Susumu Shingu

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Susumu Shingū
Born (1937-07-13) July 13, 1937 (age 84)
Osaka, Japan
NationalityJapanese
Known forSculpture
Notable work
Gift of the Wind
MovementKinetic art, Abstract art

Susumu Shingū is a kinetic sculptor from Japan. His nature-inspired works are constructed of highly engineered materials, commonly steel and Teflon.

Biography[]

Kinetic Fountain, Susumu Shingu

Early Years[]

Susumu Shingu, was born in Osaka, Japan, in 1937. He matriculated at the University of Fine Arts in Tokyo in 1956, with a concentration in oil painting. A bursary from the Italian government followed, allowing him to travel to Italy where his intention was to study figurative painting.[1] He attended the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma from 1960 to 1962. By his own account, Shingu's interest in sculpture developed as his interest in abstraction was expanding. He hung a painting outside to record it photographically: the wind interfered. He became fascinated by the potential for three-dimensional movement. "The work that followed relied on natural forces to make it move or make sound, and he began using more sophisticated materials for outdoor works,"[2] as traditional art materials were either too heavy to supply graceful natural movement or too quickly degraded under outdoor conditions.

Osaka Ship Building Company[]

Still in Italy, a chance meeting with Kageki Minami, the president of Osaka Ship Building Company, led to Shingu's return to Japan, where Minami allowed him a studio in his shipyard and access to the talents of company engineers. With this support, Shingu produced “Path of Wind,” a 20-meter-tall sculpture that was his first large-scale commissioned piece.[3] He began to produce work incorporating elements from his study of the Japanese folk arts: wind chimes and traditional carp banners.[4]

Expo '70 in Tokyo was a major event on the arts scene in Japan. Shingu was one of eight Japanese sculptors chosen to represent the nation. The organizers commissioned a large piece from Shingu for the central plaza.[5]

He spent a year at Harvard University as a Visiting Artist at Harvard's Carpenter Center for the Visual and Environmental Studies, 1971 to 1972.[6]

Gift of the Wind, Susumu Shingu (1985) Cambridge, MA

Traveling Exhibitions[]

Shingu, a prolific artist, has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions internationally. Additionally, he has collaborated in theatre projects (including variations on tradition Japanese Nô performance[7]) and published a number of children's books. His work has been honored with many awards, including the Outdoor Sculpture Prize of Nagano City and the Japan Grand Prix of Art.[6]

Wind Museum[]

The 3,000-sq.-meter Susumu Shingu Wind Museum is an open-air sculpture garden in Sanda, Japan, established in 2012.

Exhibitions & Traveling Shows[]

Quotations[]

"My works are ways of translating the messages of nature into visible movements"[1]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Susumu Shingu: An Ode to Nature". Pen Magazine International. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  2. ^ "Susumu Shingu — Portfolio". Slash Paris. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  3. ^ Yamada, Mio (2014-10-02). "Susumu Shingu knows which way the wind blows". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "TimesMachine: Sculptures That Frolic in the Wind - NYTimes.com". timesmachine.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  5. ^ Shingu, Susumu (1997). Shingu: Message From Nature. Abbeville Press. ISBN 0789203804.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Radar, Art. "Ad (In)Finitum: Japanese artist Susumu Shingu's "Spaceship" at MUDAM Luxembourg | Art Radar". Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  7. ^ Benoit, Guillaume (2018). "Susumu Shingu — Galerie Jeanne Bucher Jaeger — Critique". slash-paris.com. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  8. ^ "Susumu Shingu — Galerie Jeanne Bucher Jaeger — Critique". slash-paris.com. Retrieved 2020-04-23.

External links[]

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