四季彩舎は本年、創業30周年を迎えます。
この節目の年に、1996年の創業当初よりご紹介してきた髙塚省吾（1930–2007）の個展を開催いたします。
髙塚省吾は、東京藝術大学油画科で梅原龍三郎、林武に師事し、映画や舞台美術、デザインなど幅広い創作活動を経て、独自の人物表現を築き上げました。透明感あふれる裸婦像を描き、美人画の第一人者として高い評価を受けるとともに、戦後日本の人物画を代表する画家の一人として、多くの人々を魅了してきました。
高塚作品の魅力は、端正な描写や気品ある人物表現だけではありません。
作品全体に漂う静けさ、そして鑑賞後も心に残る余韻こそが、その芸術の大きな特徴です。
1970年代後半、ヨーロッパ滞在を機に禅への関心を深めた髙塚は、帰国後に曹洞宗で受戒します。その頃から、高塚は与謝蕪村の
「涼しさや 鐘をはなるる かねの声」
という一句を好み、「鐘の音が消えた後に残る余韻を絵画で表現したい」と語るようになります。作品から余分なものを削ぎ落とし、静かな空気と深い余韻を画面に宿そうとしたその美意識は、高塚芸術を理解するうえで重要な手がかりとなっています。
また1980年代以降は彫刻にも取り組み、絵画とは異なる立体表現にも意欲的に挑戦しました。油彩、パステル、彫刻と表現の領域を広げながらも、一貫して人物という主題に向き合い続けたことも、高塚の画業を特徴づけています。
2007年に惜しまれながら逝去した髙塚省吾は、来年2027年に没後20年を迎えます。
本展では、代表的な裸婦の油彩作品をはじめ、繊細な魅力を湛えたパステル画、さらに晩年に描かれながら未完となった貴重な作品や初期作品まで、画業の軌跡を幅広くご紹介いたします。
四季彩舎創業30周年という節目に、長年ご縁をいただいてきた髙塚省吾の画業をあらためてご紹介できることを、大変嬉しく思います。
時代を超えてなお静かな輝きを放つ髙塚作品の魅力を、この機会にぜひご高覧くださいますようご案内申し上げます。
This year marks the 30th anniversary of SHIKISAISHA Gallery.
To commemorate this milestone, we are pleased to present a solo exhibition of **Seigo Takatsuka (1930–2007)**, an artist whom we have represented since the gallery's founding in 1996.
Takatsuka studied oil painting at Tokyo University of the Arts under Ryuzaburo Umehara and Takeshi Hayashi. After working across a wide range of creative fields—including film, stage design, and graphic design—he established a distinctive artistic language centered on the human figure. Renowned for his luminous depictions of the female nude, Takatsuka became one of Japan's foremost painters of feminine beauty and is widely regarded as one of the leading figurative artists of postwar Japanese art.
The appeal of Takatsuka's work extends far beyond its refined draftsmanship and elegant portrayal of the human figure.
Its true power lies in the profound sense of stillness that permeates each composition and in the lingering resonance that remains long after the viewer has left the work.
In the late 1970s, following an extended stay in Europe, Takatsuka developed a deep interest in Zen Buddhism and later received Buddhist precepts in the Soto Zen tradition. Around this time, he became particularly fond of a haiku by Yosa Buson:
*"How cool it is—
the lingering sound
after the temple bell."*
Takatsuka often remarked that he wished to express in painting the lingering reverberation that remains after the sound of a bell has faded away. Seeking to eliminate all unnecessary elements from his compositions, he pursued an art of quietness, restraint, and lasting resonance. This aesthetic philosophy offers an essential key to understanding his work.
From the 1980s onward, Takatsuka also devoted himself to sculpture, expanding his artistic practice beyond painting while continuing his lifelong exploration of the human figure. Whether in oil, pastel, or sculpture, his unwavering commitment to this subject became one of the defining characteristics of his oeuvre.
Takatsuka passed away in 2007, and 2027 will mark the twentieth anniversary of his death.
This exhibition brings together a broad selection of works spanning his career, including his celebrated oil paintings of female nudes, delicately expressive pastels, early works, and rare unfinished paintings from his final years.
As SHIKISAISHA celebrates its 30th anniversary, we are delighted to once again present the remarkable artistic legacy of Seigo Takatsuka, with whom we have shared a close relationship for many years.
We warmly invite you to experience the timeless beauty, quiet elegance, and enduring resonance of Takatsuka's work through this special exhibition.
髙塚省吾 Seigo Takatsuka
髙塚省吾（1930–2007）は、戦後日本の人物画を代表する画家の一人です。東京藝術大学油画科で梅原龍三郎、林武に師事し、映画美術や舞台美術、デザインなど多彩な経験を経て、本格的に絵画制作へと専念しました。生涯にわたり女性像を主要な主題とし、透明感あふれる裸婦像によって独自の画境を築きます。1970年代後半のヨーロッパ滞在を契機に禅への理解を深め、「鐘の音が消えた後に残る余韻」を絵画で表現することを目指しました。油彩、パステル、ブロンズ彫刻を通して、静けさと気品に満ちた人物表現を追求し、戦後日本の人物画に確かな足跡を残しました。
Seigo Takatsuka (1930–2007) was a Japanese figurative painter best known for his luminous depictions of the female figure. After studying oil painting under Ryuzaburo Umehara and Takeshi Hayashi at Tokyo University of the Arts, he worked in film art direction, stage design, and graphic design before dedicating himself to painting. Throughout his career, he pursued a refined figurative style characterized by serenity, elegance, and technical precision. Following his travels in Europe in the late 1970s, Takatsuka deepened his interest in Zen philosophy, which informed his lifelong pursuit of expressing the lingering resonance and quiet atmosphere beyond visible form. In addition to oil paintings, he also created pastels and bronze sculptures. Today, his work is recognized as an important contribution to postwar Japanese figurative painting.
