Fragments of Buddhist Sculpture at the Usuki Site in Öita

Catalog note / 解説

Hiratsuka Un'ichi was born in Matsue city, Shimane Prefecture, in Japan. He trained in Western-style oil painting (yöga) under Ishii Hakutei in Tokyo. With Hakutei's encouragement, Hiratsuka also studied under a traditional ukiyo-e (woodblock) carver, Igami Bonkotsu. The experience led him to teach traditional woodblock print carving when he became an instructor at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, where he trained many young artists, ultimately including Kobashi among his students. Hiratsuka collected Buddhist prints and roof tiles, leading him to a study of early Buddhist printing. Following recently introduced foreign ideas of individualism and artistic creation, he designed, carved and pri…