The First Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

Numen- spirit of tree 1991 Installation comprising hemp fibre 11 pieces: 250x100cm (each, approx.) Collection: The artist Tsuguo Yanai was born in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan in 1953. Following his graduation from the Printmaking Department of Sokei Academy of Fine Arts in 1977 he studied with S. W. Hayter at Atelier 17 in Paris from 1978 to 1979. Of the artist's frequent solo exhibitions three have been held at Gallery 21, Tokyo. Tsuguo Yanai's work has received numerous awards, including the Nojima Prize at the '59th Kokuten', Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, 1985; the Prize for Excellence at the '5th Paper Works of Contemporary Art', lmadate, Fukui, 1985; and an Honourable Mention at the '18th International Art Exhi- bition, Japan', Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, 1990. The artist has also participated in international group exhibitions including 'Japanese Contemporary Prints', Satori Gallery, San Francisco, United States, 1983; 'Paper and Contemporary Art', Galleria d'Arte Niccoli, Italy, 1988; 'Frontiere de l'lmage', Espace Japon, Paris, France, 1991; and '21st Sao Paulo International Biennial', Brazil, 1991. Tsuguo Yanai's most recent exhibitions have been 'Element of Illusion', Tamaya Gallery, Tokyo and 'Luminal Art Exhibition', Sumida Riverside Hall Gallery, Tokyo, both held in JAPAN TSUGUOYANAI 1992. The artist's work is represented in Japan in the collection of the lmadate Art Hall, Fukui. Originally a print artist, in the early 1980s Tsuguo Yanai lost interest in printmaking as a process and began to explore its support -paper. From the beginning he has aimed at creating 'his own paper' (which is very different from conventional paper), using hemp as his basic material. He calls his method 'Mashi'. While conventional paper- making is achieved through a so-called wet process, Tsuguo Yanai's method is a dry process. In Genius loci- germination (1991), the artist takes the Latin meaning of genius loci– guardian deity of the ground or place, or spirit of the earth - to suggest the germination of life. Using his 'Mashi' technique, he first made a three-dimensional mould with a net on which he placed hemp fibre which he later solidified with latex, giving it an impression of flexibility. Though every piece of the form is independent, the space is completely transformed when a number of pieces are placed tightly together, resulting in a feeling of spiritual energy and vitality. Much of his work links the idea of paper with its origins in plants, or trees, thus suggesting 78 its connection with the spirit of life itself. In another work, he integrates two-dimen- sional drawings with a three-dimensional form. Walls are first painted black, then drawings are made by placing pieces of white tape across the surface. The drawings resemble a print work in black and white, but, being independent in space, are nevertheless in harmony with the three-dimensional work. In this way, Tsuguo Yanai creates his own space which embraces his view of life and the universe, by evoking the spirit of paper. Based on an article by Tadashi Akatsu, in Spirit of Paper·Life of Material. The Works of Tsuguo Yanai [exhibition cata- logue], trans.Yoko Takei, Gallery aM, Tokyo, April1991.