Susumu Shingu

Susumu Shingu, was born in Osaka, Japan, in 1937. He matriculated at the University of Fine Arts in Tokyo in 1956, with a concentration in oil painting. A bursary from the Italian government followed, allowing him to travel to Italy where his intention was to study figurative painting.[1] He attended the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma from 1960 to 1962. By his own account, Shingu's interest in sculpture developed as his interest in abstraction was expanding. He hung a painting outside to record it photographically: the wind interfered. He became fascinated by the potential for three-dimensional movement. "The work that followed relied on natural forces to make it move or make sound, and he began using more sophisticated materials for outdoor works,"[2] as traditional art materials were either too heavy to supply graceful natural movement or too quickly degraded under outdoor conditions.

Still in Italy, a chance meeting with Kageki Minami, the president of Osaka Ship Building Company, led to Shingu's return to Japan, where Minami allowed him a studio in his shipyard and access to the talents of company engineers. With this support, Shingu produced “Path of Wind,” a 20-meter-tall sculpture that was his first large-scale commissioned piece.[3] He began to produce work incorporating elements from his study of the Japanese folk arts: wind chimes and traditional carp banners.[4]

Expo '70 in Tokyo was a major event on the arts scene in Japan. Shingu was one of eight Japanese sculptors chosen to represent the nation. The organizers commissioned a large piece from Shingu for the central plaza.[5]

He spent a year at Harvard University as a Visiting Artist at Harvard's Carpenter Center for the Visual and Environmental Studies, 1971 to 1972.[6]

Shingu, a prolific artist, has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions internationally. Additionally, he has collaborated in theatre projects (including variations on tradition Japanese Nô performance[7]) and published a number of children's books. His work has been honored with many awards, including the Outdoor Sculpture Prize of Nagano City and the Japan Grand Prix of Art.[6]