Bikki Sunazawa: The Endless Labyrinth

A collection of works tracing the life and art of Bikky Sunazawa. This book was published in conjunction with the "Bikky Sunazawa Exhibition" held at the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art from 2022 to 2023.

Bikky Sunazawa was a sculptor born in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, who based his work in Akan, Kamakura, Sapporo, and Otoineppu, among other places. He produced a wide range of works including wood carvings, crafts, paintings, drawings, and calligraphy. His work encompasses a vast spectrum that cannot be confined to a single category, from abstract sculptures made from large trees to crafts modeled after familiar tools and animals, nude drawings continuously sketched on rough paper, and paintings reminiscent of Art Informel.

This book includes numerous wood carvings, crafts, paintings, and drawings, including previously unreleased works. Through the power of his large sculptures, the delicate forms surrounding animals and tools, drawings that bear the marks of his hands, and works that seem to merge life and creation, one can gain a three-dimensional understanding of Bikky Sunazawa's artistic process.

The works were photographed by Koji Sakai. Portraits from the 1980s by the photographer Kenji Atsumi, with whom Sunazawa had a close friendship, are also included. This comprehensive collection offers deep insights into Bikky Sunazawa's work, which navigated between Hokkaido, wood, the body, nature, craftsmanship, and the realms of abstraction and craft.

[Title] Bikky Sunazawa: The Endless Labyrinth
[Publisher] Hokkaido Shimbun Press
[Publication Date] November 22, 2022
[Page Count] 288 pages
[Size] Approx. 215*298*22mm / 950g
[Format] Softcover
[Language] Japanese
[Title Reading] SUNAZAWABIKKYSASAKUHINSHU OWARINO NAIMEIKYUU
[Author/Editor] Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art / Edited, Koji Sakai / Photography, Kenji Atsumi / Photography, Morikazu Sato / Book Design
[Printing] ai-word / Printing and Binding
[ISBN] 9784867210833
[Condition] Used【9】Excellent
[Accessories] Obi (book band)
[Featured in] -
[Related Exhibition] "Bikky Sunazawa Exhibition" (Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, 2022-2023)

Bikky Sunazawa (Sunazawa Bikky) 1931-1989

Born in Asahikawa, Hokkaido. Sculptor and artist.

Born to Ainu parents. His childhood nickname "Bikky" means frog in Ainu. While running a souvenir shop by Lake Akan, he produced wood carvings and crafts. Later, in Kamakura and Sapporo, he interacted with Tatsuhiko Shibusawa, Kozo Igarashi, and others. He self-taught sculpture and painting and exhibited at the Modern Art Association Exhibition, among others.

From 1978, he used a former elementary school in Otoineppu Village, Hokkaido, as his studio and residence, expanding his work to include sculptures and monumental pieces made from large trees. In 1983, he stayed in British Columbia, Canada, and created works using local timber. Deeply engaging with wood as a material, he developed a unique expression that spanned sculpture, crafts, painting, drawing, and calligraphy.

His major works include "Four Winds."

Major awards -

His major collections are held at the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Hokkaido Asahikawa Museum of Art, Hokkaido Kushiro Museum of Art, and Sapporo Art Park, among others.

< Related Figures >

Tatsuhiko Shibusawa, Kozo Igarashi, Kenji Atsumi, Koji Sakai, Yasutake Funakoshi