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Yuji Akimoto Director of The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts / Director of Nerima Art Museum
Taking on the challenge of weaving spatial art out of bamboo
The bamboo installations by Tanabe Chikuunsai occupy the interior space they are created in. His large installations measuring several meters in dimension have a strong presence, with some connecting the ceiling and the floor, while others linking the walls with the floor. They are sculpture-like installations created with organic forms in mind and which produce a scenery that can only be enjoyed right there and then. The shapes he creates in relation to the place are unique each time, and they transform the significance and value of the place. While these installations are works created by Chikuunsai, they also allude to shapes and forms found in nature, such as the curves of a thick, twisting trunk of a cherry tree, or the great flow of energy within the rapid, elongated spiral of rising air currents produced by a tornado that soars towards the sky below a cumulonimbus cloud.
His installations may be enormous, but they are built with detail parts using bamboo strips. These large structures are woven in layers of many straight bamboo strips of certain lengths which are neither large in size nor substantially strong on their own. Without any added support, the installations maintain their shape and support their own weight through the act of bamboo weaving. It is incredible how the mutual repelling force of the bamboo strips can hold up these large structures.
The basic weaving in hexagonal pattern used by Chikuunsai is rather primitive and far from what one would expect from him if we consider the sophisticated techniques of traditional crafts he has hitherto acquired. However, in order to produce installations on a grand scale, he opted instead for this basic weaving pattern. There is no doubt that, as someone who knows bamboo like the back of his hands, he is capable of such undertaking, but it is still a laborious task to create gigantic structures using only bamboo. Yet, going back to the basics worked in his favour as he began creating spatial installations in order to fundamentally reexamine bamboo craft. One may, through discarding all acquired knowledge necessary for taking on challenging tasks, end up discovering something that has otherwise been hidden from one’s knowledge. With new challenges come the necessity for new techniques and methodologies, but predicting such necessity does not lead one to great discoveries. Being unable to apply cultivated traditional techniques in fact opens up new possibilities in the application of bamboo, thus allowing for different expressions through bamboo not seen previously. In creating large spatial bamboo structures that are challenging, Chikuunsai is bringing innovations to bamboo craft. If one tenaciously takes on challenging tasks without giving up, it will lead to more possibilities.
It All Began with The heaven and the earth
The road has not been easy for him and there were times when he endured hardships. His Heaven and Earth created at Masaki Museum in 2012 was the prototype of his succeeding bamboo installations up to today. The cylindrical shape woven from bamboo was created inside the traditional Japanese room at the Museum. It was an installation that connected the tatami mats on the floor with the ceiling above, being neither traditional bamboo craft similar to what Chikuunsai had been creating up to that point nor a modern bamboo object. Rather than being a piece with conventional dimensions which one could put their arms around, it was a super-size object exceeding human height. While in comparison with later installations this was on the smaller side, it still measured 3 metres all around. In terms of the techniques used, conventional techniques did not prove to be useful in the creation of this installation, and it had already passed beyond the realm of conventional bamboo craft right from the start. Weaving out free forms within a space without any support and using only bamboo was, even for Chikuunsai who is skilled in bamboo weaving, a substantially arduous task. During an interview Chikuunsai said the following as he looked back on that time.
“In the case of The heaven and the earth, because it was about 3 metres high, it was the first time I created a large-scale piece, so I was inexperienced in that I didn’t have the techniques necessary for my installation to withstand the sheer weight of the piece.” To this the interviewer asked: “Is it technically difficult to maintain the shape when the scale is enlarged?” and Chikuunsai frankly replied: “It is. In the case of my installations, I only use bamboo to weave them, instead of using materials like steel poles at the core. Normally, even weaving a piece measuring 1 meter in size is already quite challenging. So I had no idea if the bamboo structure which I wove to fill a room would support itself.”
Despite such challenge, Chikuunsai would continue to take on impossible challenges and bring his ideas to reality, each time improving his techniques in bamboo use and pioneering new techniques. The balancing of the bamboo’s own weight and the maintaining of the shapes of the woven bamboo in the installation space is a rather acrobatic undertaking. Differing from the engineering world where durability and structure are calculated, in Chikuunsai’s world everything is created from his experience as a craftsman, how he feels as he creates on-site, and the knowledge that he has acquired over the years. He makes each installation by adapting to the size of the space and the conditions involved.
Is it modern art or handicraft?
There have been many examples of modern art works made using bamboo, but no artist is as particular about bamboo in their creation as Chikuunsai. Take a look at works by other artists and you can see other materials such as nails being used. In modern art one tends to avoid monomaniacal preference for one single material or being adamant in using certain materials that may end up ruining the artwork, fearing that certain materials may compromise the theme of the artwork. First and foremost, there is a theme and leaving it unrealized is rendered undesirable. The conventional way in modern art is that there is a theme and there are materials and techniques for realizing the theme; in many cases there is a respected, cool distance between the artist and the materials.
