Ei-Q
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was a Japanese artist who worked in a variety of media, including photography and engraving.


Life and career

Ei-Q, whose early work was done under his real name of Hideo Sugita (, ''Sugita Hideo''), was born in Miyazaki-machi (now Miyazaki City),
Miyazaki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Miyazaki Prefecture has a population of 1,028,215 as of 1 January 2025 and has a geographic area of 7,735 Square kilometre, km2 (2,986 sq mi). Miyazaki Prefectur ...
on April 28, 1911. In 1925 Sugita entered an art school in Tokyo to study western-style painting, and his criticism of western art started appearing in the art magazines ''Atelier'' and '' Mizue'' in 1927,Rei Masuda, "Japanese Photography of the 1920s and 1930s: Photographic Works of Koshiro Onchi, Osamu Shiihara and Ei-kyu", ''Modanizumu no kōseki: Onchi Kōshirō, Ei-Q'' / ''Traces of Light in Modernism: Koshiro Onchi, Osamu Shiihara and Ei-Kyu'' (Tokyo: National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, 1997), pp. 10–11. in which year he also left the school. In 1930 he entered a photography school and from then on pursued both painting and photography and more particularly
photogram A photogram is a Photography, photographic image made without a camera by placing objects directly onto the surface of a light-sensitive material such as photographic paper and then exposing it to light. The usual result is a negative shadow im ...
s, first experimenting briefly with these in 1930, then dropping them in pursuit of painting, and then returning to them in 1936. Ei-Q was influenced by the
Surrealist Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...
aesthetic and also published essays promoting photography as an art form independent of painting. This did not imply a rejection of painting, and he worked toward what in 1935 he termed ''photo-dessins,'' a fusion of photograms and paintings. A first collection of these, published in an edition of 40 in 1936 as ''Nemuri no riyū'' (, "the reason for sleep"), took him to the forefront of the Japanese avant garde. Akiko Okatsuka rates Ei-Q (as he had named himself in 1935), together with Sutezō Otono, as standing out among the many Japanese exponents of photograms, unlike the majority in their ability to use them for expressive rather than merely playful ends. Ei-Q also contributed photograms and photography criticism to '' Photo Times.'' (He also became an enthusiastic proponent of
Esperanto Esperanto (, ) is the world's most widely spoken Constructed language, constructed international auxiliary language. Created by L. L. Zamenhof in 1887 to be 'the International Language' (), it is intended to be a universal second language for ...
at about the same time.) Ei-Q set up the art organization Jiyū Bijutsu Kyōkai () in 1937; this lasted until 1951.''Shashinka wa nani o hyōgen shita ka: 1945–1960'' (, What were photographers expressing? 1945–1960; Tokyo: Konica Plaza, 1991), p.57. Ei-Q was able to resume his work after the war and in 1951 set up the group Democratic Artists Association (, ''Demokurāto Bijutsuka Kyōkai'') in Osaka. Membership was by invitation only, but the idea was to promote the free expression of members, who included woodblock artists, designers, photographers and others. On Ei-Q's move from Osaka to Urawa later in the same year, the group set up a branch in nearby Tokyo as well;
Eikoh Hosoe was a Japanese photographer and filmmaker who emerged in the experimental arts movement of post-World War II Japan. Hosoe is best known for his dark, high contrast, black and white photographs of human bodies. His images are often psychologicall ...
and Takeji Iwamiya then joined. The Association lasted until 1957, holding exhibitions of its works. Also in 1951 Ei-Q started etching and lithography; he would continue exploring new art media until his death. He was also active in art education, in 1952 setting up Sōzō Biiku Kyōkai (). Ei-Q died on March 10, 1960.


