TRIBUNA UNIVERSITARIA (Weekly Salamanca University Newspaper)：June 04~June 10 Issue.

Gaze of Extreme Darkness—The Painting of the Japanese aiming at (looking toward?) Unamuno.

At Spanish-Japanese Cultural Center,
Exhibition of artworks of Toshima Yasumasa who was inspired by the literary works of Unamuno will be held until June 15.

Photo Caption：“Homage to Unamuno by the Japanese Painter Toshima Yasumasa” Exhibition could be appreciated at Spanish-Japanese Cultural Center.

　The pictorial art of Toshima Yasumasa is inspired by the worldview of Unamuno, and is exhibited at Spanish-Japanese Cultural Center. Through its dark brushworks, we could sense the philosophical thought of the president Unamuno of Salamanca University.
　Exhibition is consisted of three chapters. Chapter 1 is titled, “Faith of the Simple People.” Ms. Shigyo Mayumi, Deputy-director of Memorial Gallery of Toshima Yasumasa, narrated, “Toshima lived in Spain for nearly 30 years, and he arrived to Spain in 1974 when the world was in an upheaval. In Japan, in those days, excellent translations of Unamuno were published. Deputy-director continued that Toshima never painted “beauty and richness,” instead, “He wished to enter into the depth of people’s Heart.”
　Chapter 2 is titled “Landscape of the Soul,” and it is related to the essay on landscape of Miguel de Unamuno. “Toshima entered into the earth itself and wished to depict the spirit of the earth, and in this meaning, it corresponds with the literature of Unamuno,” thus narrated the Deputy-director. And the curator of the exhibition Ms. Abe Misaki explains that Chapter 3 is “Love and Pain,” and its root is in “The Christ of Velázquez.” Celebrating Toshima and Unamuno, and also the 150th Anniversary of the Establishment of Japan-Spain Diplomatic Relation and the 800th Anniversary of Foundation of Salamanca University, the first Japanese translation of “The Christ of Velázquez” was born.
　Toshima’s work gazed at Velázquez, and infused with its quality and quantity. “The land of Spain is like sculpture. In the short distance, painting appears to be abstract, yet in the long distance, portrait emerges out,” she explained and said that the painter was trying to reflect the light of Spain. In Toshima’s painting, the experts also point out that the Japanese elements are grasped, and he must have been inspired by the black of sumi-painting deeply related with the tea-ceremony.
　According to the words of Ms. Shigyo Mayumi, the painter traveled in Spain, though being in the commercial art world, he never betrayed himself, and pursued his own art and kept painting. “The trend was Impressionistic painting focusing on bright and pretty colors, yet Toshima wished to depict the essence of human existence instead of superficial beauty,” she explained.
　This is the Exhibition of tracing Toshima’s footsteps, and he has traveled to Sanabria Lake, Salamanca, and Castilla following Unamuno, “He thought exactly like Unamuno. He was greatly influenced by Unamuno,” concluded the curator.
June 15, Mon.~ Fri., open 10:00~2:00p.m., 6:00~9:00p.m.

Boxed Item : Exhibition tracing the Vestiges of 30 years in Spain.

　Pictorial Art and Literary work. At the Embassy of Spain in Japan, Cervantes Institute, Spanish government-managed in Tokyo, Toshima’s Exhibition was a great success.

　Toshima Yasumas is the Japanese painter, lived in Spain nearly 30 years. This year, celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Establishment of Spain-Japan Diplomatic Relation, and the 800th Anniversary of Foundation of Salamanca University, Toshima’s Exhibition is held. His Exhibition held at the Embassy of Spain in Japan in 2015, and the subsequent Exhibition held at Cervantes Institute, Spanish government-managed in Tokyo in 2017, both were a great success. In this Exhibition, the combination of Toshima’s leading artworks and the literary works of Unamuno, and also tracing the history of translation of Unamuno’s works in Japan are being displayed. Toshima’s artworks are introduced with the extraction of Unamuno’s writings and episodes, which were the source of inspiration of respective works.

Photo Caption : Ms. Abe Misaki (left), Ms. Shigyo Mayumi (right), with Toshima’s paintings.