Ako Sugie | Samiro Yunoki: The Eternal Now
The posthumous retrospective of Samiro Yunoki highlights his philosophy of valuing the present and his diverse artistic journey.Summary
The posthumous retrospective exhibition for Samiro Yunoki (who passed away in 2024 at the age of 101), held at the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, focused on his life philosophy and artistic message. Yunoki frequently emphasized the importance of "today," stating things like "Today will become yesterday tomorrow," suggesting that his dedication to living fully in the present day was akin to the secret to his long life. In his creative work, after studying stencil dyeing under Keisuke Serizawa, he expanded the field by applying the *chusen* dyeing technique to wide fabrics. He also actively engaged with new media such as printmaking, glass painting, three-dimensional sculpture, and picture book creation, while later dedicating himself to connecting with society through works for commercial and public spaces like cafes and hospitals. This constant drive into new fields suggests a desire to maintain freshness and avoid complacency. Furthermore, his extensive travels—including time spent in Nagano, Okayama, and Shizuoka, as well as frequent visits to Iwate and Shimane—enriched his art, which the exhibition explored alongside his travels to India and Paris. The exhibition also featured his final series of works, created just two months before his death, which, despite being simple paper collages, felt profound when viewed as the work of an artist over 100 years old, allowing visitors to experience the vigorous life of an artist who remained active until the very end.
(Source：artscape)