Exhibitions

*"Ei-Q photo-dessins" (). 1936.''Shashinka wa nani o hyōgen shita ka: 1945–1960,'' p.57. This source does not specify the name of the gallery. *"Ei-Q photo-dessins" (). 1951. *"Dai ikkai Tōkyō kokusai hanga biennāre-ten" (, i.e. the first Tokyo international biennale of wood engravings). 1957. *"Ei-Q kaiko-ten" (). 1970. *"Modanizumu no kōseki: Onchi Kōshirō, Ei-Q" () / "Traces of Light in Modernism: Koshiro Onchi, Osamu Shiihara and Ei-Kyu".
National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo The , also known as MOMAT, is the foremost museum collecting and exhibiting modern Japanese art. The museum, in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, is known for its collection of 20th-century art and includes Western-style and ''Nihonga'' artists. It has a bra ...
, February–March 1997. The work of
Kōshirō Onchi , born in Tokyo, was a Japanese print-maker. He was the father of the '' sōsaku-hanga'' movement in twentieth century Japan, and a photographer. His work was part of the painting event in the art competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics. Biogra ...
, Osamu Shiihara, and Ei-Q. *"Demokurāto 1951–1957: Kaihō sareta sengo bijutsu" (). Museum of Modern Art, Saitama, August–October 1999. *"Ei-Q no himitsu-ten: Āto ni deau natsu" () vol. 2.
Fukuoka Art Museum is an art museum in Fukuoka, Japan. It contains a notable collection of Western and Asian art, and exhibits various temporary exhibitions. In November 2010 it hosted a large exhibition of Marc Chagall's work. '' The Madonna of Port Lligat'' by S ...
(
Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...
), July–August 2000. *"Ei-Q, Ay-O, Ikeda Masuo" () Sayama Shiritsu Hakubutsukan (
Sayama is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 149,826 in 69,859 households and a population density of 3100 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Sayama is located in south-cent ...
), October–December 2000. An exhibition of Ei-Q,
Ay-O Takao Iijima (born May 19, 1931), better known by his art name Ay-O (靉嘔 ''Ai Ō''), is a Japanese avant-garde visual and performance artist who has been associated with Fluxus since its international beginnings in the 1960s. Biography Earl ...
and Masuo Ikeda. *"Urawa gaka to sono jidai: Terauchi Manjirō, Ei-Q, Takada Makoto o chūshin ni" (). Urawa Art Museum ( Urawa), 2000.  Catalogue of the opening exhibition of the museum, on the painters of Urawa, and particularly Manjirō Terauchi, Ei-Q, and Makoto Takada. *"Ei-Q foto-dessan-ten" () / "Ei-Q Photo Dessin".
National Museum of Art, Osaka is a subterranean Japanese art museum located on the island of Nakanoshima, located between the Dōjima River and the Tosabori River, about 10 minutes west of Higobashi Station in central Osaka. The official Japanese title of the museum trans ...
(
Suita is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 381,238 in 182,636 households, and a population density of 11,000 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . It is a suburban city of Osaka City and a p ...
), October–December 2005. *"Ei-Q-ten" (). Kawagoe Gallery, February 2006. *"Ei-Q to sono shūhen" (). Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts ( Machida), June–September 2008. *"Ei-Q-ten" (). Kawagoe Gallery, September 2008.


Works in permanent collections

Works by Ei-Q are in the permanent collections of the following institutions: * Ashiya City Museum of Art and History ( Ashiya) *
Fukuoka Art Museum is an art museum in Fukuoka, Japan. It contains a notable collection of Western and Asian art, and exhibits various temporary exhibitions. In November 2010 it hosted a large exhibition of Marc Chagall's work. '' The Madonna of Port Lligat'' by S ...
(
Fukuoka City is the sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. The area has long been considered the ...
); 45 ''photo-dessins.'' * Homma Museum of Art ( Sakata). * Mie Prefectural Art Museum ( Tsu). * Miyagi Museum of Art (
Sendai is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Miyagi Prefecture and the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,098,335 in 539,698 households, making it the List of cities in Japan, twelfth most populated city in Japan. ...
) * Miyakonojo City Museum of Art ( Miyakonojo). * Miyazaki Prefectural Art Museum ( Miyazaki City) * Nagashima Museum (
Kagoshima City , is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 583,966 in 285,992 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Etymology While the kanji used to sp ...
). * Niigata City Art Museum ( Niigata City). * Okawa Museum of Art ( Kiryū). * Museum of Modern Art, Saitama (
Saitama City is the capital and largest city of Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance. , the city had an estimated population of 1,324,854 ...
); 98 ''photo-dessins'' and five photo collages. * Takamatsu City Museum of Art (
Takamatsu file:Takamatsu City Hall.jpg, 270px, Takamatsu City Hall file:Takamatsu city center area Aerial photograph.2007.jpg, 270px, Aerial view of Takamatsu city center file:Takamatsu200910cut.JPG, 270px, View from Yashima to Takashima port is a capital ...
). * Tokushima Modern Art Museum (
Tokushima City is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku island in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 245,264 in 122,539 households and a population density of 1,280 persons per km². The total area of the city is . ...
) *
Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography The is an art museum concentrating on photography. As the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, it was founded by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and is in Meguro-ku, a short walk from Ebisu station in southwest Tokyo. The museum also ...
* Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo. *Toneyama Kōjin Kinen Bijutsukan (, Kitakami). * Urawa Art Museum ( Urawa) * Museum of Modern Art, Wakayama ( Wakayama City) * Yokohama Museum of Art (
Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...
). * Yokosuka Museum of Art (
Yokosuka is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city has a population of 373,797, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th-most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region. The city i ...
).Yokosuka Museum of Art
at Art Collection. Accessed March 6, 2009.


