Asada Benji
Asada Benji 麻田辨次 (after WWII spelled 麻田辨自) (1900*-1984)
BIOGRAPHY
Sources: Tokyo National Research Institute's websitehttps://www.tobunken.go.jp/materials/bukko/9995.html; Smith, Lawrence, 'Modern Japanese Prints 1912-1989: Woodblocks and Stencils', BMP, London, 1994, p. 21; Japan Wikipedia 麻田弁自; Kyoto City University of Arts Art Museum 麻田 辨自;[accessed 2-27-24]; Guide to Modern Japanese Woodblock Prints: 1900-1975, Helen Merritt, University of Hawaii Press, 1992, p. 11.Asada Benji was a Japanese-style (nihonga) painter and print maker. He was born on December 14, 1900 in Kameoka City, near Kyoto, into the Nakanishi 中西 fmaily. Showing an early interest in painting, he entered the Kyoto City School of Fine Arts and Crafts ( 京都市立美術工芸学校 ) at the age of 14. In 1918, he would go on to the Kyoto Prefectural School of Painting (京都府の画学校). In 1920, while still a student, his work "Nursing Puppies" 洋犬哺乳, signed Nakanishi Benji, was chosen for the governmental art exhibition the 3rd Teiten (Exhibition of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts). After graduation from the School of Painting, he would continue graduate studies there, leaving in 1924. In 1927, he married Asada Tsuru 麻田ツル (artist names Uemura Chokuen 上村直園 and Asada Chokuen 麻田直園), a disciple of the famous female nihonga painter Uemura Shōen 上村松園 (1875-1949). Around this time, he began exhibiting under the name "Asada Benji" assuming his wife's family name, likely being adopted into her family.
In the 1920s, he got to know the leaders of the sōsaku hanga (creative print) movement. In 1928 he participated in the publication of the seminal sōsaku hanga magazine Han ("Prints"), together with Hiratsuka Un'ichi (1895-1997), Maeda Masao (1904-1974), Azechi Umetarō (1902-1999) and his friend Tokuriki Tomikichirō (1902-2000) and in 1929 he co-founded the Kyoto Sōsaku-Hanga Kyōkai (Kyoto creative print association) with Asano Takeji (1900-1999), Tokuriki Tomikichirō, Kawai Unosuke (1889-1968) and others. And, in 1930, he was one of the artists who contributed to the portfolio Kistsusuki (Woodpecker) under the editorial direction of Onchi Kōshirō 恩地孝四郎 (1891-1955), Hiratsuka Un'ichi 平塚運一 (1895-1997) and others.
In the Shade of Trees (樹蔭 ), 1950
color on paper/two-panel folding screen
79 1/3 x 73 5/8 in.
(201.5×187.0 cm)
The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
In 1929, he began to study Japanese-style painting under the Kyoto artist Nishimura Goun (1887-1938) at Nishimura's private school Shinchōsha, exhibiting his paintings at Shinchōsha exhibitions and continuing to exhibit at the Teiten, showing both woodblock prints and paintings. He work would appear regularly at Teiten Exhibitions and its successors, the Shin Bunten 新文展, Nitten 日展 (Japanese Fine Arts) and the Shin Nitten 新日展.
in 1930 he would collaborate with the artists Tomikichiro Tokuriki and Asano Takeji on the series "Creative Prints of Twelve Months in New Kyoto" (Sōsaku-hanga shin Kyoto jūnikagetsu) published by Uchida Publishing (Uchida Bijutsu Shoshi 内田美術書肆). He became a member of the Japanese Print Society in 1932 and in 1939 contributed two prints to their series "One Hundred New Views of Japan" (Shin Nihon hyakkei 新日本百景), one of which "Lake Biwa" is shown below.
After the war, he changed the spelling of Asada Benji, from 麻田辨次 to 麻田辨自 and took up landscape painting. His painting "In the Shade of Trees" was awarded a special prize at the 6th Nitten Exhibition and in 1952 his work "Swarm" was awarded a special prize and the Hakushu Prize at the 8th Nitten Exhibition.
During and after the war he would collaborate with the woodblock artists Tomikichiro Tokuriki and Asano Takeji on several series of woodblock prints and in the 1950s, he worked extensively with Uchida Publishing designing woodblock prints in the shin hanga (New Prints) manner. (See examples below.)
From 1953 onwards, he often served as a judge at major exhibitions while he continued to exhibit. In 1959, his work "Wind and Frost" (風霜) was awarded the Minister of Education's Prize at the 2nd Nitten Exhibition, and in 1965 he was awarded the Japan Art Academy Prize for his work "Roar of the Waves" 潮騒 at the 7th Shin Nitten Exhibition.
Starting in 1958 he served in multiple executive and advisory positions for the Nitten. He also served as an advisor to the Shinchōsha Society. , and visited Europe twice in 1963 and 1973.In 1974, he was named a Kyoto City Person of Cultural Merit (Kyōto-shi bunka kōrōsha), and the following year, a Kyoto Prefecture Person of Art Contribution (Kyōtofu bijutsu kōgei kōrōsha).
His two sons were also artists - Asada Takaji, a Japanese-style painter and lithographer and Asada Hiroshi 麻田浩 (1931-1997) , a Western-style painter and etcher.
Asada died of liver failure at the Kyoto Prefectural Medical University in Kyoto City, Upper Kyōto Ward on October 29th at 4:00 AM. He was 84 years old.
*While most sources cite 1900 as the artist's date of birth, the Kyoto City University of Arts Museum and the Nantan City Cultural Museum cite 1899 明治32年 .
A Few Examples of Asada's Paintings
Herons, 1924
Pair of two-panel screens; ink and color on silk
58 1/4 x 56in. (148 x 142cm.) each (2)
5th Exhibition of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, 1924
untitled temple, not dated
sumi on paper
sheet: 12 1/4 x 17 1/3 in.
(31 x 44 cm)
image source: Princeton University Art Museum x1960-69
Mandarin Ducks 鴛鴦, not dated
ink on paper
image: 17 1/3 x 20 7/8 in.
(44 × 53 cm)
overall size: 56 1/4 x 29 1/2 in.
(143 x 75 cm)
Small Bird on Red Blossom Plum Tree 紅梅に小禽, not dated
ink on paper
image: 15 x 17 1/8 in.
(38 x 43.5 cm)
overall size: 53 1/2 x 23 1/4 in.
(136 x 59 cm)
Deep and Harmonious [Ayu sweetfish] 深和 [鮎], not dated
ink on paper
overall size: 56 1/4 x 18 1/2 in.
(143 x 47 cm)
A Few Examples of Asada's Sōsaku Hanga (Creative Prints)
[Cafe waitress] Sugimoto Kimiyo (杉本君代) from the woodblock print portfolio, "Taishu Hanga" (Popular Prints) vol. 1, 1931
Peonies (Botan 牡丹), c. 1930s
15 5/8 x 10 3/8 in. (39.5 x 26.5 cm)
image source: Artelino archives
Spring on Sanjō Bridge from New Views of Kyoto, 1933-1934
(Sanjō Ōhashi no shunkei Shin Kyōtō fūkei 三条大橋之春景 新京都風景)
image: 10 3/8 x 14 11/16 in.
(26.4 x 37.3 cm)
image source: Princeton University Art Museum x1960-71
Lake Biwa, No. 12 in the series New One Hundred Views of Japan, April 1939
(Biwako Shin Nihon hyakkei 琵琶湖 新日本百景)
published by Nihon Hanga Kyokai
H X W 8 7/8 x 11 7/8
Asada's Prints Published by Uchida Publishing Co. (Hanmoto Uchida)
c. 1950s with later printings
Poppies
17 11/16 × 11 5/8 in. (44.9 × 29.5 cm)
Duck 鴨
17 1/4 x 11 1/2 in.
(43.7 x 29.1 cm)
Moon After the Rain at Kiyomizu Temple (Kyoto Kiyomizu-dera ugo no tsuki
京都清水寺雨後の月).
16 3/4 x 10 3/4 in. (42.3 x 27.3 cm)
Red Morning Glory
sheet: 16 1/2 x 11 1/2 in.
(41.9 x 29.2 cm)
Cormorant Fishing at the Nagara River in Gifu Preecture
sheet: 11 5/8 x 17 3/4 in. (29.5 x 45.1 cm)
2012 Exhibition at the Nantan City Museum of Culture, Kyoto
http://www.be.city.nantan.kyoto.jp/hakubutukan/tenji_kikaku/23/benji/benji.html [accessed 2-26-24]
平成23年度収蔵品展
麻田辨自
スケッチブックの中から
Heisei 23 (2011) Collection Exhibition
Benji Asada
From the Sketchbooks
Benji Asada painted a wide range of paintings, including landscapes, figures, and plants and animals, until his death at the age of 84. This exhibition will feature sketchbooks and unpublished works from the materials donated by Benji Asada's family in 2007 and 2009.
Collections (partial list)
Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo; Art Gallery of Great Victoria (AGGV); The British Museum; Princeton University Art Museum; Tokyo Museum Collection; Benton Museum of Art, Pomona College; Carnegie Museum of Art; Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art Collection
Sample Signatures and Seals of the Artist
A Sampling of Seals and Signatures Seen on Paintings
signature 辨次, seal unread
signature 辨次, seal reading 辨
signature 辨自, seal unread
A Sampling of Seals and Signatures Seen on Prints
辨次 Benji
possibly 次 ji
丹牛 Tangyū
丹牛筆 Tangyū hitsu
