ABOUT US本団について
Dokuritsu Shojindan Foundation (Independent Sho Artists) was founded in 1952 by Teshima Yuhkei (1901-1987), one of the most-esteemed contemporary Sho (Japanese calligraphy) artists of Japan.
Each member of our organization is dedicated to study and create Sho works to be appreciated not only in Japan but also by artists and people of the world.
We are trying to create a model, which differs from the traditional concepts of this art form. Our powerful emotions, which move us, and our thoughts, which we encounter in everyday lives, are what we strive to express through Sho works. This is in contrast to the traditional Sho, based on Kanshibun (poems using Kanji Chinese characters).
In order to express our emotions and thoughts clearly we must choose the proper Kanji character(s). Each Kanji character is an ideogram with its own meaning. There are tens of thousands of Kanji characters and there are various script styles of writing. It is important to choose the proper character(s) and the proper script style. Sometimes we choose only one character, and other times we choose a combination of characters.
The most important thing is that one's emotions and thoughts are effectively and aesthetically expressed in the form. In other words we are striving for Shohsho, a concept created by Teshima Yuhkei. Shosho is Sho that express style, form, emotion or thought in the most accurate manner.
Dokuritsu Shojindan Foundation, which is a non-prpfit organization, has about 3000 members throughout Japan. Annual exhibitions and seminars are held for all members.
FOUNDERTESHIMA YUHKEI手島右卿
Sho, or calligraphy, is an eternal art with a history of over three thousand years.
After the end of World War Ⅱ increased internationalization produced active interaction between Japanese sho and contemporary Western art. In the West, this led to a new style of art called calligraphic abstraction. This was a style stimulated and enlightened by sho's linear expression and the pictorial, formal expressiveness sho was able to achieve, for example, by gradations in the darkness of the ink or the dragging of a dry brush. Meanwhile, in Japan, the encounter of sho, with Western Abstract Expressionism led to a new movement to perceive calligraphy as pure art. In this milieu, Teshima Yuhkei was one of the leading calligraphers who aspired to the establishment of calligraphy as a modern art and who straight away promoted the movement for its reform.
Teshima honed his skill in the true traditional calligraphic method, based on the spirituality ofsho rooted in Eastern philosophy. At the same time, he studied and adopted the formal expressiveness of Western abstract art, pursuing new calligraphic forms. He developed his unique style of expression, in which sho is not limited to expressing mere formal beauty but is able to express the meaning and content innate to language. His works won notice as an internationally valid contemporary art form, and he contributed significantly to the internationalization of sho.
This exhibition is being held to commemorate the centennial of the birth of Teshima Yuhkei. By selecting and introducing systematically approximately one hundred carefully selected representative works by this pioneer of modern sho, it aims to re-examine both the tradition and modernity of this art. At the same time, it seeks to investigate possible new directions and developments for sho in the twenty-first century.
We wish to express our sincere appreciation to The Ueno Royal Museum, which organized this exhibition and provided its venue, as well as to The Agency for Cultural.
Affairs, Japan, NHK(Japan Broadcasting Corporation),The Asahi Shimbun, The Mainichi Newspapers,and the Mainichi Shodokai for their patronage.
HISTORY本団のあゆみ
| 1952 | Apr. | Dokuritsu Shodokai （The Dokuritsu Shodo Association） was established．Early in the morning of April 28，the founders assembled at Meiji Shrine，Tokyo and pledged words for its foundation |
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| 1953 | Jan. | The first Dokuritsu Sho Exhibition was held at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum．Catalogue was issued． |
| July | The Bulletin ＃1 was issued．(Now up to ＃89 issue．） | |
| 1957 | Jan. | The 5th Dokuritsu Sho Exhibition was held．The ceremony of commemorating the five years of foundation was held．The song of association was adopted．A documentary film of the 5th Exhibition was screened． |
| 1962 | July | The first Small－sized Sho Exhibition was held at Ginza Gallery，and a catalogue was issued． |
