Two works by contemporary sho artist Sogen Chiba added to the collection of the LACMA, among the largest and influential art museums on the U.S.
現代書家・千葉蒼玄の2作品が米国で最大級かつ国際的な名声を博する美術館 LACMA のコレクションに加わりました。
Contemporary Japanese sho artist Sogen Chiba (who lives in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture) was invited to exhibit at the LA Art Show held in Los Angeles, USA, in February 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic was declared. Chiba’s large work “3.11 Requiem and Revival” was displayed at the entrance of the LA Art Show, which was visited by 70,000 people. During the Show, he painted another work, “◯ △ ⬜︎ Circle, Triangle, Square,” live as a demonstration performance during the exhibition period. Both works were added to the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), one of the largest and influential art museums in the U.S., after the closure of the Show. “3.11 Requiem and Revival” is a monumental work on paper measuring 3.6 m high by 12.6 m wide, which depicts newspaper articles related to the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011 that appeared over the course of about one month after its occurrence. When it was initially displayed at “TOKYO ‘SHO’ 2013” (held in 2013), a special exhibition at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, the work was 9 m wide. Later, when it was exhibited at “Contemporary SHO—See, Know and Feel Today’s Calligraphy” (held from 2018 to 2019), the width was increased by 1.8 m on either side. The title “ ◯ △ ⬜︎ Circle, Triangle, Square” derives from Zen terminology. This work was drawn by the artist in public on paper measuring 3 m by 2 m during the LA Art Show at a booth at the venue. “Ishinomaki and Los Angeles are connected across the Pacific Ocean,” commented Kim Martindale, the founder and former producer of the LA Art Show and the man who invited Chiba to exhibit his large work at the LA Art Show and recommended it be made part of the LACMA Collection. Martindale himself is an enthusiastic collector of ink painting and other asian art.
コロナ禍の迫る2020年2月、米国ロサンゼルスにて開催されたアートフェア LA Art Show に招聘された現代書家・千葉蒼玄（宮城県石巻市在住）の大作「3.11鎮魂と復活」は、来場者７万人の LA Art Show の入口に展示され、会期中にライブパフォーマンスで揮毫した「◯ △ ⬜︎ 」と共に、フェア終了後、米国で最大級かつ国際的な名声を博する美術館 LACMA へ収蔵されました。作品「3.11鎮魂と復活」は、2011年3月11日に発生した東日本大震災に関する発生後約１ヶ月間の新聞記事を縦3.6メートル、横12.6メートルの紙に書いた大作です。当初、東京都美術館の企画展「TOKYO書2013」(2013年開催) 展示当時は横9メートルでしたが、同美術館の企画展「見る、知る、感じる現代の書」(2018〜2019年開催) 展示で両翼に1.8メートルずつ延びました。作品「◯ △ ⬜︎ 」は禅語。LA Art Show 会期中に会場ブースにて、縦3メートル、横2メートルの紙に席上揮毫した。LA Art Show の創始者で前プロデューサーの Kim Martindale 氏は、「石巻とロサンゼルスは太平洋を挟んで繋がっている。」と、今回の千葉蒼玄の大作を LA Art Show へ招聘し、LACMAコレクションへ推薦しました。彼自身も熱心な墨美術およびその他のアジア美術のコレクターです。
