Hafu Matsumoto on bridging traditional bamboo craft and its artistic future
Hafu Matsumoto in his studio in Tateyama, Chiba prefecture, Japan. Photo courtesy of the artist.
In September 2021 IKEBANA projects organized a series of performances during Paris Design Week in collaboration with Galerie Mingei and Japanese Ikebana artist Makiko Morange. Special flower arrangements were created using the gallery's impressive collection of bamboo baskets created by famous Japanese craftsmen. We had the privilege to interview one of them, Hafu Matsumoto 松本破風 (b. 1952), a renowned Japanese bamboo master and one of the last two disciples of the National Living Treasure of Japan, Iizuka Shokansai (1919-2004).
Matsumoto’s work guards Japanese functional traditions while innovating bamboo as art material and sculptural form. His technique both embraces and opposes the traditional approach to this craft, connecting bamboo’s artistic future and its past.
As one of the last two apprentices under take(bamboo)- kôgei master Shokansai Iizuka (1919-2004), whose family had a notable influence on the development of bamboo craft and led the way to modernity, what message would you like to pass on to the next generations with your work?
What I would like to convey through my work is the beauty and versatility of bamboo: if you cut it into a circle, it becomes a flower bowl; if you divide it vertically and horizontally, it becomes a vessel. I would like to retain this idea and technique by weaving or assembling the bamboo as a material with high technology to make it a beautiful work that is comparable to fresh green bamboo.
You have studied the three techniques of bamboo weaving: Shin (formal) 真, Gyô (semi-formal) 行 and Sô (informal) 草. Which one do you relate most to?
I divide bamboo works into three categories by technique and form (formal, semi-formal, and informal), but they are all connected, starting from formal and ending with informal. Therefore, I sympathize with all the techniques.
In his “Noshidake” series, Matsumoto uses the Sô (informal) technique which was invented by bamboo master Rokansai, to soften the bamboo’s natural tendency to stand erect and create graceful objects out of it.
Photos courtesy of Galerie Mingei ©
Do you consider your work to be more functional or abstract?
The world of arts and crafts can be expanded by using, looking at, and enjoying these objects. It is important to understand the intent of the work and make good use of it. For example, when I create a bamboo basket, I often imagine flowers and plants that would look good in a specific shape of the vessel. But whether the object is functional or abstract, it is up to the user's aesthetic sense.
What are your thoughts on the rising interest in crafts and in particular bamboo artistry from the world of fashion and contemporary art?
Bamboo craft is based on the use of bamboo as a material. I believe that bamboo is the foundation of Japanese culture. I think this is the reason why people from various countries have been recognizing it in recent years.
You once said 'I weave bamboo with my pleasure: I weave by my body and mind, not by my hand'. Does it relate to the Japanese dô 道 (the way)?
I was taught by my master, Iizuka Shokansai, to "weave with the body and the mind”. In that sense, bamboo craft is an art. But now that I'm 69 years-old, I want to have more fun with bamboo and keep learning about it. I am currently using traditional techniques to turn green bamboo into bleached bamboo. Each bamboo has a different quality and knots at the base (closer to the roots) and at the back (closer to the sky). I try to revisit this fact again when I produce my works.
