Yoshishige Saito

Western-style painter and sculptor. Born in Tokyo on May 4, 1904. He began painting in oils while attending a Japanese middle school, but was strongly inspired by the avant-garde art movement of the Taisho period, including the exhibition of Russian futurists Burliuk and Palimov in 1920 (Taisho 9), and Murayama Tomoyoshi, and other artists, and began working on three-dimensional compositions early on. In 1936 (Showa 11), he was selected for his first exhibition at the Nikaten Exhibition, and his work was exhibited in Room 9, which collected avant-garde works. He later joined the Ku-Shitsu-Kai, a group of artists from the same room. In 1964, he participated in the founding of the Bijutsu Bunka Kyokai, and after leaving the association in 1953 (Showa 28), he became independent. He received the K Prize at the Japan International Art Exhibition in 1982, the National Museum of Modern Art Prize at the same exhibition in 1984, and the International Association of Art Critics Prize in the same year, as well as the Grand Prize at the Contemporary Japanese Art Exhibition in 1980, the National Prize and International Prize at the Guggenheim Prize International Exhibition, and the International Painting Prize at the Sao Paulo Biennale in 1986. As a professor at Tama Art University (1964-73), he instructed the next generation of artists, but from the mid-1960s he began to move towards innovative three-dimensional sculptures, freely using a variety of materials. In 1978, he held a large-scale solo exhibition at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. He also held solo exhibitions at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in 1984, the Yokohama Museum of Art in 1993, and the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Modern Art in 1999. He was awarded the Asahi Prize in 1984. He passed away on June 13, 2001.

[Tadao Ogura and Hideyuki Yanagisawa]

"Saito Yoshishige" (1964, Bijutsu Shuppansha)" ▽ "Saito Yoshishige" edited by Tokyo Gallery (1974, Doi Printing)" ▽ "Saito Yoshishige Exhibition" edited by Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and others (1984, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum)" ▽ "Saito Yoshishige Exhibition by Saito Yoshishige" edited by the Yokohama Museum of Art's Curatorial Department (1993, Asahi Shimbun)" ▽ "Catalogue of the Saito Yoshishige Exhibition" (1999) edited and published by the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Modern Art

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

洋画家、造形作家。明治37年5月4日東京生まれ。日本中学校時代から油絵を始めるが、1920年（大正9）ロシア未来派のブルリュークとパリモフの来日展覧会をはじめ、村山知義などの大正期前衛美術運動に強い刺激を受け、早くから立体構成的な作品を手がける。36年（昭和11）二科展に初入選し、前衛的な作品を集めた第9室に展示される。その後、同室の作家による九室会に参加。39年美術文化協会の創立に参加。53年（昭和28）退会後は無所属。57年日本国際美術展でK氏賞、59年同展で国立近代美術館賞、同年国際美術評論家連盟賞、60年、現代日本美術展で最優秀賞、グッゲンハイム賞国際展では国内賞と国際賞を受け、61年サン・パウロ・ビエンナーレ展で国際絵画賞を受けた。多摩美術大学教授（1964～73）として後進の指導にあたるが、60年代なかばから、各種の素材を自由に用いて、斬新(ざんしん)な三次元造形へと移った。78年東京国立近代美術館で大規模な個展開催。ほかにも84年東京都美術館ほか、93年（平成5）横浜美術館ほか、99年神奈川県立近代美術館で個展を開催した。1984年度の朝日賞を受賞。平成13年6月13日死去。

［小倉忠夫・柳沢秀行］

『『斎藤義重』（1964・美術出版社）』▽『東京画廊編『斎藤義重』（1974・土井印刷）』▽『東京都美術館ほか編『斎藤義重展』（1984・東京都美術館）』▽『横浜美術館学芸部編『斎藤義重による斎藤義重展』（1993・朝日新聞社）』▽『神奈川県立近代美術館編・刊『斎藤義重展図録』（1999）』

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