"Tetsuro Komai: Like a Constellation Spreading in the Palm" is on view at the Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura & Hayama. The poetic world of a pioneer of copperplate engraving.
A commemorative exhibition for Tetsuro Komai, a pioneer of post-war Japanese copperplate engraving, is on view at the Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura & Hayama.Summary
A commemorative exhibition for Tetsuro Komai (1920–76), a pioneer of copperplate engraving in post-war Japan, titled "Tetsuro Komai: Like a Constellation Spreading in the Palm" is on view at the Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura & Hayama until November 15, marking the 50th anniversary of his death. Komai encountered copperplate engraving in his mid-teens, studied oil painting at the Tokyo Fine Arts School, and in 1951 won the São Paulo Biennale's Japanese Resident Prize for his work "Transient Illusion." He participated in the artists' group "Experimental Workshop," traveled to France in 1954 where he encountered various European printmaking techniques, and continued creating poetic works after returning to Japan until his later years. He was also known for producing poetry-print collections and collaborations with literary figures, and left numerous writings including "The Matière of Copperplate Engraving" (1976). This exhibition, centered on the Yoshiharu Fukuhara Collection at the Setagaya Art Museum, traces Komai's trajectory through a diverse range of works from his early to late periods, including previously unseen oil paintings and original illustrations for the children's story "Dream-Chasing Child." The exhibition is organized into five chapters: "Awakening to Printmaking [1920–1948]," "Filling Dreams and Lyricism [1948–1955]," "The Abyss of White and Black [1956–1976]," "The World of Beautiful Colors [1956–1976]," and "Longing and Exploration: Respected Artists and Beloved Objects." Alongside his representative prints, the exhibition features works by artists who influenced him—such as Odilon Redon, Kiyoshi Hasegawa, and Koshiro Onchi—as well as copper plates, tools, and photographs, offering a comprehensive view of his multifaceted creative activities and personality. On October 31, a lecture by French literature scholar Toshiyuki Horie titled "What Komai Tetsuro's Book Design Reveals" will be held.
(Source：Tokyo Art Beat)