The Pure Essence of Life in Art; Kakei Goro
Kakei Goro (掛井 五郎) １９３０―２０２１
Sadly Kakei Goro passed away last year at 91. He was a great sculptor as well as working in (watercolours, oils eg). He even created art out of toilet paper inners. He loved making small accessories too. He is well-known for his public art which you can encounter all over Japan. For example; at Tokyo Metropolitan concert Hall, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sapporo, The Hakone Open-Air Museum. Many of these works are inconspicuous and blend in with the surrounding environment. You could easily miss them. His works reflect his personality. He was easy-going but at the same time very passionate. His works mirror this, touching the heartstrings while being simple and natural. He created many clay figures with a genderless appearance. He once said, “I have become modest through my work because in creating art my arrogance is crushed” His works always have faces or face-like things. They are genderless and look imperfect or comical which I think characterises a lack of maturity. He believed his works are like flowers blooming in a field. You may not notice this straight away but once you do then you cannot fail to see it. He repeatedly said he wished to start afresh all though his life. He never shied away from challenging himself and strived to create something new. I imagine Picasso would have somewhat envied Kakei Goro. Goro was born as a boy and died as a boy whereas Picasso was taught art by his father in a very disciplined and strict way from a young age. Kakei Goro was a nature lover and his talent was in expressing the pure essence of life in art.
Sadly Kakei Goro passed away last year at 91. He was a great sculptor as well as working in (watercolours, oils eg). He even created art out of toilet paper inners. He loved making small accessories too. He is well-known for his public art which you can encounter all over Japan. For example; at Tokyo Metropolitan concert Hall, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sapporo, The Hakone Open-Air Museum. Many of these works are inconspicuous and blend in with the surrounding environment. You could easily miss them. His works reflect his personality. He was easy-going but at the same time very passionate. His works mirror this, touching the heartstrings while being simple and natural. He created many clay figures with a genderless appearance. He once said, “I have become modest through my work because in creating art my arrogance is crushed” His works always have faces or face-like things. They are genderless and look imperfect or comical which I think characterises a lack of maturity. He believed his works are like flowers blooming in a field. You may not notice this straight away but once you do then you cannot fail to see it. He repeatedly said he wished to start afresh all though his life. He never shied away from challenging himself and strived to create something new. I imagine Picasso would have somewhat envied Kakei Goro. Goro was born as a boy and died as a boy whereas Picasso was taught art by his father in a very disciplined and strict way from a young age. Kakei Goro was a nature lover and his talent was in expressing the pure essence of life in art.
Nippon Art Channel: Collaborated with NAGAI Art Gallery
Follow me!
