Tanabe Chikuunsai IV: Masterpieces in Bamboo

- New monograph on bamboo artist Tanabe Chiku'unsai IV- Reveres the long tradition of bamboo art in Japan- A detailed exploration of Chiku'unsai IV's life and motivations- Exclusive insights into the working methods of a master craftsman- Chiku'unsai IV has exhibited at TAI Modern, Mingei Gallery and the Metropolitan, among many moreThe bamboo: tall, strong and flexible. This fast-growing shoot has been used as a construction material, a foodstuff and fuel for millennia, from India to Japan. Tanabe Chiku'unsai IV's art elevates bamboo to new heights. By weaving together small pieces of fibrous stalk, he creates vast, detailed sculptures without the use of rivets or adhesives. Under Chiku'unsai IV's skilled craftsmanship, bamboo is more than a functional tool: it is modern art, a unifying symbol of Japanese culture. His sculptures revere traditional workmanship, while conveying important contemporary messages - the codependence of nature and man, and the importance of protecting our environment. Part autobiography, part introduction to the craft, this monograph follows Chiku'unsai IV's growth from a child marveling at his grandfather's mastery of bamboo, to a maestro in his own right. Bamboo weaves his past to his present, providing a sturdy foundation on which his art continues to build. "Love bamboos, live with bamboos," says Chiku'unsai IV. As this book demonstrates, he has done precisely that.

Author: Ma Linchao, Sauser Miho
Publisher: Acc Art Books
Published: 12/10/2022
Pages: 216
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 2.70lbs
Size: 9.70h x 7.80w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781788841139

About the Author
Since the day he scarred his thumb as a child, imitating the way artisans chopped their stalks, Tanabe Chiku'unsai IV's life has had a bamboo core. While he knew he wanted to work with bamboo from a young age, he initially dedicated himself to other forms of Japanese art, such as tea ceremony, flower arranging, calligraphy and Noh dancing. His later bamboo works draw on this strong cultural substructure. Chiku'unsai IV's work has crossed the world, from Sakai Municipal Machiya Historical Museum in Japan, to Musée Guimet, Paris, the TAI Modern in Santa Fe and his yearly exhibit at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. He has played an instrumental role in introducing bamboo art to the West.