96歳となる現在もアーティストとして精力的に作品を発表する柚木沙弥郎。同氏は、民藝運動の提唱者・柳宗悦との出会いをきっかけに、後の人間国宝となる芹沢銈介に師事、以降染色家としての活動を主軸におきながら、ガラス絵、版画、絵本の挿絵、ポスターなど約70 年にわたり多様な分野の創作に取り組んできました。

鮮やかな色彩でシンプルかつ大胆に描かれる柚木作品は生命力に溢れ、その豊かな表現は今もなお多くの人の心を惹きつけ国内外の幅広い世代から根強い人気を博しています。

本展では新作とともに、柚木が紙の新たな可能性を提案するブランド〈SIWA―紙和〉の新作商品に提供した5柄の型染め原画を展示しました。

Samiro Yunoki “Patterns on Paper”
The indomitable Samiro Yunoki continues to work as an artist even at the age of 96.
Inspired by his meeting with Mingei folk art movement founder Soetsu Yanagi, Yunoki subsequently studied under the textile designer and designated Living National Treasure Keisuke Serizawa, and then carved out a striking 70-year career as a dyeing artist while also trying his hand at glass paintings, prints, book illustrations, and posters.

With their vibrant colors and minimal yet bold approaches, Yunoki’s works overflow with vitality and their rich expressive qualities continue to beguile people even today, establishing a firm following among a wide range of ages at home and abroad.

This exhibition introduced examples of new work as well as the original designs for five types of dyeing patterns used for items released by Yunoki’s innovative paper brand SIWA.