskets for daily use. Together with Morigami Jin, an artistic rival and friend, Honda soon became one of the emerging stars of Beppu’s art scene. He taught or mentored a number of young bamboo artists who were drawn to his impeccable technique and contemporary aesthetic, including Kibe Seiho and Nakatomi Hajime.

Sales slowed after Japan’s bubble economy burst, and by the end of the 1990s, Honda was struggling financially. In 1999, Honda was introduced to Robert Coffland of TAI Gallery. Recognizing Honda’s talent, Coffland asked Lloyd Cotsen, a longtime supporter of the bamboo arts, if he would sponsor Honda’s creation of a major piece for the Japan Traditional Craft Arts Exhibition. Honda made a dazzling presentation tray, which the judges rejected, but the work found a home in Cotsen’s collection. The following year, Coffland himself sponsored Honda. Judges once again rejected Honda’s highly original

submission. Disappointed that the judges did not value Honda’s creativity, Coffland sponsored Honda again — this time to create a work that ignored the constraints of the Traditional Craft Art Association. Coffland wrote, “what emerged was a bamboo sculpture titled Dance that was the starting point of a brilliant series that continues to evolve to this day.” Dance was instantly accepted into Nitten, the Japan Fine Arts Exhibition. It was a major turning point in Honda’s artistic career.

He devoted himself to creating abstract bamboo sculptures, and his new work was embraced by an enthusiastic American audience.

MUSEUM COLLEC TIONS:

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY Museum of Art and Design, New York, NY Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, AZ Minneapolis Institute of Art, MN Beppu City Bamboo Craft Center, Oita

Back Cover: Circular Path, 2015, 9.5 × 7.75 × 4.25 inches

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