Kiichi Tsutaya, creator of "Kiichi's Coloring Book," unveils 34 unpublished original drawings. Solo exhibition at NANZUKA.
A solo exhibition of Kiichi Tsutaya at NANZUKA features 34 previously unpublished original drawings.Summary
NANZUKA in Shibuya, Tokyo, is hosting a solo exhibition "Kiichi Tsutaya Exhibition: Soda Collection" from October 24 to November 28, featuring 34 previously unpublished original drawings by Kiichi Tsutaya (1914–2005), the creator of "Kiichi's Coloring Book," which symbolized postwar Japanese girls' culture. Tsutaya was born in Tsukiji, Tokyo, in 1914, influenced by artists like Kaho Takabatake and Shuho Yamakawa, and studied Japanese painting at Kawabata Painting School. He began creating coloring books under the pen name "Fujio" in 1940, and from 1947, "Kiichi's Coloring Book" featuring girls became explosively popular, sold at cheap candy shops. His unique girl figures left a significant mark on postwar Japanese girls' culture. Although popularity declined in the 1960s with the rise of TV and manga, a revival boom occurred in the 1970s, and his work was reevaluated in 2002 at the "Coloriage" exhibition curated by Takashi Murakami at the Cartier Foundation in Paris. This exhibition presents 34 of his original drawings for the first time.
(Source：美術手帖)