Somewhere down the line, a contrary man lives inside me

: he is usually quiet but when it comes to a critical time in my life, he takes all the initiative.

 

When I was in primary school,

I started to carve human heads on tips of pencils with a knife.

Then, in middle school, I carved human faces on a woodblock.

Those experiences made me interested in skeletons, and in high school,

I carved life size human faces, and Noh and Kyogen masks.

 

After that, I studied sketching, painting and carving at an art college,

and when I stood right in front of the road of becoming a modern sculptor,

the contrary man inside me made me return to the road

that brought me to the world of masks.

 

When I look back at my life now,

it seems that the contrary man inside me has taken up most of my time.

 

Ryoji Ohtsuka

1967 Graduated from Tama Art College (specialized in sculpture).

Admitted for the exhibition of Nika-Ten for two consecutive years.

 

1969 First Prize in the department of Mainichi Modern Japan Art Contest.

 

1981 Made seven Kagura masks at the request of Shizuoka Prefectural Government.

 

1990 Holds first private exhibition

: after which holds private exhibitions regularly in Ginza, Kyoto and Shizuoka.

 

1994 Dispatched to Germany by The Japan Foundation

to restore old Japanese Noh masks owned by the Heidelberg Folklore Museum. Began to receive requests from the Izumi School Kyogen.

 

1996 Began to receive requests for Kyogen masks and 23 Gigaku masks

from Mr. Nomura Man’nojo.

Created the mask of “Ren’nyo” at the request of Mr. Aoki Michiyoshi.

Later, created six masks for the new Noh play “Sairyukotarou”.

Featured in a television documentary created by the National Japanese Broadcasting network, and Mona Lisa Productions.

 

2003 Began to receive requests from Kurokawa-Noh

(significant intangible folk cultural treasure of the country) Preservation Society to restore and create artwork. Later, creates “Kanemaki”.

Published a portfolio book “Ohtsuka Ryoji’s World of Masks” with Bungeisha.

 

2007 Began to receive requests from Edosatokagura

(significant intangible folk cultural treasure of the country)

Wakayamataneoshachu to create artwork.

Maintains mask making classes since 1975 in Tokyo, Kyoto and Shizuoka.

 

2008 Began to do research and repair work in Kurokawa

 

 Created two masks of "Monkey" for Kurokawa Noh

 

2009   Created two Kagura masks at the request of Sasama Kagura 

 

  Created "The Ground Spider" (Tsuchigumo) for Kurokawa Noh

 

2012   Created wooden statue "Mother and Child statue"

                 for Numazu city Ashitaka nursery school

 

 

2013   Created "泣不動" for Noh actor Aoki Doki

                 The mask was used for noh play in Kyoto city 浄清華院

 

 

 

2014   Create a Bronze statue "The one that carries on tradition"

                 It was requested by Miyagi prefecture and placed at Matsuyama city

                   ブロンズ像「伝えゆくもの」を依頼され宮城県東松山市津波石に設置

 

 

 

 

2015   Created "The Head of Lion" for revival of the traditional art Lion Dance

                 in Miyagi prefecture Onagawa village  

 

 

  Created a wooden statue "Guardian" requested personally 

 

 

 

2016   Created a bronze statue "a running girl" requested by Miyagi prefecture

                 and placed at Ishinomaki city

 

  Created a wooden statue "Statue of the Chest" requested personally

 

 

 

Private Exhibition

1999 “Special Exhibition of Ohtsuka Ryoji’s Masks”

held at Kulturhaus Villa Berberich in Germany.

 

2000 “Special Exhibition of Ohtsuka Ryoji’s Masks – Footsteps of Origination”

planned by Citizen’s Culture Hall of Shimizu City.

 

2002 “Special Exhibition of Ohtsuka Ryoji’s Masks – Omote”

planned by Uesugi Museum of the Yonezawa City of Yamagata.

 

2002 “Special Exhibition of Ohtsuka Ryoji’s Masks

– from Gigaku Masks to Original Masks” planned by Museum of Shimada City.

 

Since 2003

“Special Exhibition of Ohtsuka Ryoji’s Masks for the Coming Spring”

held in Izu city Amagiyugasima “Ochiairou Murakami”.Invited works

1995 Exhibition of National Noh Theatre “New Trend of Noh Plays”.

 

 

1997 “Japanese Performing Art Exhibition in the World”

sponsored by Japan Society and the Japan Foundation exhibited

in New York and Munich.

 

1999 “Great Face Exhibition”

sponsored by Yomiuri Newspaper Company at the National Science Museum.

 

2001 “Shape of the Heart, A Heart with Shape” exhibition art project

for children planned by Niigata Prefectural Modern Art Museum.

 

2002 “Sounds of the Silk Road” sponsored by Oriental Art Museum of Okayama City.

 

2008 “Exhibition of Masks and Model Painting”

exhibited in Shizuoka Country hamaoka Course Cultural Floor.

 

2010 【Private Exhibition】――　at Kyoto cultural museum

 

【Private Exhibition】――　at Shizuoka bank gallary Shiki (Shimada)

 

2011 【Pair Exhibition】――　at Hamaoka cultural floor

 

【Private Exhibition】――　at  Kumamoto city Furyu hall

 

 

2014【Hundred masks Exhibition】（Exhibition with students）

                  ――　at Tokyo Katsushika synphony hills

 

2015 【Hundred masks Exhibition】――　at Kyoto cultural museum 

 

2016【Hundred masks Exhibition】――　at Museum of Shizuoka

 

 

Lecture

1998 “Exhibition of Japanese Play in the World” lectured

at Willastoch Art Museum in Munich.

 

1999 Lectured at Japanese Academy of Facial Studies (Waseda University).

 

 

Other

multiple lectures were conducted.