FUJITSUKA Shosei
(b. 1949)
Fujitsuka's range is broad, from typical basket and vessel forms to
abstract sculptures inspired by nature. Because his pieces defy neat
categorization, he was for decades rejected for exhibitions in Japan.
However he persisted in making the risky aesthetic choices that have won
him the freedom to express his distinctive voice.
"People involved in the traditional craft group in Japan are working more
on technique," he notes, "but design is more interesting to me."
After graduation from high school, Fujitsuka worked for a record producer
and a company that serviced optical equipment. The rigid corporate
environment didn't suit him; he longed for the opportunity to work for
himself and the time to pursue astronomy, an avocation that continues to
absorb him today.
In 1972, inspired by items in a bamboo shop window, he began an
apprenticeship with Baba Shodo. For more than two decades he earned his living making bamboo lampshades until his work was rewarded with a Superior Prize at the Traditional Craft Arts Exhibition.
Fujitsuka has been honored with television appearances, prizes, and solo
and group exhibitions in Asia, Europe, and the United States. His work is
in the collections of the Japanese Agency of Cultural Affairs and the Japan Foundation.
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