舟越桂　彫刻とドローイング

KATSURA FUNAKOSHI Sculptures and Drawings

2026年3月28日(土)-5月16日(土)
28 March – 16 May 2026

日曜、月曜、祝日休廊
Closed on Sunday, Monday and National Holyday

西村画廊では、2026年3月28日(土)から5月16日(土)まで、舟越桂(1951-2024)の彫刻2点とドローイング20点による、当画廊においては没後初の展覧会『舟越桂　彫刻とドローイング』を開催いたします。

舟越は1951年岩手県に生まれ、人間という存在を多様に形象した彫像の数々によって彫刻史に消しえぬ足跡を残し、2024年3月に72歳で帰天しました。東京造形大学と東京藝術大学大学院で彫刻を学んだのち、抽象的・概念的表現が席巻していた1980年代の美術界に具象の人物像、それも木彫彩色の半身像に大理石の目を嵌め込むという古典的技法によって登場した舟越の作品は、素朴な肖像彫刻であるのに、時代の精神を具有した、既視感とはおよそ無縁のものでした。颯爽としながらも孤愁を秘めた佇まい、凛とした静謐さ、繊細な知性を滲ませる内省的で遠い眼差し。――人間という存在が抱える普遍性を瑞々しく帯びた、叙情的で中性的な男女の像は、彫刻表現の新地平を軽やかにひらき、舟越は国内のみならずヴェネツィア・ビエンナーレ(1988年)やドクメンタ(1992年)など主要な国際舞台でも早くから活躍しました。2026年は、台北のKuandu Museum of Fine Artsで2月まで個展が開催された他、『舟越桂全彫刻作品集』(青幻舎)の刊行を控えています。また、本展の図録兼書籍「舟越桂　彫刻とドローイング」(舟越桂「見えない姿、新しい形」、公開対談「大江健三郎×舟越桂」再録／求龍堂)が当画廊および全国の書店で発売されます。

舟越は、函館近郊のトラピスト修道院のために手がけた《トラピストの聖母子》(1977)において素材としての楠に邂逅し、やがて同じ材を用い最初の木彫半身像となる《妻の肖像》(1979-1980)を制作。この作品を出発点として、人間を表現した半身像ならびに全身像を生涯に155点彫刻しました。初期の日常的な姿の着衣像をはじめ、後年舟越が「心象人物」と呼んだ、人間存在を豊かに表象した尋常の人体の形容を離れた作品や、人間世界の営為を静かに見つめる半人半獣で両性具有のスフィンクスなど、その時々に自身の内側で醸成された人間に対する思惟やイメージを造形に反映する形で、絶えず展開を継続しました。美しく、山を内包するほど巨大な精神を持ち、相反する内面を抱え、複数の時間を生きる人間という生き物の混沌としたありようが投影されたそれらの彫像は、生命のひとときを宿しながら永遠の深処にも触れ、「個」と「全体」が同居したような神秘的な貌、心の輪郭を映す実在感、そして善性も獣性も併せ持つ人間という存在を丸ごと包容する聖性を帯びており、限られた言葉で世界の真理を切り取った詩のように、尽きない深みで見る者を魅了します。

本展では、舟越が晩年まで自身の手元に置いていた、類まれなる優美さの《言葉をつかむ手》(2004)、人間の叡智を象徴する「本」の見立てとしての青い硝子板を額に掲げる《青の書》(2017)の2体の像と、舟越がアトリエに遺した、ほとんどが初公開となるドローイング20点を展示いたします。1983 年から2020年の間に制作されたこれらのドローイングは、木炭だけで描かれた勢いのよい作品から、色鉛筆や水彩を使い細緻に描き込まれたもの、あるいは美術館の展覧会に頻出した代表作まで、多岐にわたります。その一部には、上記2体の彫刻作品のためのドローイングもあり、彫刻との視覚的連関の中で、その魅力が一層際立つことでしょう。

当画廊では、1985年の初個展以来15回目、約3年振りの舟越展となります。皆様のご来廊を心よりお待ちしております。


Nishimura Gallery is pleased to present “Katsura Funakoshi: Sculptures and Drawings,” the first exhibition at this gallery following the artist’s passing. The exhibition will run from 28 March to 16 May 2026, featuring two sculptures and twenty drawings by Katsura Funakoshi.

