YAMAGUCHI RYUUN

3

YAMAGUCHI RYUUN was an apprentice to one of the 20thcentury’s greatest bamboo artists, Shono Shounsai. In the 1950s, Shoun-sai shattered the idea of bamboo art always being rooted in function-ality by creating sculptural objects. All of his apprentices faced thedilemma of either striking out in new directions or building upon Shoun-sai’s ideas and notions of bamboo as a purely sculptural material.Yamaguchi made the courageous decision of exploring and evolvinghis master’s concepts. A lesser artist would become a slave to copyinghis master’s artwork, but Yamaguchi set out to create his own distinctartistic expression drawing upon Shounsai’s techniques and developingnew ones.

Since the Japanese have no tradition of collecting bamboo sculpture,Yamaguchi had to make his living by making production bambooflower baskets. Once or twice a year he made time to create sculpturesfor submission to juried exhibitions. Through determination and hardwork, his pieces began winning awards, and in1994 his first accept-ance into the national Japan Fine Arts Exhibition. Still his livelihood wasmade by producing simple bamboo baskets. This changed in 1997 withthe introduction of his artwork to Lloyd E. Cotsen followed by otherWestern collectors. The enthusiastic public response to Yamaguchi’ssculptures continues to fuel his desire to explore new shapes and formsthat you can enjoy in this catalogue.

When I first met Yamaguchi and his wife, their living room was also hisstudio. How he could make such large and expansive sculptures in thissmall space was always a source of wonderment. One of the mostjoyous 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 1971,161/2 x13 x 17 inches

5

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

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 bamboobasketry. After learning the basics at the Beppu Occupational School,I became an assistant to a local basket maker. My first opportunityknocked at my door in1963 when I became a live-in assistant at ShonoShounsai’s Shikutei Studio for a year.While working to make Shounsai-designed bamboo trays, I spent as much time as possible at my master’sstudio 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 ayear to juried public exhibitions,while earning a living making simpleflower baskets ordered by bamboo wholesalers.

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

Yamaguchi Ryuun

6

Camellia 2008,16 diameter x 8 inches

Waves 2008,191/2 x 231/2 x 26 inches (right)

8

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

Flying 2009, 251/2 diameter x 14 inches

(detail, front cover)

11

12

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

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

14

Untitled 2007, 23 x11 x19 inches

17

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

YAMAGUCHI RYUUN

1940 Born in Saga Prefecture1957 Graduated from Oita Prefecture Beppu Advanced Occupational School,

Department of Bamboo Craft Art1963 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 Kyushu1987 Admitted to Japan New Craft Arts Exhibition (thereafter admitted 10 times)

1988 Governor of Oita Award, 9th Japan New Craft Arts Kyushu Exhibition1990 Admitted to Paris Top 100 Artists Award Competition1993 Northern Kyushu Art Museum Award, 5th Japan New Craft Arts Exhibition1994 Admitted to 26th Nitten ( Japan Fine Arts Exhibition)1997 Admitted to 29th Nitten

1998 Admitted to Japanese Citizen’s Cultural Festival1999 “Bamboo Masterworks,” Asia Society, New York City

International Asian Art Fair, New York City2000 “Bamboo Masterworks,” Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, California

Northern Kyushu Museum Prize, Japan New Craft Arts ExhibitionInternational Asian Art Fair, New York City“Bamboo Masterworks,” Honolulu Academy of Art, Hawaii

2001 Arts of Pacific Asia, San Francisco, CaliforniaInternational 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 CityArts of Pacific Asia, San Francisco, CaliforniaInternational Asian Art Fair, New York CityGroup Show, Tigerman Himmel Gallery, Chicago, Illinois

2003 Hali Fair, LondonInternational Asian Art Fair, New York City

2004 International Asian Art Fair, New York CityExhibited in the Hand Workshop Art Center, Richmond, Virginia

2005 The San Francisco International Art ExhibitionThe International Art & Design Fair, New York CityInternational 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, IllinoisMuseum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts

2007 Arts of Pacific Asia, San Francisco, California2008 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, JapanAsian Art Museum, San Francisco, CaliforniaMint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina

Abundance 1997, 181/2 diameter x 7 inches (detail, back cover)

TA I GA L L E R Y

1601B Paseo de Peralta

Santa Fe, NM 87501

505.984.1387

www.taigallery.com