Regardless, there are modern artists like Chikuunsai who, in their obsessive ways, fuse their own identity with something else that may include materials for their artwork and other ideas. For instance, Yayoi Kusama is one of such artists with her monomaniacal use of dots. Yet even so, their art is limited to their generation and it ends with them. However, handicraft is passed down from generation to another through the relationship with the craftsmen and the materials and techniques they work with. It is inherited as ‘tradition’, and craftsmen such as Chikuunsai himself who was born into a family of bamboo craftsmen have no other option but to work all their lives with the material they were born to work with, even if they have no liking for the material. To inherit the family business in Chiunnsai’s case means that he has to work alongside bamboo all his life. Incidentally, it appears that Chikuunsai lived through this process naturally during his childhood. During the interview he commented that he “became one with bamboo”, saying that “I have nothing other than bamboo, or I should say that bamboo and I are one. I cannot live without bamboo.” This is rare among artists around the world, but not so in Japan where family craftsmanship and the inheritance of techniques are important, and Chikuunsai who has become the fourth generation of his family is one of them. However, that is not to say that other similarly inclined Japanese craftsmen and artists are similar to him, for none have attempted to create large-scale works like his installations.
From a craftsperson’s point of view, it is undesirable to trouble themselves over whether or not they can create something when the techniques closely related to their own identity become questionable or fail to serve them. It is for that reason that there are probably very few people in the handicraft world who would actually take upon themselves to tackle reckless projects to create huge structures in earnest. No one wants to find themselves in a situation where they find themselves attempting their skills on modern art whose end result is neither clear nor predictable, and end up realizing that their skills are either incompatible with or useless for such art. This is even more so the case for craftspeople with sophisticated skills who do not waste their skills on something that does not provide any production cycle where some kind of result is foreseeable. A clumsy execution of installations such as the bamboo installation Chikuunsai aims to create each time would reversely lead to the craftsperson’s loss of self-esteem. For this reason, if the values of the craft itself and of the craftsperson creating it are the priority, such as in the case of handicraft works like Chikuunsai’s bamboo installations during the making of which he reaches the critical point of his skills each time, then we can see why no one desires to approach such undertakings. This is the very reason why there existed no bamboo installations prior to Chikuunsai’s works.
Even if one wishes to attempt something new, the hitherto developed ideas simply do not work within the context of tradition. Rather, such ideas can only exist once one is severed from tradition. How, then, did Chikuunsai reach the idea of creating bamboo installations as spatial art?
The inspiration for creating bamboo installations came when he saw an installation by modern artist Anish Kapoor in London. The installation had a great impact on Chikuunsai and he felt that, considering the future of craft, it was necessary for him to work in the international art scene. Kapoor’s work transforms the space or landscape, and produces a surprising installation space where anyone can experience his art. This is direct, experience-oriented art within modern art, and it is this “straightforward direct contact” and the “experience” that captivated Chikuunsai.
“I started showing my work at exhibitions outside of Japan from 2001 when Japanese crafts as art was inexistent in the world, and this made it extremely difficult and frustrating when I was asked to explain my work. It really hit me that if I wanted to express my ideas through bamboo on the international stage, then I had to step out of the “craft” framework and turn my work into a form of art that can be taken seriously within the global market. I wanted to create experience-oriented works that can be understood by anyone, and so I thought it would have to be something large enough to almost envelop the viewer.”
Chikuunsai became fascinated by Kapoor who produces works that are easily understood by anyone, and he aims to create works that can have direct effect on people. However, one must not mistake this for his devotion to modern art, or that craft has turned into modern art. What Chikuunsai is doing is changing his work to adapt to the globalization of craft. His is an art with entertainment value that “can be understood by anyone.” And one big factor in this is the element of ‘surprise’. In order to provide the surprise, it was necessary to “develop acrobatic techniques” and produce something “on a large scale.” The result: installations large enough they become an environment that would envelope people who see them. These installations are created in unbelievable shapes using incredible techniques. It is the large scale and the techniques for making such scale possible that are the main elements in Chikuunsai’s installations.
The making of the installation at the Guimet Museum – a memory of his battle with space
“The biggest change was with the installation I created at the Guimet Museum (GODAI, Guimet Museum, Paris, 2016). The fact that it was at France’s prestigious oriental art museum and that I had the opportunity to create a piece at the main hall of a museum, I thought I would create a large piece that would stand 6 meters tall. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the sufficient techniques at the time and was unable to create the piece as I had it in my mind and the whole thing was a big failure. I was creating it with two apprentices, but we had many issues, such as the piece being so big that the bamboo structure ended up wobbling and it was much too heavy to be fixed to the wall. We got about 25 of the museum’s staff to help us to fix the piece to the wall, but that didn’t work and I felt extremely embarrassed as I could sense the museum staff thinking: “What are they doing? Is their piece going to work at all?” I spent days and nights working on the piece, but it didn’t go well at all as I didn’t have the necessary techniques required to create such a big piece. Through trial and error we managed somehow in the end, but it was a truly challenging installation also due to the fatigue we felt from the long-term stay overseas making this piece.”
