我が国は21世紀の今日も国土の約70パーセントが森林です。ほとんどが温帯に属し寒暖のはっきりした四季は多様な樹木を育み、木材に複雑な木目や美しい杢[もく]を生みだします。このような環境は「木を素材としたものづくり」である木工を盛んにしました。そして技術の進化と文化の発展の相互作用のなかで高度に発達し、今日の木工の世界が築かれてきました。
木工には刳物[くりもの]、挽物[ひきもの]、指物[さしもの]の３大技法があります。刳物と挽物が余分なものをそぎ落とすことで作品を作るのに対し、指物は部材を組み合わせて作品にするところが大きく違い、そこに指物の自由さと可能性があります。
このたびご紹介する木工藝家・須田賢司氏は、祖父の代より続く木工家の家庭に生まれ、精緻な指物技法を基礎とし、伝統的な工藝観に基づきながら、現代の工藝作品の創造に挑戦し続けてきました。「清雅」を標に、繊細かつ雅趣に富む独自な作風を築き、平成26年には重要無形文化財「木工芸」保持者（人間国宝）に認定されました。その作品は国内のみならず世界的にも高い評価を獲得しています。
本展覧会では、小箪笥、箱、家具など須田氏の多彩なジャンルの作品を中心に、制作の舞台裏も紹介し、精緻な木工藝作品が生み出される背景に迫ります。さらに古代から近現代へ至る日本木工史の概略や木工家・須田家三代の物語なども併せて紹介し、須田氏の作品や技術に集約された日本工芸史の要素をひも解きます。伝統の指物から総合芸術たる「木工藝」へと昇華させた工芸の最先端の世界を是非ご鑑賞ください。
最後に、開催に当たり貴重な作品をご出品いただいた所蔵者の皆様、ならびにご協力賜わりました関係各位に、厚く御礼申し上げます。
令和元年8月2日
公益財団法人竹中大工道具館
Even today, in the 21st century, 70% of Japan’s landmass remains covered with forest. The majority of it lies in the temperate zone, meaning that it experiences four distinct seasons, giving rise to a wide variety of trees and producing timber with complicated growth patterns and beautiful figured grain. In this kind of environment, it is only natural that woodwork, which uses ‘wood as its basic material to create things’, should flourish.Cultural development and advances in technology resulted in the appearance of a class of highly skilled workers who formed the foundations of the woodworking world as we know it today.
Woodwork can be roughly divided into three categories: kurimono (carving), hikimono (turning) and sashimono (joinery). Both carving and turning consist of cutting away the unnecessary material to produce a finished work whereas in joinery, pieces of prepared timber are jointed together to create a work.This sets it apart from the other two methods, providing great freedom and huge possibilities.
In this exhibition, we introduce the work of SUDA Kenji, whose family have been involved in woodwork since his grandfather’s time. Building on his knowledge of joinery techniques and applying his deep understanding of traditional Japanese kogei art craft, he devotes himself to the production of exquisite works of contemporary woodwork. Using the phrase, ‘Pure and Refined Elegance’ as his motto, he has developed a unique style that is both delicate and sophisticated. In 2014 he was designated a Preserver of an Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure) and his work is highly acclaimed, not only in Japan but also internationally.
In this exhibition we will introduce a diverse range of works by Suda, including small chests of drawers, boxes and furniture, as well as presenting a behind-the-scenes view of his creativity and exploring the background of these minutely constructed examples of woodwork. In addition, we will look at the premodern to modern history of Japanese woodwork and the story of the Suda family over the last three generations in an effort to understand the various elements of Japanese woodwork that are condensed into the skills and techniques employed in his work. We hope that you will enjoy looking at the way in which he has developed traditional joinery, sublimating it into ‘fine woodwork’, a comprehensive form of art that stands at the forefront of the kogei art craft movement.
In closing, we would like to thank everybody who was kind enough to loan their valuable works for this exhibition and to all whose efforts made this exhibition possible.
August 2, 2019
Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum