北藪和

【Profile】 

Born in 1953 in Wakayama, Japan, Waa Kitayabu holds a law degree from Kobe University. 

His artistic journey began almost by chance, sketching during his daily train commutes—a practice that quickly consumed him. 

In 1984, he self-published his groundbreaking art book, Hundred Thousand Faces. 

The following year, he began studying under Yutaka Matsuda, a pioneer of kinetic art and a prominent member of the historic avant-garde movement, 

the Gutai Art Association, which deeply refined his artistic vision.

【Concept】

“Noshitenten”: The Inner Cosmos Rendered with a Single Pencil

At the heart of Kitayabu’s oeuvre lies his signature concept, "Noshitenten." 

The word is a poetic deconstruction of the Japanese kanji character for "heart/mind" (心), read aloud by its individual brushstrokes:

心 (Heart/Mind)=ノ (no) + し (shi) + ヽ (ten) + ヽ (ten)

Kitayabu unfolds a surreal inner world on canvas using nothing but a single pencil. The abyssal dark backgrounds are created through an almost ritualistic process, layering countless fine pencil lines over and over. Within this dense darkness, meticulously rendered objects glow with a dim, ethereal light.

His perspective expands far beyond the physical realm, encompassing the state of the human mind, existence, happiness, suffering, and the cosmic scale. Creating like a seeker of ultimate truth, Kitayabu speaks directly to the viewer's subconscious. His work demands a rare stillness; viewers find themselves immersed in a profound silence, facing the canvas much like Zen practitioners lost in deep meditation.

In recent years, Kitayabu has expanded his vision into the "fifth dimension"—a realm that transcends our four-dimensional flow of past, present, and future. Through his unique mastery of spatial expression, he vividly depicts the invisible "void" and the world of elementary particles. He invites us to realize a profound cosmic truth: that space is the very same universe we gaze upon, and we, ourselves, are that space.

2007  All Kansai Art Exhibition “Grand Prix” (Osaka)

2002  Biennale -Ryujin Fine-Arts Exhibition “Grand Prix” (Wakayama)

2000  Flower Art Award Exhibition “Grand Prix'' (Hyogo)

1999  Kyoto fine-arts exhibition “ Excellence award ”

1998  Ryohei Koiso grand-prix exhibition “Prize for a fine work "

1997  ABC Art contest  “ Excellence award ” (Osaka)

1997  Jiro Yoshihara art exhibition “Excellence award” (Osaka)

1996  Beppu Modern Open Entry Exhibition “ Excellence award ”  (Oita)

1995  Modern Japan Art Exhibition “ Grand Prix”  (Tokyo)

1993  Kyoto Art exhibition“ Excellence award ” (Kyoto)

1992  Modern Japan Ube Biennale Exhibition “Fine Work Prize ” (Yamaguchi)

1991  Enba Art Exhibition “Best New Artist Prize ” (Kobe)

最後の具体にして、ネジャ派の先駆け。具体、から、ネジャ派に転換する結節点に存在する画家。師は、松田豊。

西洋アンフォルメの影響から始まった具体が、、最後には日本の精神性を持った独自の境地に至り、やがてはネジャ派に変化してゆく過程は、グローバルな時代からグローカルな時代に変化してゆく、その先ぶれともいえる画家。

キャンバスに鉛筆という極めて難解な手法は、３－５ｃｍの細い線の膨大な数の集合体で存在を表現する独特の手法に昇華され、画面に無数の細い線を密集させて形象を描くという手法に至った。