Dedicated to Eros: The Sensual Art of Masuo Ikeda

Masuo Ikeda (1934–1997) was an artist of Japanese origin, yet not much of a Japanese mentality, implying meticulous work in one chosen field throughout one's life. Valued by Europeans as an eccentric oriental figure and dismissed by his compatriots for being a dilettant in all arts at once, Ikeda deserves attention as a curious phenomenon of post-war Japan and a multi-talented man whose main inspiration was Eros.

Fig. 1. Masuo Ikeda, 1960s (yahoo.co.jp)

Fig. 2. Mount (yahoo.co.jp)

Fig. 3. Girl, mezzotint print (yahoo.co.jp)

Fig. 4. Captive Angel (yahoo.co.jp)

Fig. 5. A Certain Landscape (yahoo.co.jp)

Fig. 6. Egyptian Venus (yahoo.co.jp)

Fig. 7. Girl with birds (yahoo.co.jp)

Fig. 8. Venus with Shells (yahoo.co.jp)

Fig. 9. Girl with Shells (yahoo.co.jp)

Fig. 10. Nude (yahoo.co.jp)

Unrecognized by Academists

Masuo Ikeda was born in Mukden, China, during the Japanese occupation of Manchuria (northeast China). After the war, Ikeda's family was repatriated to Nagano Prefecture (the middle of Honshu island), where Ikeda received primary education. Though Ikeda would be known mainly as a painter and printer, he was genuinely interested in archeology and Buddhist sculpture through the influence of his teacher. Already in high school, the young artist proved his talent, winning an award at the 1st All Japan Student Oil Painting Competition for his oil painting "Landscape with a Bridge." In March 1952, aiming for a career as an oil painter, Ikeda took an entrance exam at the Oil Painting Department of the Tokyo University of Arts but failed. The following month, he relocated to Tokyo and earned a living as a street painter. Two years later, he attempted to enroll in the Sculpture Department of the same university but to no avail.

Fig. 11. Girl (yahoo.co.jp)

Fig. 12. yahoo.co.jp

The Poet

In 1955, Ikeda founded the Jitsuzonsha group we mentioned speaking of Ay-O. Curiously, the same year, his debut in poetry happened: Ikeda printed his first book via a private printing office. Unfortunately, neither the cover nor the content of this book of poems can be found online. Instead, we have examples of Ikeda's poetry in English, released in 1976. Mixed Fruits is a collection of erotic lithographs accompanied by texts with "fruit" titles. Besides his literary activity, he started making collages, inspired by Dadist art. Later, in 1987, he even wrote the Collage Theory book.

Fig. 13. Death of Venus (yahoo.co.jp)

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Click HERE for the rainbow Kama-Sutra of the Japanese artist Ay-O

Sources: Wikipedia.org; masuoikeda.com; auctions.yahoo.co.jp

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