北藪和

“Noshitenten” is the inner world of one’s heart drawn with a single pencil on a canvas.

All the black parts on the back are made of many fine pencil lines layered over and over again.

The origin of Noshitenten comes from reading aloud each stroke that makes up a Japanese kanji,
「心」(heart/mind) = ノ(no) + し(shi) + 、(ten) + 、(ten) 

Waa Kitayabu was born in 1953 in Wakayama, Japan.

Graduated from Kobe University Faculty of Law.

He began sketching on the commuter train and became absorbed in drawing.

When he reached 100,000 sketches, he self-published his art book,「Hundred Thousand Faces」. Through this book, he met his first art teacher, Yutaka Matsuda, kinetic artist and Gutai member. From there, was born Kitayabu's pencil painting.

From 1990, he started exhibiting in art contests, and got numerous awards, like 1993 13th Kyoto Art Exhibition (Biennale) [EXELLENCE AWARD] , 1995 24th Contemporary Japanese Art Exhibition [GRAND PRIX] , 1995 9th Art Contest Exhibition [EXELLENCE AWARD] , 1998 4th Ryohei Koiso Grand Prize Exhibition [HONORABLE MENTION], 2000 10th Flower Art Grand Prize Exhibition [GRAND PRIX], etc. And he made his name known in the art world.

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。