Yamaguchi Ryuun

YA M A G U CHI RY U U N

YA M AG U C H I RY UU N was an apprentice to one of the 20th century’s greatest bamboo artists, Shono Shounsai. In the 1950s, Shounsai shattered the idea of bamboo art always being rooted in functionality by creating sculptural objects. All of his apprentices faced the dilemma of either striking out in new directions or building upon Shounsai’s ideas and notions of bamboo as a purely sculptural material.

Yamaguchi made the courageous decision of exploring and evolving his master’s concepts. A lesser artist would become a slave to copying his master’s artwork, but Yamaguchi set out to create his own distinct artistic expression drawing upon Shounsai’s techniques and developing new ones.

Since the Japanese have no tradition of collecting bamboo sculpture, Yamaguchi had to make his living by making production bamboo flower baskets. Once or twice a year he made time to create sculptures for submission to juried exhibitions. Through determination and hard work, his pieces began winning awards, and in1994 his first acceptance into the national Japan Fine Arts Exhibition. Still his livelihood was made by producing simple bamboo baskets. This changed in 1997 with the introduction of his artwork to Lloyd E. Cotsen followed by other Western collectors. The enthusiastic public response to Yamaguchi’s sculptures continues to fuel his desire to explore new shapes and forms that you can enjoy in this catalogue.

When I first met Yamaguchi and his wife, their living room was also his studio. How he could make such large and expansive sculptures in this small space was always a source of wonderment. One of the most joyous moments in my working with Yamaguchi was, a few years later, seeing them move to a larger home with a detached spacious studio.

Robert T. Coffland

Whirlpool 1971, 16 1/2 x 13 x 17 inches

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ARTIST STATEMENT Bamboo is beautiful.

I listen to it. The bamboo says many things to me.

I enjoy my conversations with it.

I express beauty through bamboo: the beauty of water flowing, the beauty of flowers, the beauty of moving clouds.

I try to bring the beauty of nature into my sculpture.

At the age of sixteen my father encouraged me to learn bamboo basketry. After learning the basics at the Beppu Occupational School, I became an assistant to a local basket maker. My first opportunity knocked at my door in 1963 when I became a live -in assistant at Shono Shounsai’s Shikutei Studio for a year. While working to make Shounsai designed bamboo trays, I spent as much time as possible at my master’s studio watching and learning how he created his exhibition pieces.

This became the foundation of my art making. After leaving his studio, I started to create my own art work submitting one or two pieces a year to juried public exhibitions, while earning a living making simple flower baskets ordered by bamboo wholesalers.

My second opportunity knocked at my door when Mr. Robert Coffland visited me twelve years ago. He introduced my work to the West. To my great surprise the Western audience accepted my art work, and I became a full-time artist. Two years ago Mr. Coffland kindly offered me a solo show in Santa Fe. I have participated in a number of group shows in Japan, but this is my very first solo show. I am very grateful. It is my third opportunity knocking at my door for the next chapter in my bamboo art.

Yamaguchi Ryuun

Fire 2007, 211/2 x 211/2 x 23 inches

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Camellia 2008, 16 diameter x 8 inches Waves 2008, 19 1/2 x 23 1/2 x 26 inches (right)

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Night’s Shadow 2009, 22 diameter x 10 inches (two views)

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Flying 2009, 25 1/2 diameter x 14 inches (detail, front cover)

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Blossoms Dancing with the Wind 2007, 31diameter x 8 inches (above)

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Spring’s Source 1988, 26 x 211/2 x 4 inches (below)

Untitled 2007, 23 x 11 x 19 inches

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Spring 2008, 21 diameter x 8 inches (two views)

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YAMAGUCHI RYUUN 1940 1957

Born in Saga Prefecture Graduated from Oita Prefecture Beppu Advanced Occupational School, Department of Bamboo Craft Art

1963

Apprenticed to Shono Shounsai (Living National Treasure)

1967

Excellence Award, 3rd Beppu City New Bamboo Craft Arts Exhibition (again in1972)

1969

Beppu City Mayor’s Award, 9th Oita Prefecture Craft Arts Exhibition (thereafter winner 8 times including Governor’s Award and Shono Shounsai Award) Paulownia Award, 2nd Kyushu Modern Craft Arts Exhibition (again in1972)

1970

Encouragement Award, 3rd Exhibition for Modern Craft Arts Association in Kyushu

1987

Admitted to Japan New Craft Arts Exhibition (thereafter admitted 10 times)

1988

Governor of Oita Award, 9th Japan New Craft Arts Kyushu Exhibition

1990

Admitted to Paris Top 100 Artists Award Competition

1993

Northern Kyushu Art Museum Award, 5th Japan New Craft Arts Exhibition

1994

Admitted to 26th Nitten ( Japan Fine Arts Exhibition)

1997

Admitted to 29th Nitten

1998 1999

Admitted to Japanese Citizen’s Cultural Festival “Bamboo Masterworks,” Asia Society, New York City International Asian Art Fair, New York City

2000 “Bamboo Masterworks,” Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, California Northern Kyushu Museum Prize, Japan New Craft Arts Exhibition International Asian Art Fair, New York City “Bamboo Masterworks,” Honolulu Academy of Art, Hawaii 2001

Arts of Pacific Asia, San Francisco, California International Asian Art Fair, New York City “Bamboo Fantasies,” TAI Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico “Best Bamboo Baskets: The Cotsen Collection,” Long House Reserve, East Hampton, New York

2002 International Art & Design Fair, New York City Arts of Pacific Asia, San Francisco, California International Asian Art Fair, New York City Group Show, Tigerman Himmel Gallery, Chicago, Illinois 2003 Hali Fair, London International Asian Art Fair, New York City 2004 International Asian Art Fair, New York City Exhibited in the Hand Workshop Art Center, Richmond, Virginia 2005 The San Francisco International Art Exhibition The International Art & Design Fair, New York City International Asian Art Fair, New York City 2006 “Power & Delicacy: Master Works of Japanese Bamboo Art,” TAI Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico “Hin: The Quiet Beauty of Japanese Art,” Grinnell College, Iowa “Hin: The Quiet Beauty of Japanese Art,” Chicago Cultural Center, Illinois Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts 2007 Arts of Pacific Asia, San Francisco, California 2008 Arts of Pacific Asia, San Francisco, California “New Bamboo: Contemporary Japanese Masters,” The Japan Society, New York City 2009 Member’s Award, 31st Japan New Craft Arts Exhibition Museum Collections: Oita City Museum of Art, Japan Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, California Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina

Abundance 1997, 18 1/2 diameter x 7 inches (detail, back cover)

TA I G A L L E R Y

1601 B Paseo de Peralta Santa Fe, NM 87501 505.984.1387 www.taigallery.com