「上野まで自分探しの旅」

（写真は上野公園でゲリラ個展を楽しむ私です）

三連休最終日、少し時間ができたから上野の東京都美術館に行ってきた。お目当ては「田中一村展」だ。今回の展示はすごくて、幼年期から最晩年の作品まで一村の生涯を通じた作品が集結している。世俗的な成功とはまったく無縁な一村の「描くこと」への執念。晩年の作は見る者の心を奮い立たせる。

あまり有名ではないから簡単に一村の略歴を紹介します。7歳の時には水墨画で才能を発揮、神童と呼ばれる。東京藝術大学を中退後、30歳まで東京で画家をするもパッとせず千葉に移住。50歳まで作品は入選せず絶望のなか鹿児島の奄美大島に移住する。

奄美と千葉を行ったり来たりしながら工場で働き、お金が貯まると絵画制作する。という鬼気迫る生活を20年近く続けるが結局個展の開催も実現せず、中央画壇には認められないまま69歳でその生涯を閉じている。今でこそ「南のゴーギャン」などともてはやされているが、生前は失意の連続であった。

一村の作品、確かに幼少期のものからレベルが高い。20代、30代の作品には漢詩が随所に施されておりどれほど高い能力であったか容易に想像できる。が、上手だな。という感想しかでてこない。やはり凄いのは奄美に移り住んでから亡くなるまでの一村だ。

見たことのない大胆な構図の中に、緻密な自然が描かれている。ものすごく独特な絵なのに線に迷いがまったくない。吸い込まれるように作品を見入ってしまう。何かを見出した人の感性ってすごいな、って唸ってしまう。

自分は一村のように何かを見つけてから、死ねるのかな。世間から評価が得られなくても、自分を信じて、自分の探し求めるものを追い続けた一村。彼の絵を見ていると勇気が湧いてくるよ。あっ、そうそう。足がガクガクになるほど大きな展示会だから行く時は気をつけて！

一筆啓上いたします。
「Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.」

"A Journey of Self-Discovery to Ueno"

(The picture shows me enjoying a guerrilla exhibition at Ueno Park)

On the last day of the three-day holiday, I found some free time, so I went to the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. The exhibition I was aiming to see was "The Tanaka Isson Exhibit." The display was remarkable, featuring works from Isson's childhood to his final years, giving a full view of his life’s work. Isson, who had no connection to worldly success, was obsessed with "painting." His late works stir the heart of anyone who sees them.

Since he's not very well-known, I'll briefly introduce his biography. At seven, Isson demonstrated his talent in ink painting and was hailed as a child prodigy. After dropping out of Tokyo University of the Arts, he worked as a painter in Tokyo until the age of 30 but didn't make a breakthrough and eventually moved to Chiba. His works did not get selected for major exhibitions until he was 50. In despair, he moved to Amami Oshima in Kagoshima.

For nearly 20 years, he traveled between Amami and Chiba, working in factories to save enough money for his painting materials. He continued this desperate lifestyle, but his dream of holding a solo exhibition never materialized, and he passed away at the age of 69 without ever being recognized by the central art world. Now he's hailed as the "Gauguin of the South," but in his lifetime, he faced nothing but a series of disappointments.

Isson's early works were undeniably of high quality. His pieces from his 20s and 30s were filled with Chinese poems, demonstrating his immense skill. Still, my only thought at first was, "Yeah, he's good." But the truly incredible Isson emerged after he moved to Amami and until his death.

His bold compositions, filled with intricate depictions of nature, are unlike anything I'd seen before. Despite their uniqueness, there’s no hesitation in his lines. You find yourself mesmerized, drawn into his works. I couldn't help but marvel at the insight of someone who had found something profound.

Will I be able to find something like Isson did before I die? Even if he never gained recognition from the world, Isson believed in himself and pursued what he was seeking. Seeing his paintings fills me with courage. Oh, and by the way, the exhibition is so large that your legs might feel shaky afterward, so be careful when you go!

Signing off with today’s final stroke of the brush:
"Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish."