 Unichi
Hiratsuka
|
|
Unichi Hiratsuka, a famous woodblock artist, was born in Matsue in November
of 1885. His father was a shrine carpenter (Miya Daiku). This is probably
where his interest in wood carving started. "Following in his father's
footsteps," so to speak.
|
|
In 1913, he began his career by working for City Hall. While there he
received a couple of inspirational lectures from his supervisor, and decided
to go into the field of art. Manyoshu, old Japanese poetry and, Toshisen,
old Chinese poetry, seem to have had a great effect on his life and work.
|
|
Later, his skill as an artist was recognized by his art teacher, Hakutei
Ishii, and he decided to become a painter. In 1915, he went to Tokyo and
studied sketching at the Kawabata School, and at the same time, studied
woodblock carving at Bonkotsu Igami's School of Woodblock Carving.
|
|
These experiences laid the groundwork for his later career as a woodblock
print carver, painter, and printer.
|
|
He came back to Matsue in 1917, and married Hideno Hanamori. I think
the best wives are from the Sanin Area. Mine is, too. In 1918, he became
an art teacher at Matsue Tsuda Elementary School. While there, he was
asked to give advice to potters, Kasuri weavers, and Yakumo Nuri lacquer
designers in Shimane Prefecture.
|
|
In 1925, he began studying Buddhist woodblock prints, and collecting
them. He also studied ancient roof tile designs and over a period of many
years, he gathered unique and famous Buddhist woodblock prints and Musashi
Kokubunji roof tiles.
|
|
These collections are very valuable. Shiko Munakata, a famous painter
and woodblock printer, began to study art under Hiratsuka in 1927, and
together they published a magazine called, "Han."
|
|
Unichi Hiratsuka, was the first woodblock teacher at the Tokyo Art School,
which later became the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music.
|
|
In 1943, he was invited to teach at the Beijin National Art School of
China. Feeling a love for his home town of Matsue, he returned, and in
1946, established the Matsue Art and Craft Institute, with the help and
assistance of Choemon Tanabe.
|
|
In 1962, he moved his school to Washington, D.C., in the U.S.A. He has
had many individual exhibitions in the Washington Contemporary Art Museum,
and the Virginia Art Museum. He opened ink painting (sumie), and woodblock
classes at his home, and in various schools.
|
|
Mr. Hiratsuka received the Third Class of the Order of the Sacred Treasure,
from the Japanese Government in 1977. He had an individual exhibit in
Matsue in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the founding of the
Shimane Prefectural Museum. The exhibit included, woodblock prints, sketches,
water color paintings, oil paintings, and his life history to the age
of 65.
|
|
He has had many exhibitions, and is now over the age of 90! He now lives
in Washington D.C. , and still works actively there. In Hiratsuka's 75-year
career as an artist, he opened numbers of woodblock classes all over Japan.
|
|
He is the last woodblock artist to continue the traditional Japanese
woodblock techniques. Who will continue them when he is no longer with
us?
|
|
* This article was written before Unichi Hiratsuka passed away in 1997.
|