Tetsuya Noguchi (野口哲哉, Noguchi Tetsuya, born 1980 in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese artist known for his images of samurai in modern everyday or comical situations.[1]

Biography

Noguchi was born in 1980 in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan.[2][3] He graduated from Hiroshima City University in 2003 specializing in oil painting, going on to complete graduate school there in 2005.[2]

Since his youth, Noguchi has been inspired by science fiction, samurai films, history, and plastic models, and he uses these as influences in his paintings and sculptures.[4] He was first inspired by a photo of a samurai taken around the end of the Tokugawa period, as well as by the works of Kobori Tomoto.[4] His works have appeared in over 15 solo exhibits since his first in 2008.[2] Two books featuring his works were published in 2014.[3][5]

Exhibits

Solo
  • "Noguchi Tetsuya Exhibit" (Tokyo Contemporary Art Fair (TCAF), 2008)[2]
  • "Positive Contact" (Matsuzakaya Art Museum, Matsuzakaya Nagoya Branch, 2011)[2]
  • "Noguchi Tetsuya Exhibit" (Gallery Tamae, 2011)[2]
  • "Noguchi Tetsuya Exhibit: Noguchi Tetsuya's Warrior Identification Guide" (Nerima Ward Art Museum, 2014)[2][4]
  • "Noguchi Tetsuya Exhibit: Noguchi Tetsuya's Warrior Identification Guide" (Asahi Beer Oyamazaki Villa Art Museum, 2014)[1][2]
  • "The Historical Odyssey" (Haneda Airport International Terminal, 2015)[2]
  • "Sleep Away" (Art Fair Tokyo, 2015)[2]
  • "Noguchi Tetsya's Works: Journey to Another World" (Gallery Tamae, 2015)[2]
  • "Human Silhouette" (Art Fair Tokyo, 2016)[2]
  • "Antique Human" (Gallery Tamae, 2016)[2][5]
  • "Drawing Exhibit: Armor and Pencil" (Gallery Tamae, 2017)[2]
  • Works Exhibit: Armored Neighbor: Armor-clad Neighbors" (Gallery Tamae, 2017)[2]
  • "Putting Love Over Medieval Times" (Pola Museum Annex, 2018)[2]
  • "Within Armor: Toyama Version" (Mori Shusui Museum of Art, 2019)[2]
  • "This Is Not a Samurai" (Arsham Fieg Gallery, New York, 2019)[2]
  • "This Is Not a Samurai" (Takamatsu Art Museum / Gunma Museum of Art / Kariya City Art Museum / Yamaguchi Prefectural Art Museum, 2021)[2][3]

Bibliography

  • From Medieval with Love (野口哲哉作品集 ~中世より愛をこめて~, Noguchi Tetsuya Sakuhinshū: Chūsei Yori Ai o Komete) (February 2014, Kyūryūdō, ISBN 9784763018182)[3]
  • Where the Samurai Are (野口哲哉ノ作品集 「侍達ノ居ル処。」, Noguchi Tetsuya no Sakuhinshuu "Samurai-tachi no Iru Tokoro") (February 2014, Seigensha, ISBN 9784861524295)[3][5]

Reception

Noguchi's work has been described as "archival, historical and yet happily contemporarily comical",[1] and having "technique...so exquisite that it elevates the work entirely out of the realm of parody".[4] His works are sometimes mistaken as being actual historical works due to their detail and style.[5]

Awards and recognition

Noguchi has received the following awards and recognition:

Year Organization Award title,
Category 		Work Result Refs
2016 Kagawa Prefecture Arts and Culture Rookie of the Year Award
(文化芸術新人賞受賞) 		- Won [2][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c Larking, Matthew (3 July 2014). "World-weary and resigned, yet the samurai spirit soldiers on". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Artists > 野口 哲哉 Tetsuya Noguchi". Gallery Gyokuei. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Tetsuya Noguchi Exhibit ― THIS IS NOT A SAMURAI ― Official Website". exhibit.jp. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d Gleason, Alan. "Samurai Surrealism: Tetsuya Noguchi at the Nerima Art Museum". Artscape.jp. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d Michizoe, Kengo (21 January 2017). "Tetsuya Noguchi "Antique Human"". Shift Japan. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.

External links