Tanaka Isson
Encyclopedia
was the pseudonym
of a Japan
ese Nihonga
painter from the Showa period
noted for his flower-and-bird paintings of the Amami Islands
. His real name was Tanaka Jun.
Isson was born in what is now Tochigi City
, Tochigi Prefecture
, as the son of a local sculptor. Interested in art at an early age, he won his first award for a watercolor painting
at the age of 7. In 1926, he enrolled in the Tokyo Bijutsu Gakko (the predecessor to the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
), where he specialized in Nihonga
painting, but left after a few months without graduating due to his father's illness and lack of funds.
From 1938, he lived at various locations in Chiba prefecture
, and although his future initially seemed promising, his isolation from the mainstream art circles meant that he had difficulty in establishing a name. He was forced to work at numerous odd jobs to stay alive, while attempting to paint on the side. In the years of World War II
, he endured illness and poverty. It was only in 1947, in an exhibition sponsored by Kawabata Ryushi
, that his name became known to the art world.
In 1958, at the age of 50, he decided to relocate to Amami Ōshima
, where he found employment at a silk
factory, earning just enough for a frugal life. He continued to paint, using the nature of Amami Oshima for inspiration, and his output through the 1960s and early 1970s was prolific.
Tanaka Isson died in 1977 of a heart attack
at the age of 69. After his death, his life and the style of his works were compared with that of Paul Gauguin
on the Japanese national television (NHK
)'s Sunday Art Museum program, and in 2001, a memorial art museum was established in his honor near the airport on Amami Oshima.
Art-name
An art-name is a pseudonym, or penname, used by an East Asian artist, which they sometimes change. The word and the idea to use a pseudonym originated from China, then became popular in other East Asian countries ....
of a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese Nihonga
Nihonga
or literally "Japanese-style paintings" is a term used to describe paintings that have been made in accordance with traditional Japanese artistic conventions, techniques and materials...
painter from the Showa period
Showa period
The , or Shōwa era, is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of the Shōwa Emperor, Hirohito, from December 25, 1926 through January 7, 1989.The Shōwa period was longer than the reign of any previous Japanese emperor...
noted for his flower-and-bird paintings of the Amami Islands
Amami Islands
The are a group of islands that is part of the Satsunan Islands, which are then part of the Nansei Islands. The islands are part of Kagoshima Prefecture, in the Kyūshū region of Japan...
. His real name was Tanaka Jun.
Isson was born in what is now Tochigi City
Tochigi, Tochigi
is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Despite its name, it is not the capital of Tochigi Prefecture; the capital is Utsunomiya.The city took its current form on March 29, 2010 when the old city of Tochigi merged with the towns of Fujioka, Ōhira and Tsuga from Shimotsuga District to form...
, Tochigi Prefecture
Tochigi Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Kantō region on the island of Honshū, Japan. The capital is the city of Utsunomiya.Nikkō, whose ancient Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples UNESCO has recognized by naming them a World Heritage Site, is in this prefecture...
, as the son of a local sculptor. Interested in art at an early age, he won his first award for a watercolor painting
Watercolor painting
Watercolor or watercolour , also aquarelle from French, is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle...
at the age of 7. In 1926, he enrolled in the Tokyo Bijutsu Gakko (the predecessor to the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
or is one of the oldest and most prestigious art schools in Japan. Located in Ueno Park, it also has facilities in Toride, Ibaraki, Yokohama, Kanagawa, and Kitasenju, Adachi, Tokyo...
), where he specialized in Nihonga
Nihonga
or literally "Japanese-style paintings" is a term used to describe paintings that have been made in accordance with traditional Japanese artistic conventions, techniques and materials...
painting, but left after a few months without graduating due to his father's illness and lack of funds.
From 1938, he lived at various locations in Chiba prefecture
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
, and although his future initially seemed promising, his isolation from the mainstream art circles meant that he had difficulty in establishing a name. He was forced to work at numerous odd jobs to stay alive, while attempting to paint on the side. In the years of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he endured illness and poverty. It was only in 1947, in an exhibition sponsored by Kawabata Ryushi
Kawabata Ryushi
was the pseudonym of a Japanese painter in the Nihonga style, active during the Taishō and Shōwa eras. His real name was Kawabata Shotarō....
, that his name became known to the art world.
In 1958, at the age of 50, he decided to relocate to Amami Ōshima
Amami Oshima
is a semi-tropical island in the Amami Islands, which is part of the larger Nansei Islands in Japan. Ōshima literally means big island, and it is the largest of the Amami Islands. It lies roughly halfway between the islands of Okinawa and Kyūshū. Briefly part of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, in 1624 it was...
, where he found employment at a silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
factory, earning just enough for a frugal life. He continued to paint, using the nature of Amami Oshima for inspiration, and his output through the 1960s and early 1970s was prolific.
Tanaka Isson died in 1977 of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at the age of 69. After his death, his life and the style of his works were compared with that of Paul Gauguin
Paul Gauguin
Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin was a leading French Post-Impressionist artist. He was an important figure in the Symbolist movement as a painter, sculptor, print-maker, ceramist, and writer...
on the Japanese national television (NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
)'s Sunday Art Museum program, and in 2001, a memorial art museum was established in his honor near the airport on Amami Oshima.