Exhibition “Message of Universal Love” by Emiko Horimoto
Special exhibit : Noh-mask sculptures by Kozen Hanyuu

Date : October 14 (Sun) to October 27 (Sat) Open throughout the session
Time : 11:00 to 19:30 ( up to 18:30 on Saturday and Sunday )
　　　　　　　　
Place : Ginza Silkland Gallery
No.15 Marugen Building 1F, Ginza 6-5-11, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
TEL　03-5568-4356　FAX　03-5568-4357

Horimoto will be available between 13:00 and 17:00 every day except for Oct. 17(Wed), 18(Thu), 23(Tue) and 24(Wed).

An Image Art of Heart and Soul～“Message of Love”

It is already thirty years since I began to express “heart” and ”soul” by paintings.
Meanwhile, I had 81 exhibitions or individual shows in Japan and oversea. The series of ”Message of Love” have lasted twenty years.

“Where did we come from～ What are we～ Where are we going～” ～ This is the title of the masterpiece of Paul Gauguin. I happened to have the same question in my late teens when I was a student. I tried to solve this question through philosophy, but nothing was found. Then, I decided to go the same path as my father, Kozen Hanyuu, a Noh-mask sculptor was taking so as to seek for an answer to the question as an artist.

Since then, I have dedicated myself to paintings to search for Heart and Soul for a long time. Meanwhile, I have experienced various kinds of incidents such as the marriage, the birth, the divorce and the cancer. When I was suffering from cancer, I had a near death experience and also an out of body experience. Because of such experience, I think, my search for the soul world went into depth.

It is a bit surprise for me that my paintings expressing heart and soul were unexpectedly appreciated at the oversea exhibitions. In Kosovo Serbians and Albanians were against each other.
”Your paintings, Message of Love were drawn by a neutral Japanese. They may help to bring peace between the two nations.” One of the French Army Officers said to me at the exhibition in France. Then, my works were transported by the Army’s plane to Kosovo, where another exhibition was held.

After that “International Exhibitions for Peace/Kosovo” were held twelve times in Kosovo, France and Japan. I personally joined some of them. The 12th exhibition took place in the Kosovo National Museum. In addition to my paintings, those drawn by Serbian, Albanian and French artists were displayed abreast. Paintings of Serbian and Albanian artists were displayed together, which had never been realized before.

This May, I was invited to the Art Fair “the Great Pacific Ocean of Friendship and Dream” at Khabarovsk, Russia. Although I could not attend the fair, one of my works was forwarded and exhibited there. Luckily, it was awarded the first prize at the category “VISTA”. It was so unexpected and I was so delighted to hear that the jury unanimously agreed in awarding my painting of Heart and Soul the first prize.

I feel that the history is moving forward to the new period of Heart or Soul. It will be my pleasure if you can enjoy the inspiring spirit from my works where the gold or blue colors express Heart and Soul in the universe. This individual show is held for the first time in Ginza Silkland Gallery. This gives me a kind of feeling that I shall take the first step to the new world of Heart and Soul.
Emiko Horimoto

Curriculum Vitae
Emiko HORIMOTO, Member of Japan Artists Association
Born in Tokyo.
Graduated from Tokyo Woman’s Christian University.
Completed Musashino Art Academy.
1980～ Count individual shows in and out of Japan 81 times, including;
1982　 Contemporary Japan-France Art Exhibition in Paris
1991 Serge Marjisse Award Winners’ Exhibition in New York
2002 to 2005 Individual shows in Nante, Paris and Kosovo.
2010 Geneva 19th International Art Fair (Swiss).
2010 Korea International Art Fair [KIAF](Korea)
2012 Art Fair of “the Great Pacific Ocean of Friendship and Dream” at Khabarovsk, Russia. Awarded the First Prize in the Category VISTA.

Books :
“Blue is a Far Way Colo”～ poems by Shuntaro TANIKAWA/ paintings by Emiko HORIMOTO
(REIFU Shobo)
“The Blue of Mind, the Blue of Prayer – Journey to the Sacred Dimension, Opening the Door to
the Heart”～ poems and paintings by Emiko HORIMOTO(SEISHUN Shuppan-sha)
Collection：
Thessaloniki Museum (Greece), The National Gallery of Kosovo (Kosovo), Japanese Embassy
in Finland, Far Eastern State University of Humanities (Khabarovsk-Russia), Museum in Gongju
(Gongju-Korea), SAKU Municipal Museum of Modern Art, TAMASHIN Historical Museum、
National Cancer Center Hospital East, Japanese Red Cross Medical Center / Hiroo,
Tokyo Woman’s Christian University, and many other facilities such as temples, schools and
private companies.
.

Kozen Hanyuu, the oldest Noh-mask sculptor in Japan

　Noh is the theatrical performance which implies the dialog with Soul. A Noh-mask is usually taken by Shite (a main actor), a resident in the spiritual world.

Mitsunaga Hanyuu was the Noh-mask sculptor retained by Mitsui Family. Kozen Hanyuu, his son is the oldest acting Noh-mask sculptor. Emiko Horimoto, the daughter of Kozen is an artist of Heart and Soul. It is quite rare that three generations of one family have sought for the world of Soul.

“Noh-masks should be strong, correct and beautiful.” writes Kozen Hanyuu in his Noh-mask Album. Most of the Noh-masks sculpted by Kozen Hanyuu are meant for the actual performance on the stage. The Noh-masks of his make have an incomparable dignified beauty and you can find a mysterious charm which will shake your soul.

He also writes in the album, “An excellent female mask gives you such feeling that it continually varies as if stars were twinkling in the dark sky during Iguse of Noh play (an aural highlight of Noh play in which the main actor remains seated with no motion).” I hope that you can imagine the twinkling stars from his female mask. Please enjoy the master pieces of Kozen Hanyuu who will be 95 years old on coming October 17.

Curriculum Vitae
Kozen Hanyuu
1917 Born in Asakusa, Tokyo as third son of Mitsunaga Hanyuu, Noh-mask sculptor
1932 Started Noh-mask sculpting and has dedicated himself for 80 years to it.
1983 Individual show “50th anniversary of Noh-mask sculpting” at Ginza-Wako.
1986 Individual show “In commemoration of publishing the Noh-mask album”
at Tokyu Department Store, Shibuya.
2008 Exhibition of contemporary Noh and Kyogen Artists
at The Tsubouchi Memorial THEATER of Waseda Univ.
2011 Father and Daughter Exhibition by Kozen Hanyuu and Emiko Horimoto
at Odakyuu Department Store, Shinjuku

Member of Japan Sculpture Association
Member of Japan Noh Institute

……………………
Emiko HORIMOTO

CURRENT 60-1 REVERBERATION F60

CURRENT W-1457 The Light of Universe 46x79x2cm
……………………….

Kozen HANYUU