December 10, 2019

Concave and Convex:
A Sumikawa Kiichi RetrospectiveVenue:

Yokohama Museum of ArtDates:

February 15 (Sat.)- May 24 (Sun.), 2020
This exhibition marks the first time a large solo show

devoted to the work of Sumikawa Kiichi (b. 1931), one of Japan’s
preeminent postwar abstract sculptors, will be held at a public museum
in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Made up of approximately 100 works
and documents, including some of the artist’s latest efforts, theexhibition serves as a career-spanning retrospective of Sumikawa’s over
60-year practice.
Enrolling in Tokyo University of the Arts with the aim ofbecoming a sculptor, Sumikawa thoroughly absorbed the foundations of
figurative expression, with a special emphasis on clay sculpture. Aftercompleting a major in sculpture, Sumikawa began teaching at theschool while producing a host of his own sculptural works. Whiledisplaying profound insight into natural materials such as wood andstone, Sumikawa developed Yielding Forms, a series of abstract
sculptures that resonated deeply with characteristically Japanese forms

Yielding Form, 2018
Cedar, 215×85×50cm
Collection of the artist©Sumikawa Kiichi
Photo: Ezaki Yoshikazuof beauty. This theme, which Sumikawa continues to pursue, hasbecome his lifework.
At the same time, Sumikawa has energetically devoted himself to works designed forpublic spaces. As design director of projects such as the Kazenotou (Tower of Wind, located on
Kawasaki, an artificial island in the middle of the Tokyo Bay Expressway), and TOKYO SKYTREE®,
he has also received acclaim for a wide range of large urban structures. In Yokohama, Sumikawa
has also overseen outdoor sculptures and numerous public art works. In 2013, he received theYokohama Culture Award. Sumikawa has made cultural contributions to the city, his hometown in
Shimane Prefecture, and a host of other places throughout Japan.
This exhibition will serve as the definitive introduction to Sumikawa’s career, whichstarted with figurative sculptures, gradually shifted to cutting-edge abstract sculptures, andeventually expanded to include massive outdoor sculptures and collaborations with architects andothers.

Sections
Prologue: Kintaikyo Bridge as a Starting PointI.
Foundation: Mastering Figuration
II. Depth: Confronting Materials
III. Expanse: Utilizing Public Spaces
IV. Craft: Concave and Convex

Japan's wooden structures such as Horyuji Temple have survived over one
thousand years of history. To construct them, master carpenters survey forests and use
southern-facing trees for the southern facades and northern-facing trees for the northernfacades.Trees are filled with life.I open my heart to the voices of the trees while carving out"yielding forms."
Sumikawa Kiichi

Highlights
1. First Major Retrospective at a Public Museum in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area Devoted toThis Pioneer in Postwar Japanese Abstract Sculpture
A pioneer in postwar abstract sculpture, Sumikawa Kiichi has
produced a varied body of work, including large-scale public projects. For wellover 60 years, his urge to create has continued unabated.
This exhibition, the first large retrospective to be held at a publicmuseum in the Tokyo metropolitan area, will shed light on the origins,developments, and achievements of Sumikawa’s practice. After studying thebasics of sculpture with Hirakushi Denchu, a master of wood sculpture, andKikuchi Kazuo, a leading figure in clay sculpture, Sumikawa concentrated on
figurative expression. In time, he shifted his attention to Yielding Forms, aseries of abstract sculptures that resonates deeply with Japanese traditional
beauty, which the artist pursued through the use of intellectual concepts.

Mr. S, 1959
Bronze, 33×22×27cm
Collection of the artist (long termloan to the Iwami Art Museum)©Sumikawa Kiichi
Photo: Murai Osamu

2. Concave and Convex Forms Rooted in Beauty
Sumikawa has frequently spoken of his youthful attraction
to the famous Kintaikyo Bridge, located in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi
Prefecture, where he spent his adolescence, as the inspiration for hisartistic career. The complex structural beauty and the simple concaveand convex forms of the wooden bridge, which managed to escape theravages of war, dwell within Sumikawa’s heart as a source ofsympathetic beauty. Based on his explorations of figurative expression
as a university student, Sumikawa set his sights on the natural materialof wood. In the process, he discovered the essential forms and beautyof concavity and convexity in wood. The Yielding Forms series,

Yielding Form 1, 1978
Zelkova, 135×260×45cm
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo©Sumikawa KiichiPhoto: Murai Osamu

