Yosai Inoue

About the Artist

Putting Her Heart and Thoughts in Her Artwork

"I want to make graceful, beautiful, cute dolls that you would want to keep beside you all the time" says doll artist Yousai Inoue. She has received many awards including the Japan Kōgei Association Chairman Award at the Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition where the top level artworks in Japan gather. After learning about dolls with urushi lacquer finish from Living National Treasure Nobuko Akiyama, she too started studying about lacquer art. In her recent years, she has been using urushi lacquer to finish her dolls with soft luster. Urushi lacquer has excellent durability and has been used in many art pieces from long ago. She makes her dolls hoping that they will remain unchanged and everlasting.

Style

1. My source of creation is insatiable curiosity and spirit of inquiry. My imagination is added to this, a theme is born, followed by the form and colors.
2. A doll is made in the form of a human, but I want to keep it dreamy in a way. I want to make pure, beautiful and cute dolls that people would want to keep beside them for a long time.
3. I mainly use wooden core covered with tōso (mixture of paulownia sawdust and paste) to make the dolls, but I sometimes make papier- mâché dolls and carved wooden dolls.
4. I cover the dolls with paper or cloth. Recently, I use mineral pigments and urushi lacquer to paint the dolls.
5. I started using urushi lacquer because of its excellent durability. I hope my dolls will remain as they are now even after I'm gone..

Biography

• 1952
  Born in Osaka, Birth name: Motoko Inoue
  Graduated from Osaka College of Music, but gave up career in vocal music due to health problems
• 1982
  Moved to Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture and started to make dolls
• 1986
  Changed name to Yousai Inoue and becomes a professional doll artist
• 1995
  Becomes a disciple of living national treasure doll artist Nobuko Akiyama
  Selected for the first time at the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition
• 1998
  Becomes full member of the Japan Kogei Association
• 2002
  Becomes assistant for a cultural property preservation activity, "Costume Dolls" transmission course held by the Agency of Cultural Affairs
• 2012
  Awarded for distinguished service in arts and crafts by Osaka Prefecture
• 2017
  Evaluator for the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition Kinki Branch
• 2018
  Receives the Constitution Day Award from the Governor of Osaka Prefecture
• 2020
  Evaluator for the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition
• 2021
  Evaluator for the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition Kinki Branch
  Evaluator for the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition

Awards

• 1998
  "Ako" (meaning "My Child") receives Asahi Shimbun Award at the Dolls Traditional Kogei Exhibition ( Received 3 more awards for other pieces at the same exhibition after this )
• 2003
  "Meiso" (meaning "Meditation") receives Nikkei Inc. Award at the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition Kinki Branch ( Received 5 more awards for other pieces at the same exhibition after this )
• 2015
  "Mezame no Toki" (meaning "Time to Wake Up") receives Japan Kogei Association President's Award at the 62nd Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition
• 2019
  "Yamato Mahoroba" (meaning "Yamato - A Wonderful Place") receives Yomiuri Shimbun Award at the All Kansai Exhibition