切り絵で日本の伝統美を伝えたい

[From February Issue 2011]

Kirie Artist, TAKEOKA Kaori

“My first encounter with kirie (Japanese paper cutting) was when I tried it in art class in the fourth grade of elementary school,” says kirie artist TAKEOKA Kaori. “And since then, for the last sixteen years, I’ve been fascinated by and passionate about creating them.” Kaori quit her corporate job last fall choosing to follow the path of a kirie artist. “Kirie is the art of paper cutting, with an emphasis on how beautiful you make the cuts look by clipping designs out of the paper. Since kirie are made by hand, each one is unique so there will never be two identical pieces. I always cherish the warmth that comes from handmade work,” she admits.

As a child Kaori was absorbed in drawing pictures at home rather than playing outside, and she copied anime and manga using her computer. She taught herself both graphic design and kirie, and based her kirie on the computer-generated sketches she created. “Using a utility knife, the kirie-making tool, just came naturally to me,” she says with a smile.

A huge fan of cartoonist TEZUKA Osamu, Kaori was intrigued by the fantastic manga series “Hi no Tori” (Phoenix) and all the beautiful Phoenix drawings. She created a Phoenix kirie and gave it to her grandma as a present, hoping that it would help her live a long time. She also made kirie birthday cards for her friends. “Seeing how pleased they were to receive my kirie made me very happy,” Kaori recalls.

Then in earnest she started learning computer graphics at a vocational school. After graduating, while working for a construction-related company, she also held private kirie exhibitions in her spare time, keeping her kirie-making alive. “When there was a pause in the conversation at a company drinking party, I enlivened the mood by creating a kirie portrait of someone I was talking with. So I would always carry my kirie tools in my bag whenever I went to such parties. For me, kirie is a means of communication through which people can connect with each other,” Kaori laughs.

Recently, she won a prize at an illustration contest hosted by Kodansha Famous Schools, and also made kirie portrait gifts for the winners of the 2009 Best Father Yellow Ribbon Awards (awards given to celebrities chosen as the most fantastic fathers). She has also sent a piece entitled “Sharaku” to an exhibition in Paris. In addition to having private exhibitions at various galleries and cafes, she also holds shows in collaboration with other artists from various fields. Kaori is so skillful that she can finish a kirie portrait using a 10-centimeter-square piece of paper in 10 minutes, without first sketching it out.

Kaori liked the idea of holding live kirie shows. Once, at a jazz bar, wearing a kimono, she completed a kirie that was inspired by the tune being played by the pianist, before the music stopped. Also, at readings of literary works by EDOGAWA Ranpo and TANIZAKI Junichiro, she created kirie inspired by the novels, as they were being read.

“When I was working at a company, I was unhappy about not feeling the immediate results of my work. But with kirie, I can feel the response from the spectators on the spot. When I’m making kirie, I can be most like myself and shine with radiance,” she says, about the joy of having become a kirie artist. “My dream is to hold an exhibition in New York and introduce the beauty of Japanese tradition to the world through kirie.”

Text: HATSUDA Sachiyo

[2011年2月号掲載記事]

切り絵師 武岡香織さん

「切り絵との出合いは小学校4年生の、図工の授業でした。以来16年間、切り絵にみせられて情熱を注いできました」と切り絵師の武岡香織さんは話します。昨年の秋、会社勤めを辞めて、切り絵師の道を選びました。「切り絵はカッターナイフで切った切り口をいかに美しくみせるか、どんどん紙を切って取り除いていく、紙を切る芸術です。切り絵は手で作るので二度と同じ作品は生まれません。手作りのぬくもりを大切にしています」。

香織さんは子どもの頃は外で遊ぶより家で、アニメや漫画を真似てコンピューターを使って絵を描くことに夢中でした。CG(コンピューターグラフィックス)と切り絵は独学で学び、CGで描いた下絵をもとに切り絵を作りました。「切り絵の道具に使うカッターナイフと相性がよかったみたいです」とほほえみます。

漫画家・手塚治虫に憧れ、漫画「火の鳥」のファンタジックなストーリーと火の鳥の美しい絵にひかれました。火の鳥を切り絵にして、祖母に「どうぞ長生きしてね」とプレゼントしたことがあります。また、友達の誕生日には切り絵の誕生日カードを作りました。「切り絵をみんなが喜んでくれる顔がとてもうれしかったです」と振り返ります。

その後、専門学校ではCGを本格的に勉強し、卒業後は建築関係の会社に勤めながら、切り絵は個展を開いたりしてずっと続けていました。「会社の飲み会で会話が途切れると、相手の似顔絵の切り絵を作り、場を盛り上げました。飲み会に行くときは、鞄には切り絵の道具をいつも入れていました。切り絵は人と人をつなぐコミュニュケーションの道具です」と笑います。

最近は講談社フェーマススクールズ「イラストコンテスト」に入賞し、2009年度ベスト・ファーザー イエローリボン賞(『素敵なお父さん』とされる著名人を表彰)を受賞した人たちに似顔絵の切り絵を贈りました。そして、パリの展示会には「写楽」を出品しました。ギャラリーやカフェの個展をはじめ、さまざまな分野のアーティストと共同で展示会を開いています。10センチ角の紙の似顔絵は下絵なしで、10分で仕上げることができます。

香織さんは切り絵ライブショーのアイディアを思いつきました。ジャズバーで、ピアニストが演奏する曲をイメージした切り絵を、着物姿で立ったまま、曲が終わるまでに完成させます。また、江戸川乱歩や谷崎潤一郎の文学作品の朗読会では小説を題材にした切り絵を、朗読している間に完成させました。

「会社組織のなかでは仕事の成果がすぐには伝わってこないジレンマがありましたが、切り絵はその場で相手の反応を感じることができます。切り絵を作っているときが、いちばん自分らしく、いきいきと輝くことができます」と切り絵師になった喜びを語ります。「ニューヨークで個展を開くことが夢です。切り絵を通して世界に日本の伝統美を紹介したいです」。

文:初田幸代

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