私は29年前に東京藝術大学美術学部彫刻科に入学した。そこでは３年生以降に講座別で学ぶのだが、細川宗英先生と山本正道先生の講座を選んだ。
お二人は日本の具象彫刻界を代表する作家であり、私の憧れの作家でもあった。それまで教わる機会はなかったが、その厳しい彫刻の美を追求される姿勢に惹かれ選んだ。細川先生は体調を崩されお亡くなりになり教わる機会は訪れなかったが、山本先生にはご指導頂くことができた。それが、私の彫刻表現の源となっている。
先生は言葉数の多い方ではなかったが、鋭い視点でそれぞれの学生の状況に合わせて的確な言葉をかけてくれた。答えを単に教えるというより、自分自身で考えることの大切さや、彫刻の難しさ、そして何より一生かけて追求することの重要性を説いて頂いた。不器用で、人の意見をそのまま取り入れることの苦手な私にとって、そのご指導はとても有難かったし、心に響いた。
その後、私は三重大学で教鞭を執る機会に恵まれ、拠点を三重に移した。当初、土地に馴染めずアトリエで戸惑いながら制作に向かっていた時、ふと頭の中で先生の言葉が蘇ることがあった。それは、作家として大切にすべき事を改めて問いかけるような内容であった。
真の教育とは、その時の一貫性のものではなく、生涯にわたって一番必要な時に、身体に染み込むように伝わる物だと感じた。そして、そのような奥ゆかしい指導を受けることのできた幸運に感謝している。（1971年生／彫刻家）
ー新美術新聞「美・友・人」に寄稿ー （No.1564／2021年4月1 日発行）
Contribution to the Shin-Bijutsu Shinbun 'Beauty, Friends, People' / Tribute to My Mentor
I entered the Sculpture Department of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Tokyo University of the Arts 29 years ago. In the third year and beyond, we studied in separate courses., and I chose the courses of Munehide Hosokawa and Masamichi Yamamoto.
Both of them were leading figures in the world of figurative sculpture in Japan and artists I greatly admired. I had not had the opportunity to be taught by them until then, but I was drawn to their strict attitude of pursuing the beauty of sculpture and chose their courses. Although I never had the chance to learn from Mr. Hosokawa due that he was sick and passed away, I was fortunate to receive guidance from Mr. Yamamoto. His teaching has become the source of my sculptural expression.
My mentor was not a man of many words, but he had been perceptive and provided precise guidance tailored to each student's situation. Rather than simply giving answers, he emphasized the importance of thinking for oneself, the difficulty of sculpture, and above all, the significance of pursuing it as a lifelong endeavor. For someone like me, who is clumsy and struggles to directly taking in others' opinions, his guidance was incredibly valuable and touched my heart.
Later, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to teach at Mie University and moved my base to Mie. Initially, when I was not able to adapt myself to the new environment, struggling to create works in the studio, my mentor’s words sometimes came into my mind. They were about what is essential to cherish as an artist, prompting me to reexamine important aspects of my work.
I came to realize that true education is not about consistency at a particular moment, but rather about providing guidance that naturally leads one to learn when it is most needed throughout their lifetime. I am grateful for having had the fortune to receive such subtle and profound guidance. (Born in 1971 / Sculptor)
Contribution to the Shin-Bijutsu Shinbun 'Beauty, Friends, People' (Issue No.1564, Published on April 1, 2021)
