Takashima Yujuro: Light and Darkness, Trajectory of the Soul

Name: Takashima Yujuro: Light and Darkness, Trajectory of the Soul
Brand: たかしまやじゅうろう｜髙島野十郎 / TAKASHIMA Yajuro
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Takashima Yajuro: Light and Shadow, Trajectory of a Soul is the official exhibition catalog published to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the death of Yajuro Takashima, a Western-style painter whose re-evaluation as "the solitary painter" and "the painter of candles" has grown in recent years.

Yajuro graduated at the top of his class from the Department of Agriculture at Tokyo Imperial University, yet abandoned a stable career to pursue painting through self-study. He never belonged to any art group, and throughout his life, he continued to explore the realist painting he idealised. This book features approximately 150 works, from early pieces to works from his time in Europe, landscapes painted during his travels throughout Japan, still lifes, and his representative series of "Candle," "Moon," and "Sun." It systematically traces his tranquil, deeply spiritual artistic world.

Representative works such as Rape Blossoms, Peaches and Plums, and Rain at Horyuji Pagoda are included, along with still lifes depicting fruits and flowers, and works exhibited for the first time in Japan. In particular, the series of works depicting candle flames and moonlight emerging from darkness possess an aura akin to prayer that transcends mere realism, captivating viewers.

The catalog is divided into five chapters: "Early Works," "Period in Europe," "Landscapes," "Still Lifes," and "Light and Shadow." Through Yajuro's life and artistic career, the book illuminates his solitary spirit and the unique presence his artistic world holds in the history of modern Japanese Western-style painting.

[Title] Yajuro Takashima: Light and Shadow, Trajectory of a Soul
[Publisher] Tokyo Bijutsu
[Publication Date] December 20, 2015 (First Edition, 1st printing)
[Page Count] 240 pages
[Size] Approx. 185*257*21mm / 758g
[Format] Softcover
[Language] Japanese
[Title Reading] TAKASHIMA YAJURO HIKARI TO YAMI, TAMASHII NO KISEKI
[Author/Editor(s)] Yajuro Takashima/Author, Masanobu Nishimoto/Editor and Text, Yuri Takayama/Editor and Text, Atsuo Yamada/Editor and Text, Kiyoshi Ejiri/Editor and Text
[Printing] Dainippon Printing/Printing and Binding
[ISBN] 9784808710484
[Condition] Used 【6】Good to Average (Cover: one faint stain on spine, Obi: slightly damaged)
[Accessories] Obi
[Featured In] -
[Related Exhibitions] 2015 "40th Anniversary of Death: Yajuro Takashima Exhibition" Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art (Fukuoka)
2016 Meguro Museum of Art (Tokyo), Ashikaga Museum of Art (Tochigi), Kyushu Geibunkan (Fukuoka)

Yajuro Takashima (1890-1975)

Born in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture in 1890. His real name was Yajuro. After graduating from the former Eighth High School, he went on to graduate at the top of his class from the Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo Imperial University, but chose the path of a painter. Influenced by Shigeru Aoki, he learned painting through self-study and remained independent throughout his life, never belonging to any art group.

He traveled across Japan, painting landscapes and still lifes, establishing his unique realist style, characterized by its tranquility and spirituality, exemplified by works such as Candle and Moon. Although largely unknown during his lifetime, his work began to be re-evaluated after being featured in the "Modern Western Painting and Fukuoka Prefecture" exhibition in 1980, leading to his first retrospective at the Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art in 1986. His exceptional descriptive power and intense compositions are highly regarded as a unique presence in the history of modern Japanese Western painting. He passed away in 1975.