Born in Iwate Prefecture in 1951, Funakoshi left an indelible mark on the history of sculpture through his diverse figurations of human existence and passed away in March 2024 at the age of 72. After studying sculpture at Tokyo Zokei University and Tokyo University of the Arts, Funakoshi emerged in the 1980s—an era dominated by abstract and conceptual art—with a distinctive approach to figurative sculpture. Utilizing the classical technique of carved and painted camphor wood with inset marble eyes, his busts were deceptively simple yet possessed a modern spirit entirely free from déjà vu. A dashing presence that conceals a sense of lonely solitude, a dignified serenity, and an introspective, distant gaze that exudes a delicate intelligence—embodying the timeless universality inherent in human existence with a vivid sensitivity, these lyrical, androgynous sculptures opened new horizons for sculptural expression, leading to his prominent presence at major venues such as the Venice Biennale (1988) and Documenta (1992). In 2024, a solo exhibition was held at the Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts in Taipei through February, followed by the upcoming release of Katsura Funakoshi: The Complete Sculptures (Seigensha). Additionally, the exhibition catalogue/book Katsura Funakoshi: Sculptures and Drawings (including reprints of his essay “Invisible Images, New Forms” and a dialogue between Kenzaburo Oe and Katsura Funakoshi) is scheduled for release at our gallery on the opening day of the exhibition, as well as at bookstores nationwide (Kyuryudo).

Funakoshi’s encounter with camphor wood as a medium began with Madonna and Child of the Trappist (1977), created for the Trappist Monastery near Hakodate. This led to his first wooden half-length bust, Portrait of My Wife (1979–1980). Starting with this work, he went on to sculpt 155 half-length and full-body human figures throughout his lifetime. Funakoshi’s work underwent a continuous evolution, reflecting the contemplations and inner images of humanity that matured within him at each stage of his life. This progression began with his early clothed figures in everyday poses and moved toward what he later termed “imaginary figures,” which departed from ordinary physical forms to richly represent the essence of human existence, as well as his androgynous, half-human, half-beast Sphinxes that quietly gaze upon the workings of the human world. In these statues, Funakoshi projected the chaotic nature of human beings as creatures who are beautiful, possess spirits vast enough to contain mountains, harbor internal contradictions, and inhabit multiple timelines. While capturing the ephemeral nature of life, these sculptures touch upon an eternal depth and possess a mystical countenance where the “individual” and the “universal” coexist. They exude a sense of presence that mirrors the contours of the soul, alongside a sanctity that embraces the entirety of human existence with all its inherent goodness and animality. Like a poem that carves out universal truths with limited words, these statues captivate the viewer with an inexhaustible depth.

This exhibition features two sculptures that Funakoshi kept in his collection until his later years: “Catching Words with Hands” (2004), a work of exceptional elegance, and “The Book of Azure” (2017), which features a blue glass plate set into the forehead as a metaphor for a book symbolizing human wisdom. Alongside these statues, we are presenting twenty of his drawings found in his studio, most of which are being shown for the first time. Created between 1983 and 2020, these drawings range from vigorous charcoal sketches to meticulous works rendered in colored pencil and watercolor, including several well-known pieces that have frequently appeared in major museum exhibitions. Some of these are for the two featured sculptures, and their appeal will surely be further enhanced through the visual dialogue between drawing and sculpture.

This marks Funakoshi’s 15th solo exhibition at our gallery since his first show in 1985, and the first in about three years. We cordially invite you to experience the exhibition and look forward to welcoming you to the gallery.