Books by and of Ei-Q

*Ei-Q. ''Nemuri no riyū: Ei-Q-shi fotodessan sakuhinshū'' (. Geijutsugaku Kenkyūkai, 1936. *Ei-Q and Kiyomi Shimazaki (). ''Dōbanga no tsukurikata'' (. Tokyo: Mon Shoten, 1956. An introductory practical book about etching. *Mitsuharu Yamada (). ''Ei-Q: Hyōden to sakuhin'' (). Tokyo: Seiryūdō, 1976. *''Ei-Q-shi fotodessan-ten'' (. Fukuoka: Fukuoka Art Museum, 1978. *''Ei-Q-ten: Gendai bijutsu no chichi'' (). N.p.: Ei-Q-ten Kaisai Iinkai, 1979. *Sadajirō Kubo (). ''Ei-Q to nakama-tachi'' (). Kubo Sadajirō Bijutsu no Sekai () 2. Tokyo: Sōbunsha, 1985. . *''Ei-Q to sono shūhen'' (). Tokyo: Yomiuri Shinbunsha, 1986. Catalogue of an exhibition, held at the Museum of Modern Art, Saitama and elsewhere, of the work of Ei-Q and his circle. *''Ei-Q foto-dessan-ten'' (). Tokyo: Asahi Shinbunsha, 1987. Catalogue of an exhibition of Ei-Q's photo-dessins. *''Ei-Q to sono nakama-tachi-ten'' (). Machida, Tokyo: Machida City Museum of Graphic Art, 1988. Catalogue of an exhibition held at Machida City Museum of Graphic Art in 1988. *''Ei-Q-ten: Yusai, foto-dessan, hanga'' (). Itami: Itami City Museum of Art, 1990. Catalogue of an exhibition of Ei-Q's oil paintings, photo-dessins and wood block prints held at the Itami City Museum of Art. *''Ei-Q sakuhinshū'' (). Tokyo: Nihon Keizai Shinbun-sha, 1997. . A collection of the work of Ei-Q. *''Hikari no kaseki: Ei-Q to fotoguramu no sekai'' (). Urawa: Museum of Modern Art, Saitama, 1997. Catalogue of an exhibition of Ei-Q's photograms. *''Modanizumu no kōseki: Onchi Kōshirō, Ei-Q'' ) / ''Traces of Light in Modernism: Koshiro Onchi, Osamu Shiihara and Ei-Kyu.'' Tokyo: National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, 1997.   Catalogue of an exhibition at the
National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo The , also known as MOMAT, is the foremost museum collecting and exhibiting modern Japanese art. The museum, in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, is known for its collection of 20th-century art and includes Western-style and ''Nihonga'' artists. It has a bra ...
of the work of
Kōshirō Onchi , born in Tokyo, was a Japanese print-maker. He was the father of the '' sōsaku-hanga'' movement in twentieth century Japan, and a photographer. His work was part of the painting event in the art competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics. Biogra ...
, Osamu Shiihara, and Ei-Q. *''Ei-Q no himitsu-ten: Āto ni deau natsu'' () vol. 2. Fukuoka: Fukuoka Art Museum, 2000. *''Urawa gaka to sono jidai: Terauchi Manjirō, Ei-Q, Takada Makoto o chūshin ni'' (). Urawa, Saitama: Urawa Art Museum, 2000.  Catalogue of the opening exhibition of Urawa Art Museum, on the painters of Urawa, and particularly Manjirō Terauchi, Ei-Q, and Makoto Takada. *''Ei-Q kara no tegami'' (). Ei-Q Bijutsukan, 2000. *Masaomi Sugita (). ''Chichi'' (). Miyazaki 21-seki Bunko () 27. Miyazaki: Kōmyakusha, 2000. . A book about Ei-Q by his son. *Hirofumi Wada. ''Ei-Q, Shimozato Yoshio: renzu no avangyarudo'' (). Vol. 14 of ''Korekushon Nihon shūrurearisumu'' (). Tokyo: Hon no Tomo-sha, 2001. . On Ei-Q, Yoshio Shimozato, and surrealism in Japanese photography. *''Ei-Q foto-dessan-ten'' (). Suita, Osaka: National Museum of Art, Osaka, 2005. Catalogue of an exhibition held at the
National Museum of Art, Osaka is a subterranean Japanese art museum located on the island of Nakanoshima, located between the Dōjima River and the Tosabori River, about 10 minutes west of Higobashi Station in central Osaka. The official Japanese title of the museum trans ...
of Ei-Q's photo-dessins.


Notes


External links


Chronology
Okawa Museum of Art. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ei Q Japanese etchers 20th-century etchers Japanese art critics Japanese educators Japanese photographers Photography critics 1911 births 1960 deaths People from Miyazaki Prefecture 20th-century Japanese painters 20th-century Japanese printmakers 20th-century Japanese essayists