by Ma Linchao (Translator), Sauser Miho (Author)
Part autobiography, part introduction to bamboo craft, this monograph follows Chikuunsai IV's growth as an artist.
Author Biography
Since the day he scarred his thumb as a child, imitating the way artisans chopped their stalks, Tanabe Chiku'unsai IV's life has had a bamboo core. While he knew he wanted to work with bamboo from a young age, he initially dedicated himself to other forms of Japanese art, such as tea ceremony, flower arranging, calligraphy and Noh dancing. His later bamboo works draw on this strong cultural substructure. Chiku'unsai IV's work has crossed the world, from Sakai Municipal Machiya Historical Museum in Japan, to Musée Guimet, Paris, the TAI Modern in Santa Fe and his yearly exhibit at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. He has played an instrumental role in introducing bamboo art to the West.