Kanda Nissho
Encyclopedia
Kanda Nisshō was a Japanese artist
and farmer
. He is mostly known for his oil paintings.
Kanda was born in Nerima, Tokyo
, in 1937. At the age of eight he and his family relocated to Shikaoi Town, Tokachi
, Hokkaidō
as part of wartime evacuation
s. It was there and for the rest of his short life that he managed to produce a number of passionate works of art while at the same time being engaged in land development and agriculture
.
He became a member of the All Hokkaidō Exhibition and entered his works in the Independent Selection Exhibition, the first Hokkaidō Excellent Art Work Exhibition and other such exhibitions. His postwar Shin-gushō (新具象 "New Representational Style") has been artistically valued ever since his works were shown at the Exhibition of Kanda Nisshō’s World and the Japanese Realism Exhibition.
The impact of Kanda’s paintings come from his reflections on bucolic isolation and the harsh conditions settler
s faced in provincial Hokkaidō. Each painting is crafted in Kanda’s own uniquely calm style of realism
. Livestock
and the life of settlers play a large part in Kanda's work.
In 1970, he died suddenly at the age of 32.
In 1993, the Kanda Nisshō Memorial Art Museum was established in Tokachi, Hokkaidō in Kanda’s memory and to house many of his works. Kanda’s unfinished final work, Uma ("Horse") serves as the symbol of the museum. Since his death, other works such as Okunai fūkei ("Indoor Landscape") have been in the possession of the Hokkaidō Museum of Modern Art in Sapporo and the Hokkaidō Obihiro Museum of Art in Obihiro.
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
and farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
. He is mostly known for his oil paintings.
Kanda was born in Nerima, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, in 1937. At the age of eight he and his family relocated to Shikaoi Town, Tokachi
Tokachi Subprefecture
is a subprefecture of Hokkaidō, Japan corresponding to the old province of Tokachi. As of 2004 its estimated population is 360,802 and its area is 10,830.99 km².Tokachi-Obihiro Airport is in the city of Obihiro.- Geography :-Towns and villages by district:...
, Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
as part of wartime evacuation
Emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...
s. It was there and for the rest of his short life that he managed to produce a number of passionate works of art while at the same time being engaged in land development and agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
.
He became a member of the All Hokkaidō Exhibition and entered his works in the Independent Selection Exhibition, the first Hokkaidō Excellent Art Work Exhibition and other such exhibitions. His postwar Shin-gushō (新具象 "New Representational Style") has been artistically valued ever since his works were shown at the Exhibition of Kanda Nisshō’s World and the Japanese Realism Exhibition.
The impact of Kanda’s paintings come from his reflections on bucolic isolation and the harsh conditions settler
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
s faced in provincial Hokkaidō. Each painting is crafted in Kanda’s own uniquely calm style of realism
Realism (arts)
Realism in the visual arts and literature refers to the general attempt to depict subjects "in accordance with secular, empirical rules", as they are considered to exist in third person objective reality, without embellishment or interpretation...
. Livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
and the life of settlers play a large part in Kanda's work.
In 1970, he died suddenly at the age of 32.
In 1993, the Kanda Nisshō Memorial Art Museum was established in Tokachi, Hokkaidō in Kanda’s memory and to house many of his works. Kanda’s unfinished final work, Uma ("Horse") serves as the symbol of the museum. Since his death, other works such as Okunai fūkei ("Indoor Landscape") have been in the possession of the Hokkaidō Museum of Modern Art in Sapporo and the Hokkaidō Obihiro Museum of Art in Obihiro.
A list of representative works
- Gomi-bako (ゴミ箱, "Trash Can", 1961)
- Ie (家, "House", 1962)
- Hanba no fūkei (飯場の風景, "Bunkhouse Scene", 1963)
- Ushi (牛, "Cow", 1964)
- Uma (馬, "Horse", 1965)
- Seibutsu (静物, "Still Life", 1966)
- Gashitsu A (画侄A, "Studio A", 1966)
- Gashitsu B (画侄B, "Studio B", 1966)
- Hareta hi no kōkei (晴れた日の光景, "A Clear Day’s Spectacle", 1968)
- Yuki no nōjō (雪の農場, "Snow Farm", 1969)
- Okunai fūkei (屋內風景, "Indoor Landscape", 1970)
- Uma (馬, "Horse", 1970 unfinished)