This installation became a great turning point for Chikuunsai and from this point on he would further expand his skills, making more sophisticated pieces. Through experience he would succeed in controlled use of space. Once he knew the tricks, it took him no time to rapidly develop his work. Within a few years he was able to easily create works that would comfortably fit into even larger spaces. Space is not the only issue, however. It is also important to consider what material the indoor space to be used is created from or with. The construction material, be it stone, concrete, or wood can have direct effects on the technical side of an installation. Yet, his installations are not simply technical creations. With each installation he further improves the way he interprets the space in true essence. This influences the size and form of the piece he is creating, making it more dynamic and something spectacular with a stronger visual impact. With the space and the form becoming more profoundly intertwined, the installation now becomes a stand-alone object whose existence is only possible where it sits. Chikuunsai’s world that started with the ‘weaving of bamboo’ has turned into a world of site-specific works.
His installations have been positively received, and he continues to present his works both in and outside Japan with great vigour. Examples of his work, which have all been created at museums and cultural centres in Japan and overseas, include: Bounty of Water at the Museum of Fine Arts in Gifu prefecture in 2014, Beyond Connection at the Domaine de la Celle Saint-Cloud located some 10 kilometres north of the Versailles in 2015, GODAI at the Guimet Musuem in 2016, GATE at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2017, Connection at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco in 2019, and CONNECTION-GODAI at the Odunpazari Modern Museum in Turkey in 2019.
Where is craft art headed?
From the way Chikuunsai’s work has been received, we can begin to understand the trends and interpretations of crafts in and outside of Japan. In recent years we have seen more activities in craft making internationally, with the two exhibitions outside of Japan which Chikuunsai participated being examples of the recent tendencies in the interpretation of crafts.
The appreciation of bamboo has also paved way for exhibitions like the Japanese Bamboo Art: The Abbey Collection held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art from June 13, 2017 to February 4, 2018, where bamboo crafts were systematically put on display alongside masterpieces of Chinese and Japanese paintings. Chikuunsai’s installation was also featured at the entrance of this exhibition. Regardless of what context his installation in this case ought to be understood, it was probably chosen for the exhibition for being the best embodiment of bamboo craft along the timeline that spans from the classical period to the modern era. Exhibitions that vigorously consider the possibility of bamboo as formative art are necessary in Japan, even if it were only experimental. There is no doubt that further enriching interpretations will emerge with exhibitions created according to particular contexts.
Meanwhile, Chikuunsai’s installation entitled GODAI at the Guimet Museum in 2016 was exhibited as an individual work. It was, without being thrusted into the genealogy of bamboo craft, presented as a single, standalone piece of art expression. Japan’s crafts are still being understood and appreciated from the mixed viewpoint of exoticism and modernism, but Chikuunsai’s installations have the potential to break through this. It would be wonderful when one day Japan’s crafts depart from such limitations and become freely appreciated around the world.
Chikuunsai’s work can be generally divided into three categories. The first is bamboo craft in the form of implements for flower display used as items for traditional tea ceremony. The second is bamboo works that are modern objects with no particular application intended. The third is bamboo installations adapted to modern art as hitherto introduced. All three types coexist with one another without any conflict, and they are collectively Chikuunsai’s craft=art. One wonders, however, how he is able to master such varied types of work at the same time. Personally, I think this is a unique perception of craft. In craft making, the material and techniques tend to be prioritized over content or concept; that is, a craftsperson considers the essence of their creativity through developing the material and the required techniques. In modern art, materials and techniques are usually considered later after attention is first given to the content and context. Radically put, as long as there is a concept, how one realizes the concept is of secondary importance. There is the idea, and then there is the way to realize the idea. Such is the priority in creating modern art. In craft making or in the case of Chukuunsai, it is a different story. Dependency is placed on techniques and materials, and only when these are given first consideration can the craftsperson begin to realize his or her art. This approach is rarely possible in the world of modern art where concept is given the priority. In this sense, the craftsperson is all about technique and material. This is evident also in Chikuunsai’s own words below:
“Ever since I could remember, I was already in contact with bamboo, so I probably have more love for the bamboo than other people (chuckles). I feel the bamboo as a material being part of myself. I can’t do without bamboo…I mean, bamboo and I are one. I can’t exist without bamboo.”
Perhaps this is truly how he feels. On the other hand, as a strategist he also thinks that “while I have to continue inheriting the styles and the tradition of bamboo craft, I feel at the same time that, without some kind of impact that can move and inspire me, my work wouldn’t have what it takes to manifest my artistic expression to the world.”
To extend his creativity beyond Japan’s traditional bamboo craft, he needs to bring bamboo craft to the international world. And his way of achieving this is through bamboo installations, a new attempt not made by anyone else. Chikuunsai’s unique, gigantic bamboo installations will continue to fascinate us.