Sumikawa’s ongoing lifework, perfectly expresses the refined and simple beauty of his practice.
The term "concave” refers to the lines and surfaces that curve gently downward, while"convex” refers to the lines and surfaces that curve gently upward. Sumikawa’s work is firmly
rooted in a variety of concave and convex forms that are found in Japanese landscapes andtraditional artistic forms. Among the examples he cites are "the gentle arch of an ear of rice with its
head bowed, the graceful curves of five-storied pagodas and other historic structures, theextremely tense warp of a sword, and the noble bend that stretches from the sky to the foot of thesacred peak of Mt. Fuji.”3. Massive Works for Public Spaces
In the 1980s, Sumikawa began making outdoor sculptures forsites throughout Japan. Sumikawa’s exploration of this medium, which isinseparable from the surrounding environment and landscape, gradually led
to an interest in creating works for public spaces, including collaborations witharchitects and others. He also endeavored to create large urban structures. At
present, Sumikawa’s outdoor sculptures and environmental works number
over 120. They can be found in 28 of Japan’s 47 prefectures, stretching from
Hokkaido in the north to Kagoshima in the south. In some cases, these
massive structures, characterizing Sumikawa’s recent artistic output, confront
nature, while in others, they take advantage of the spatial possibilities andnestle into the surrounding environment.

Kazenotou (Tower of Wind), 1997
Trans-Tokyo Bay Expressway, artificial
island, Kawasaki
Photo: Murai Osamu

Biography

Sumikawa Kiichi（b. 1931）
A leading figure in postwar sculpture and publicart, Sumikawa was born in Muikaichi-cho (now Yoshika-cho),Kanoashi-gun, Shimane Prefecture. He first set his sights on
becoming an artist while attending Iwakuni Technical HighSchool in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Sumikawa studied with
Hirakushi Denchu and Kikuchi Kazuo in the sculpture
department at Tokyo University of the Arts, and after firstswitching from figurative to abstract expression, he began
exploring the new artistic realm of outdoor sculpture andforged into the field of public spaces.
Sumikawa embarked on an ongoing series called
Yielding Forms in the late ’70s. Engaging in a dialogue withwood, these works, based on Japanese traditional culture andaesthetics, enabled Sumikawa to reach a new peak in hispractice. He served as president of Tokyo University of theArts from 1995 to 2001, and in addition to a variety ofachievements as an educator, Sumikawa contributed to a wide
Photo: Utsumi Toshiharu

range of public projects and government-sponsored culturalundertakings. He is a designated Person of Cultural Merits,
and has received countless honors, including the Medal withPurple Ribbon in 1998 and Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon in1999.

AdmissionAdults¥1,500 (1,300 / 1,400)University and high school students¥ 900 ( 700 / 800)

Junior high school students¥ 600 ( 400 / 500)

Children under 12FreeSeniors (65 and older)¥1,400 *ID required. Only available at ticket counter in the museum.

*(/)＝Advance / Group of 20 or more.
*For a group of 20 or more, reservation is required in advance.
*Advance tickets are available from November 23 (Sat.), 2019 until February 14 (Fri.), 2020 at the Museum Shopand through Seven-Eleven ticket or eplus ticket.
*Free admission for high school students and younger with valid IDs on Saturdays.
*Visitors with disability and one person accompanying them are admitted free of charge.
(Please present certificate at the entrance.)*The ticket also gives admission to the Exhibition of the Museum Collection for the same day.

General Information
Title:

Concave and Convex: A Sumikawa Kiichi Retrospective

Dates:

February 15 (Sat.) - May 24 (Sun.), 2020

Open hours:

10:00-18:00*Open until 20:00 Fridays and Saturdays in May*Admission until 30 minutes before closing.

Closed:Thursdays

Venue:

Yokohama Museum of Art
3-4-1, Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama 220-0012
TEL: +81(0)45 221 0300 FAX: +81(0)45 221 0317
URL: https://yokohama.art.museum/eng

Organized by:

Yokohama Museum of Art [Yokohama Arts Foundation],Nikkei Inc., Kanagawa Shimbun, Television Kanagawa Inc.

In Cooperation with:

Minatomirai Line, Yokohama Cable Vision Inc.,
Yokohama FM Broadcasting Co., Ltd.,
Metropolitan Expressway Co., Ltd.

Contact
Fujii(Ms.), Yamamoto(Ms.), Umezawa(Ms.), Kuwahara(Ms.)
Public Relations, Yokohama Museum of Art
3-4-1, Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama. 220-0012 JAPAN
TEL:+81(0)45 221 0319

FAX:+81(0)45 221 0317

E-mail: pr-yma@yaf.or.jp