Ryozo Kawagita

• Designation
  Living National Treasure (Important Intangible Cultural Property for Wood crafts)
• Category
  Wood and Bamboo
• Techniques
  Wood turning, Wood inlay
• Born
  1934 -
• Based in
  Ishikawa
• Membership
  Full member, Japan Kogei Association
  Councilor, Ishikawa Prefectural Artistic and Cultural Association

About the Artist

Beautiful Artwork Created by the Greatest Treasure in the World of Woodwork

Woodwork artist Ryozo Kawakita was designated as Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property for "Woodwork" (Living National Treasure) in 1994, and is a great master in the woodwork world.
Kawakita selects zelkova, mulberry, maple, black persimmon wood etc. carefully and makes the most of the characteristics of the wood to emphasize the beauty of the wood surface and wood grain. Basically, he uses the wood turning technique, turning the wood on a lathe to carve the wood, and then adds exquisite decorations such as inlays. He combines traditional aesthetic sense with modern sensibility to create graceful pieces of art. He has been honored with many awards including the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1999, and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon in 2004.

Biography

• 1935
  Born in Yamanaka Onsen, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture
• 1950
  Studied lathe techniques under his father Koichi Kawakita
• 1962
  Selected for the 9th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition for the first time. Selected 51 times to date
• 1964
  Full member, Japan Kōgei Association
• 1965
  Award candidate at the 12th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 1988
  Produced tea ceremony utensils using wood from the old sal tree planted by Sen no Rikyu that was preserved at the Jukō-in Daitoku-ji
• 1990
  Produced the “Sacred Treasure Rokurobako” for the Shikinen Sengu Ceremony in Ise Jingu
• 1993
  His work was offered as a gift to the Crown Prince by Ishikawa Prefecture
• 1994
  Produced tea ceremony utensils using wood from old materials of the small chamber at Myoshinji, Kyoto
  Designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property Holder
• 1995
  Shirayama Hime Shrine “Shinboku, Keyakizukuri Jikiro” presented to the Ise Jingu Museum
• 1996
  His work “Keyakizukuri Bon” at Futamata Honsenji in Kanazawa was purchased by Kanazawa City
• 1997
  POLA Foundation for the Promotion of Traditional Japanese Culture completed the “Bringing a Tree Back to Life – Kawakita Ryozo’s Woodwork Crafts”, a MEXT Special Selection Movie
• 1998
  Produced the Heian Jingu Shrine “Kenko Kenchashiki Natsume Kinindai” at the Hanshin Department Store
• 1999
  Received the Medal with Purple Ribbon
• 2004
  Published the “Living with Trees, Giving Life to Trees” in July
  Received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon at the Autumn Conferment of Decorations
• 2008
  Produced the “Sacred Treasure Rokurobako” for the Shikinen Sengu Ceremony in Ise Jingu
• 2009
  Produced a memorial piece using old materials from the Mieido at Honganji
• Judge at the Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
  Jury member at the Contemporary Art Exhibition
  Judge at the Wood and Bamboo Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
  Jury member at the Ishikawa Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
  5 purchases by the Agency of Cultural Affairs
  4 purchases by the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art
  Advisor of the Japan Kōgei Association
  Advisor of the Ishikawa Prefectural Artistic and Cultural Association
  Chief lecturer at the Ishikawa Prefectural Institute of Wajima Lacquer Arts
  Guest professor at the Kanazawa College of Art
  Part-time Instructor at Kanazawa University
  Chairman of the Yamanaka Lacquerware Lathe Techniques Preservation Society
  Chairman of the Kaga City Art Association
  Director of the Yamanaka Lathe Technique Training Center
  Ishikawa Prefectural Training Institute of Wood Turning
  Designated as an Honorary Citizen (First) of the former Yamanaka Town (2003)

Awards

• 1966
  Japan Kōgei Association Award, 13th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 1967
  Japan Kōgei Association Award, 14th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 1978
  Ishikawa Television Broadcasting Award
  32nd Hokkoku Cultural Award
• 1986
  Ishikawa Television Broadcasting Award
• 1987
  Governor of Tokyo Prize (Grand Prize), Japan Flower and Tea Accessories Art Crafts Exhibition
• 1991
  Ishikawa Cultural Promotion Incentive Award
• 1992
  Industry Contribution Award in Yamanaka Town
• 1995
  Ishikawa Cultural Promotion Incentive Award
  Chunichi Cultural Award
• 1997
  Minister of Foreign Affairs Award, Japan Introductory Movie Videos Competition
  Grand Prize, Technical Award, Contemporary Art Exhibition
• Important Intangible Cultural Property Holder’s Prize twice
• Japan Kōgei Association Award twice, Wood and Bamboo Traditional Kōgei Exhibition