Painting Demon, Kyosai Kawanabe, a Incredibly Punk Guy

The other day, it was held at the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum.
I was covering an exhibition event for a certain ukiyo-e artist.
The name of the ukiyo-e artist
Kawanabe Kyosai
He is an ukiyo-e artist in the style of the Kano school.
Gyokusai lived in an age when death was much more familiar to us than it is today.
I was born during the turbulent end of the Edo period.
He was born in that era.
As if to keep up with the times, he lived a turbulent life.
It creates many legends.
What surprised me right away was the history of his life from birth to adulthood.

• At the age of seven, he became a disciple of the ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi and learned ukiyo-e.
• At the age of 10, he studied under Kano Tohaku Chinshin and mastered the Kano school of painting.
• Became independent at age 19

You're only 19? That's amazing.
What would I have been doing at 19?
Were you still enjoying your college life as if you were a student? (laughs)
(In reality, I was a high school graduate and a full-fledged member of society.)
At least without his own weapons or ambitions
There is no doubt that he was one of those people who went along with the flow of society with a runny nose.
Unlike me, he started learning from the age of 7.
I keep drawing pictures.
By the time they became independent, they were at the level of gods or sages in modern terms.
But you might not be able to get a good idea of it until you see it in person.
Let's take a look at "Bishamonten," a work he painted just before becoming independent (at the age of 18).

Just look at this intimidating presence... this technical prowess... There's not the slightest bit of immaturity to be found in it.
However, he also drew political cartoons.
In 1870, he was arrested and imprisoned for political criticism.
It's hard to imagine doing that now.
We live in an age where it is normal to "express yourself" even if it means being arrested.
There are no issues of money or copyright involved.
His own "soul" is something like a desire to appeal to someone.
Because it is depicted in the painting,
You will naturally be captivated by the painting.
It almost seems as if the painting itself is a monster.

"Skull and Lizard" *Exhibitedd.hatena.ne.jp
A digression
Now, let me tell you some more amazing stories about Mr. Kyosai.
As a child, Kyosai
He enthusiastically picked up a severed head that had floated down the Kanda River.He was sketching!?
There are some pretty outrageous anecdotes like this.
It's already amazing that something like that is flowing into the Kanda River.
While I was researching the story,
Mr. Shigeru Mizuki
The image of his face popped into my mind.
The reason is that these two artists actually have something in common other than just painting pictures of monsters.
What do these two have in common?
From an early age,deathI was interested in
That is the point.
The famous Mizuki sensei was also a fan of "Nonnonbaa"* in his childhood.
As I listened to stories about the afterlife, I became interested in "death."
He tried to kill his younger brother by pushing him into the sea (that was attempted murder lol).
Apparently, the reason he did this was because he wanted to understand the concept of death.
*An old woman named Fusa Kageyama who came to help out at Mizuki's family home in Sakaiminato, his hometown. In Sakaiminato, people who serve gods and Buddhas are called "Nonnon-san."
I'm going to take advantage of this opportunity.
I won't hide it, but when I was in elementary school,
Similarly,deathI am interested in ghost photography and ghost picture books.
I loved it very much, and at the time, I joined the manga club, even though my face didn't suit me.
I love skeletons so much that I even created a manga with a skeleton as the main character.
As an aside, the skeleton throws bones and his own head at enemies.
He is a hero who defeats his enemies, and always goes back to pick up the heads and bones he throws.
He was a super bone-rock guy who would do surreal material as a rule (I was confused).
Later, it was stolen by Ghost Rider from Marvel Heroes! (Anger)
Ah... If I had seriously continued to draw skeleton heroes, I would be here by now (distant look)
Ah, I was confused, but...
When I think about it, that childhood interest in death is the root of my current love of monsters.
Death is probably an important factor that stimulates human instincts.
Both Mizuki and Kyosai expressed their ideas through their drawings.
Perhaps he was trying to make it something recognizable and understandable.
An interest or attachment to something
It is the worldThe source from which youkai are bornThat may be the case.
That is why Kyosai had such a radical childhood.
Through these experiences, they grow and die.
He produced countless works, including paintings of monsters and ghosts.
As he moves to his later works, the lineup of paintings becomes more and more insane.
Throughout the exhibition, I was overwhelmed by the power of Kyosai's works.
I even felt jealous of the intensity of the life he had lived.
Even after watching the whole thing, the afterglow continues for a while,
As a result, it left a big mark on my life.
It had a strong impact.
I really can't describe it in one word.
Kyosai's unparalleled rebellious spirit and insanity
It is slipped into the picture smoothly.
I really get it.
Oh, that's right! I was writing the above sentence.
I found a good analogy.
This (Kyōsai's way of life)
Music genre: punk
That's right. No wonder it resonates so directly with people's hearts.
Life, death, dynamism, soul, desire, freedom. All of it is straightforward and cool.
Even if you're not a fan of monsters you can still enjoy it.
I would definitely recommend going to see it.
It will run until Sunday, September 6th, 2015!
http://mimt.jp/kyosai/