'The Eternal' - an Exhibition by Naga Tsutsumi, 17th June to 3rd July 2016 - information
Naga Tsutsumi - Ancestor and Descendant II
"Ancestor and Descendant is a series of drawings about my perspective of ancestries and future generations.
"I am from a Japanese samurai family, and am in fact the last descendant of the main branch of the Tsutsumi, a family that originated in the southern region of Japan. I don’t have any inheritance or family treasures like swords, armour or written manuals about swordsmanship; my only legacies from the glory era are a family tree book, made about a hundred years ago, and my name. Naga is part of my given name, Naga-taka. My father’s name is Naga-aki, my grandfather’s Naga-michi, my great-grandfather’s Naga-nobu and so on; I can trace back my ancestries for 400 years. Naga, meaning “long” or “leader” in Japanese, is a name that the first sons of the main branch of Tsutsumi family have to carry to identify the position. A man named Naga would be respected and expected to be a good man by other members of the family.
"The samurai era ended 140 years ago when Japan decided to westernise itself, and the Tsutsumi, like other samurai families, gave up their swords. For four generations, Tsutsumi’s eldest sons have devoted themselves to the Mitsubishi Group, established by another samurai family, IwasakiÉuntil my time. I am the first eldest Tsutsumi son who does not work for Mitsubishi and who lives outside Japan.
"I am from a Japanese samurai family, and am in fact the last descendant of the main branch of the Tsutsumi, a family that originated in the southern region of Japan. I don’t have any inheritance or family treasures like swords, armour or written manuals about swordsmanship; my only legacies from the glory era are a family tree book, made about a hundred years ago, and my name. Naga is part of my given name, Naga-taka. My father’s name is Naga-aki, my grandfather’s Naga-michi, my great-grandfather’s Naga-nobu and so on; I can trace back my ancestries for 400 years. Naga, meaning “long” or “leader” in Japanese, is a name that the first sons of the main branch of Tsutsumi family have to carry to identify the position. A man named Naga would be respected and expected to be a good man by other members of the family.
"The samurai era ended 140 years ago when Japan decided to westernise itself, and the Tsutsumi, like other samurai families, gave up their swords. For four generations, Tsutsumi’s eldest sons have devoted themselves to the Mitsubishi Group, established by another samurai family, IwasakiÉuntil my time. I am the first eldest Tsutsumi son who does not work for Mitsubishi and who lives outside Japan.
"I used to hate my given name because it was so uncommon and sounded uncool, and moreover because it was a symbol of traditions, and conservatism. That old tradition and way of thinking in this non-samurai era and non-samurai world discriminates against women, second or third sons and other branch families. It seems so ridiculous and so outdated, yet something makes me wonder if it may be a big part of what I am. Something makes me feel uneasy about totally rejecting what I come from. But what can I do? Do I have some hidden admiration for samurai warriors? My feelings are a mixture of shame and pride...What should I teach our descendants in the future generations? Am I just getting old?"
Naga Tsutsumi, a Japan-born Palmerston North-based artist, had over 30 solo and group exhibitions in NZ, USA and Japan. He has been selected as Overall Winner for Manawatu Arts Review and as one of the finalists for NZ Portrait Gallery's Adam Award in 2011. His works have been selected for the number of international juried exhibitions. He has a strong interest in subtle yet untraditional ways of mixing media and subject matters. He holds Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Iowa, USA.
Naga Tsutsumi, a Japan-born Palmerston North-based artist, had over 30 solo and group exhibitions in NZ, USA and Japan. He has been selected as Overall Winner for Manawatu Arts Review and as one of the finalists for NZ Portrait Gallery's Adam Award in 2011. His works have been selected for the number of international juried exhibitions. He has a strong interest in subtle yet untraditional ways of mixing media and subject matters. He holds Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Iowa, USA.
