Rob Coffland traces the development of Japanese bamboo art from a folk craft to a sculptural art form. The abundance of bamboo in Japan naturally led to its widespread usage in everything, including building materials, fences, fish traps, musical instruments, weapons, boxes, and baskets. When Japan was closed to trade during the Edo Period, the import of goods from China-including bamboo baskets-was drastically restricted. This gave rise to the domestic fabrication of high-quality copies. As Japan began reopening in the middle of the 19th century, Hayakawa Shokosai I began to incorporate his own ideas into these Chinese-style baskets, eventually signing his baskets and declaring himself an artist. Others followed his lead, sparking a rapid evolution that continues to this day. There are fewer than 100 bamboo artists in Japan today. Despite this, contemporary bamboo art remains an exciting and vibrant art form.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Rob T. Coffland is one of the world’s leading experts on Japanese bamboo. He is the author of Contemporary Japanese Bamboo Arts, The Bamboo Basket Art of Higashi Takesonsai, and Hin: The Quiet Beauty of Japanese Bamboo Art, and he is a contributor to numerous other books and publications on the subject. Coffland has curated exhibitions at museums and public spaces around the United States. He has lectured at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts as well as at museums in Japan and Mexico. Coffland founded TAI Gallery, which aims to showcase contemporary Japanese art to the American public. He was the chair of the New Mexico Arts Commission for two terms and is currently on the Spanish Colonial Arts Society board.
Bamboo lecture image credit: Honma Hideaki, Twin Currents (2020). Madake, nemagari bamboo, and rattan. 20 x 30 x 9.25 inches. Courtesy of TAI Modern.
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