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Self-Taught Artists: get to the issue of Outsider Art
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Written by KALONSNET Editor   
Published: February 14 2010

Shisuko TOHMOTO "Horses in the river" (2001); oil on canvas, 130.0 x 162.0 cm, courtesy of the artist and YOD Gallery copy right(c) Shisuko TOHMOTO

The word of "Outsider Art" has been gradually recognised in Japan. It seems to be an antithesis to the state in Japan where many exhibitions under this theme have been held by museums and a specialising gallery in this field has been newly opened, in which a widening gap between people has become conspicuous in the society. The definition of "Outsider Art" in the West is a genre of art made by untrained makers who were never institutionalised and have little or no contact with the mainstream art world or art institutions. However, "Japanese Outsider Art" seems to be only seen as an act or work by mainly handicapped persons. It considerably helps to support handicapped persons for the social welfare, but heir works themselves haven't been evaluated as works of art yet. There are many approaches to bring their works into the Arts in Japan. In this exhibition, "Self-taught Art" is defined as work by artists who never took academic studies at art schools or institutions and voluntarily started executing works of art as it is clearly defined as one of genres in "Outsider Art" in the West. Earnest approach to Art in their works is strongly seen as their characteristic in a way that they suddenly started painting by an unexpected occurrence or experience in their life, encountering the works of Art in which they have never been interested. They execute works of art under their complex in which they have to keep painting otherwise they can not find a reason to exist themselves. We can see a fresh and lively expression without fixed ideas in their works where a strong relation between works and artists is established. Our aim is to inspect the essence of Outsider Art and to touch the issue of Japanese Outsider Art to open up a new horizon with the key word of "Self-taught Artists" with 3 artists in the exhibition. Shisuko Tohmoto is known as a representative artist in Japanese primitivism and a symbolic artist in "Self-taught Art". Although Hebime and Yoichiro Nonaka are still young, all of their independent style in expression is shocking us to forget the major premise of Outsider Art and a possibility to evolve into Arts that we wanted. There is also a talk event by a curator, Mr. Tadashi Hattori, from Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, who is known as one of outstanding researchers in Outsider Art, speaking on issues of "Outsider Art" from a point of view of "Self-taught Art". Shisuko Tohmoto (Born in Kumamoto, 1913-2005)
1961 Suffered from cerebral haemorrhage. Started sculpturing stone. 1963 Started painting with pigments left at home. 1969 Received Kawachi award from Gugen Art Association. 1970 Moved to Osaka. 1992 Published the raisonne of painting "Shisuko Tohmoto cultivates canvases". 1994 Solo Exhibition "Shisuko Tohmoto cultivates canvases" (Yokaichi city art and culture hall, Shiga; Harmo Museum, Nagano; Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art). 1996 Group Exhibition "Art and Simplicity" (Setagaya Art Museum, Tokyo). 2000 Group Exhibition "What is 'Simplicity' ? Life & Vision" (The Museum of Art, Ehime), Solo Exhibition "Shisuko Tohmoto cultivates canvases" (Bukkyo University Shijo Extention Center, Kyoto). 2001 Suffered from anemia and cognitive impairment, Group Exhibition "To live together" (Minakuchi culture hall, Shiga). 2002 Group Exhibition "Naive paintings" (Fukuoka Art Museum). 2005 Died. 2006 Group Exhibition "The Record of the aged runnning fast" (Borderless Art Museum NO-MA, Shiga). 2008 Group Exhibition "Picnic or Wander" (Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto), Group Exhibition "My Art-full Life" (Kawaguchi city art gallery, Cattleya, Saitama; Kyoto Univercity of Art and Design Gallery Aube). 2009 Solo Exhibition "Shisuko Draws Akihiro Miwa" (Gallery Nishiri, Kyoto), Group Exhibition "Three Grandmothers" (Harmo Museum, Nagano)
Public collection: Setagaya Art Museum, Tokyo, Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto Yoichiro Nonaka (Born in Wakayama, 1977)
1990 Began to manufacture furnitures at Aterier Mukunoki, Wakayama. 1996-98 Went to London. After returning, started painting. 1999 Solo Exhibition (Hashimoto Gallery, Wakayama, '00). 2001 Solo Exhibition (Kongo Art Spot Kuu, Osaka). 2002 Solo Exhibition (Kintetsu Department, Wakayama). 2003 Solo Exhibition (Matsubishi Department, Mie). 2004 Group Exhibition (Jokiin Temple [Mt. Koya], Wakayama). 2005 Solo Exhibition (FARMHOUSE CAFE, Hyogo). 2006 Solo Exhibition (Yodo Gallery, Osaka), Father and Son Exhibition (Gallery Ra Mu, Osaka) Hebime (Born in Hyogo, 1982)
1998 Left high school before graduation. Began painting by suffering from melancholy. Influenced by Surrealist artists. 2000 Began the technique of water marker by the influence of Vincent van Gogh. 2007 Exhibition of art and culture association in Kansai, Heart & Heart Award. 2008 Solo Exhibition (Art Space Abando, Osaka). 2009 Solo Exhibition (VIVANT ANNEXE, Tokyo), ART STREAM 2009, YOD Gallery Award (Suntory Museum, Osaka) * The text provided by YOD Gallery.

Last Updated on February 13 2010
 

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