| 1967 | Jan. | The 15th Dokuritsu Sho Exhibition，The ceremony commemorating the 15 years of foundation was held．The group's name was changed to Dokuritsu Shojindan． |
| 1969 | Sep. | “Yuhkei and his School” Exhibition was held under the auspices of Belgium．The group representatives visited Europe as the first Mission to Europe was sent，sponsored by the Foreign Ministry． The Exhibition was held in European countries for two years． |
| 1972 | Jan. | The 20th Dokuritsu Sho Exhibition，The ceremony commemorating the 20 years of foundation was held．The book of 20 years of Dokuritsu Shojindan was issued． |
| 1974 | May | Small－sized Sho Exhibition was renamed，and the Dokuritsu Sho Masters Exhibition was held at Tokyo Central Art Museum，Ginza． |
| 1975 | Sep. | “Yuhkei and his School” Exhibition was held in France，as the second Mission of Shodo to Europe sponsored by the Foreign Ministry． |
| 1977 | Jan. | The 25tn Dokuritsu Sho Exhibition，The ceremony commemorating the 25 years of foundation was held． The book of 25 years of Dokuritsu Shojindan was issued． |
| 1978 | Sep. | The first Autumn Dokuritsu Sho Exhibition was held at Ueno Royal Museum． |
| 1980 | Aug. | The first Dokuritsu Shodo College was held at Zohjohji Temple， Shiba，Tokyo． The Research Bulletin ＃1 was issued．（Up to ＃23 now．） |
| 1982 | Jan. | The 30th Dokuritsu Sho Exhibition，The ceremony commemorating the 30 years of foundation was held．The book of 30－year History of Dokuritsu Shojindan was issued． |
| May | “Yuhkei and his School”Exhibition was held in the USA． | |
| 1985 | May | “Teshima Yuhkei Sho Exhibition”was held at the Museum of Revolution and History，Beijin，China． |
| 1987 | Jan. | The 35th Dokuritsu Sho Exhibition，The ceremony commemorating the 35 years of foundation was held． |
| Mar. | Teshima Yuhkei，President，died．Yamazaki Taiho became the Representative，and the Dokuritsu Shojindan restarted under the collective leadership system． | |
| 1989 | Mar. | “Posthumous Teshima Yuhkei Exhibition ”and the Rally to Remember Teshima Yuhkei were held． |
| 1991 | Jan. | Yamazaki Taiho，the Group Representative，died．No president or representative was nominated，but the collective leadership under Toda Teizan，the chairman of the board of directors． |
| 1992 | Jan. | The 40th Dokuritsu Sho Exhibition，together with the Exhibition of Posthumous Teshima Yuhkei，was held．The ceremony commemorating the 40 years of foundation was held． |
| 1993 | Apr. | The Posthumous Yamazaki Taiho Exhibition was held，and the Rally to Remember Yamazaki Taiho was held． |
| 1994 | Jan. | The Ministry of Education approved establishing the association of judicial foundation．The first Board of Directors and Trustees meeting was held．（18 Board of Directors and Trustees were held up until today．）The ceremony to celebrating the establishment of the judicial foundation was held． |
| 1996 | Apr. | Toda Teizan resigned chairman of the Board to become the advisor． Kobayashi Hohgyu was elected chairman of the Board． |
| May | Toda Teizan was elected President． | |
| 1997 | Jan. | The 45th Dokudtsu Sho Exhibition，The ceremony commemorating the 45 years of foundation was held． |
| Apr. | Teshima Yuhkei Taikan（Overview）started to publish．（Five years planned for completion．）10 books for the 1st period for Volume of Transcriptions（China ＃1）were published． | |
| Sep. | An Epitaph of Teshima Yuhkei 's sho was built at Koyasan， Wakayama． | |
| 1998 | Apr. | Teshima Yuhkei Taikan（Overview）'s lO books for the 2nd period for Volume of Transcriptions（China ＃2）were published． |
| 1999 | Apr. | Teshima Yuhkei Taikan（Overview）'s lO books for the 3rd period for Volume of Transcriptions（Japan）were published． |
| 2000 | Jan. | Teshima Yuhkei Taikan（Overview）'s 2 books of Separate Volume of Transcriptions（Gakkiron）were published． |
| Apr. | Teshima Yuhkei Taikan（Overview）'s 8 books for Volume of Research Materials were published． Teshima Yuhkei Taikan（Overview）'s 10 books for the 3rd period for Volume of Transcriptions（Japan）were published． |
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| 2001 | Apr. | Teshima Yuhkei Taikan（Overview）'s Volume o（f 30）Works was Published． |
| Jun. | “Rhythm of Light：The Calligraphic Art of Teshima Yuhkei－an Exhibition of Commemorating the Centennial of His Birth”was held at the Ueno Royal Museum． | |
| 2002 | Jan. | The 50th Dokuritsu Sho Exhibition，The ceremony commemorating the 50 years of foundation was held． |
| Apr. | Kobayashi Hohgyu resigned the chairman of the Board to become advisor． Sadamasa Shohtoh was elected the chairman of the Board of Directors． |
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| Jun. | “Dokuritsu Sho Exhibition”was held at Museum of Printing History，Houston，USA． |