TAMAMURA Hokuto: Revolutionary of the Japanese-Style Painting

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TAMAMURA Hokuto (c. 1932) Scene in a Port Town
The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto TAMAMURA Hokuto (Zennosuke; 1893–1951) was born in the central ward of Kyoto to a family that ran a shop dealing in geta, a type of Japanese footwear.  He graduated from the Painting Department of the Kyoto Municipal School of Arts and Crafts in 1911, and went on to study under KIKUCHI Hōbun at the Kyoto Municipal Fine Arts College.  Upon graduating in 1915, he founds Mitsuritsu-kai, an association for studying and exhibiting nihonga (Japanese-style painting), with his colleagues from the two schools, including OKAMOTO Shinsō, KAINOSHŌ Tadaoto, and IRIE Hakō.  He also submits Inariyama, Kyōgokokuji, Kiyomizudō to the 2nd Saikō Inten (Reorganized Japan Fine Arts Academy Exhibition), where his work is accepted for the first time.  In 1916, he relocates to Tokyo to study at the Academy, and in 1918, he submits Ugetsu Monogatari (Tales of Moonlight and Rain) to the 5th Saikō Inten.  This time, he wins an award and receives a nomination as an associate member of the Academy, and thus makes his mark.  However, he expresses dislike for conventional nihonga and leaves the Academy after submitting his work one last time to the 6th Saikō Inten.
     From then on, Tamamura dedicates his efforts to avant-garde movements, such as “Daiichi Sakka Dōmei (D.S.D.),” “Sanka,” and “Tan’i Sanka (Unit Sanka).” During this period, he also presents avant-garde 3D works (now defunct), is associated with founding avant-garde magazines such as Epoch and GE.GJMGJGAM.PRRR.GJMGEM (G.G.P.G.), and takes part in a widely varied range of artistic activity, as seen for instance in his prolific printmaking.  He continues to hold solo exhibitions, presenting a brand-new interpretation of nihonga with his own uniquely grotesque and humorous style, a representative example being his major work Ugetsu Monogatari Picture Scrolls, composed of nine scrolls that will be shown for the first time in eighty-odd years in the present exhibition.  In 1930, Tamamura founds an association named after himself, the Hokuto-sha, with the aim to spread a new conception of nihonga by creating opportunities to present work with like-minded artists.  He paints nihonga portraying moments in everyday life or focusing on everyday sentiments, exemplified by such works as Holiday, which portrays a father and son playing catch.
     The present exhibition will introduce the entire scope of Tamamura’s work—known until now merely in fragments—for the very first time, through approximately 140 works and materials, such as magazines.

Related Events
Commemorative lecture: “About My Father, TAMAMURA Hokuto”
Date: January 26 (Sat.)  1:30–3:00PM (numbered tickets distributed 11:00AM–)
Place: Lecture hall (maximum capacity 100); free
Lecturer: TAMAMURA Toyo’o (essayist/artist)
in Japanese only

Exhibition Dates

Tuesday, January 8 – Sunday, February 17, 2008

Closed on Mondays

Exceptions: Open Jan. 14 (Mon./holiday) and Feb. 11 (Mon./holiday),

     closed Jan. 15 (Tue.) and Feb. 12 (Tue.)

Organizers

The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto

The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura and Hayama

The Kyoto Shimbun Co., Ltd.

Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.

Admission

	Day of admission	Advance	Group (20 or more)
Adult	830	700	560
University students	450	350	250
High school students	250	200	130
Junior high and younger	Free	Free	Free

Advance tickets: Ticket Pia, FamilyMart (P code: 687-678), Lawson (L code:

56089), other major ticket vendors and convenience stores

Works on Rotation

The following works will be rotated halfway through the exhibition.

Part I only (Jan. 8 – Jan. 27)			Part II only (Jan. 29 – Feb. 17)
18	Umihiko	c. 1926	10	Tales of Ise (Utsuyama)	1926
20	Chloranthus glaber	c. 1926	17	Fishing	c. 1926
23	Snow at Dusk	c. 1926	19	Chloranthus glaber	c. 1926
26	Tales of Ise (Utsuyama)	1927–28	22	Mid-Autumn	c. 1926
28	Night View of Cherry Blossoms in Maruyama	1927–28	24	Camellia	c. 1926
30	Tamukeyama Shrine, Nara	1927–28	31	Tama River, Mt. Koya	1927–28
38	Yoro (The Aged)	1928	33	Specialities of the Inland Sea	1927–28
40	Old Pine Trees	1928	35	Tales of Genji (Koshibagaki)	1927–28
47	Paying Homage at Itsukushima	1928–29	39	Little Birds and Wisteria	1928
53	Tale of Genji	1928–29	43	Buddha	1928
58	Grape Vines	1928–29	48	(Record of) The War of Yashima	1928–29
74	A Couple of Cranes	1929	57	Little Bird and Chrysanthemums	1928–29
75	Cock and Wintry Field	1929	59	A Couple of Cranes in Winter Woods	1928–29
79	Plum Blossoms	c. 1929–32	80	Tales of Genji	c. 1929–32
103	Landscape	1943	81	Tea Seller	c. 1929–32
104	Swallow and Willow	1943	112	Landscape of Shodoshima	1943
119	Indian Chrysanthemum	1943	130	Peonies	c. 1943
131	Two Vases and Flowers	c. 1943	132	Cornflower and Still Life	c. 1943–50

Note

The following works will not be on display in Kyoto.

27	Uji	1927–28	55	Two Roosters	1928–29
29	Yase-Ohara	1927–28	56	Little Birds and Dogwood	1928–29
32	Itsukushima Shrine	1927–28	76	Little Bird and Chrysanthemum	1929
34	Gorge in Shodoshima	1927–28	77	Little Birds and Maple	1929
49	Red Hollyhocks	1928–29	116	Pumpkin	1943
50	White Herons	1928–29	118	Quails	1943
54	White Crane beneath a Pine Tree	1928–29

Additionally, the following works which are specially on display are not included in the exhibition catalogue.

          Landscape (1912)

          Album of Flowers (1935)

          A Vase and an Akebi (c. 1943)

          Model of the TAMAMURA Hokuto Residence

Publicity Materials

The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura  flyer

PDF file (775KB)

Flyer  PDF file (781KB)

Other Museums

The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura  2007/11/03 (Sat./holiday) – 12/16 (Sun.)

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