Dye artist, 97 years old: "If it's not fun, it's boring"

Yuzuki says the source of his creativity lies in his everyday life.
Dye artist Samiro Yunoki is an artist with a deep connection to Matsumoto City. Before the war, he spent his youth studying at the old Matsumoto High School (now Shinshu University), and after the war, he visited the area many times as the Mingei movement flourished, and he enjoyed mountain climbing and held solo exhibitions as a dye artist. Even today, you can see his work and the various designs that Yunoki provided in the streets of Matsumoto.
Yunoki was born in Tokyo in 1922. Having been familiar with painting since he was a child, after the war he worked at the Ohara Museum of Art in Kurashiki, where he encountered the Mingei movement and was inspired by the stencil-dyed works of Serizawa Keisuke. He then began his career as a dyer in his mid-20s, captivating many people with his free and humorous images and rich colors. Now at age 97, he continues to create works almost every day in his home studio.
In particular, his recent works are different from the traditional image of stencil dyeing, in which the same motif is repeated over and over again, as he randomly arranges cut-out stencils that he has designed and dyed.In addition to dyeing, since turning 70, he has also been actively working on new forms of expression such as drawing, printmaking, and three-dimensional modeling.
This exhibition will feature around 97 pieces of watercolors, prints, and other artworks, with a focus on recent stencil-dyed works by the 80-year-old Yunoki. Yunoki also has deep ties to Matsumoto, and will also be showcasing the work he has done within the city.
Please come to Matsumoto to see Yuzuki's works, which will bring a smile to anyone's face.

In order to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, the workshop "Making Stencil-dyed Washi Boxes" has been canceled.
Thank you for your understanding.

You can see the exhibitions in this video.