photo by I.Sugawara
(1920〜1989)
 
 
 
In 1945, Takeji Iwamiya returned to Japan after a six-year military service and settled in Osaka.

When Iwamiya resumed photography, he became to have a special interest to Kyoto where there are many historical sites reflecting traditional Japnese culture. Also very famouse places in the fild of architecture,the Katsura Detached Palace and the Ryoan-ji temple are there. They were not damaged by the Wold War II.

With the artistic sensitivity sophisticated by Haiku, or traditional Japanese poet, which Iwamiya loved in his life, and his powerful energy and unique discipline in photography, he released many photos of Kyoto known as a collection of enlightening and inspiring images on the colors and forms of Japan.

Iwamiya was the first Japanese photographers introduced to the world after the war, and his works were highly and widely appreciated. Dr. Dietrich Zekkal, renowned German scholar on Buddhism, once commented,
"Iwamiya captured Image of Buddhist sculptures precisely and clearly", for the book which UNESCO assigned him to photographs of Buddhist sculptures in Asia.

A few of Iwamiya's books including "Forms, Textures, Images : Traditional Japanese Craftsmanship in Everyday Life" and "Buddhist Sculptures" published and have been released internationally. These books are still cherished by many people among the world. Also, he received numerous awards including that of the Minister of Education.

This exhibition on the Net presents his legendary works on "Buddha" and "Kyoto: Its Colors".Please enjoy the world of Iwamiya's art.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1920 Born in Yonago city, Tottori prefecture, Japan.
1937 Graduated Yonago Commerce and Sericulture School.
1940 Became a member of the Tanpei Photo Club.
1941 Joined the Manchuria 5th tunk regiment.
1946 Returned from China.
1946 Married with Hatsuko Segawa. Became a free-lance photographer.
1951 Joined the Democrat Art Association that Eikyu founded.
1953 Got in a sanatorium for tuberculosis. Got an operation of removing a lunk and a plastic operation of 6 ribs.
1954 Won the gold prize in the color division and in the copper prize in the monochrome division of the Fuji Photo Contest.
1955 Founded Iwamiya Photos. Held the first exhibit in Osaka and Tokyo. Awarded the Minister of Education Award of the Japan Calendar Exhibition.
1956 Exhibit "Sado Island" in Osaka and Tokyo.
1959 Published "Sado Island" (Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten). Photo tour to Hawaii and America (for two months). The sextet exhibit with Shotaro Akiyama, Takahiko Hayashi, Shouji Ueda, Youichi Midorikawa and Hatsutaro Horiuchi in Tokyo and Osaka. After then, the sextet exhibition was held every year in Tokyo and Osaka.
1960 Exhibit "Hawaii" in Osaka and Tokyo.
1962 Published "Sado Island" (Asahi Shimbumsha Newspaper Company), "Forms I-II" (Publisher: Bijyutsu Shuppansha), "Shrine of Japan-Nikko" (Publisher: Bijutsu Shuppansha). Won the Author Award Japan Photography Association for "Forms I-II".
1963 Photo tour to Southeast Asia (for one month). "Forms I-II" was published in England, USA, Germany, France and Italy. Published "Shrine of Japan-Itsukushima" (Publisher: Bijutsu Shuppannsha).
1964 Photo tour to Europe (for 40 days). Exhibit ";Angkor Wat" in Tokyo.
1965 Published "Stone statues in Yamato" (Publisher:Tankosha), "Ishinotera-Stone Temple" (Publisher: Tankousha) and"Kyo-Kyoto in Kyoto" (Publisher: Tankousha).
1966 Photo tour to Okinawa in Japan (for 45 days). Became professor and chief division of Osaka University of Art.
1967 Published "Beauty of lamplight" (Publisher: Tankousha). Joined the Art Festival with Trio exhibition of forms "the Heart of Japan" with Sakaki Bakuzan and Waichi Tsutaka.

1968
Photo tour to three north Europe countries. Published "The World of the Japanese Garden" (Publisher: Weatherhill), "The Gardens of Imperial Court I-II-III" (Sento Palace, Katsurarikyu Palace and Shugakuinrikyu Palace)" (Publisher: Tankousha) and "The Gardens of Kyoto in color" (Publisher: Tankousha). Traveled Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti and Hawaii for two months. Photo tour to Korea (Seoul and Kyonju) in order to take pictures of Buddhis sculptures.
1969 Awarded the Minister of Education Award with the three volumes of "The Gardens of the Imperial Court". Awarded th Citizen Arts Prize of Amagasaki City. Trio Exhibit with Shotaro Akiyama and Masaya Nakamura in Tokyo. The trio Exhibition was held every year. Pubulished "Arte del Object Japones" (Publisher: Poligraph in Spain).
1970 Published "The Architechture of the Japan Expo'70" (Asahi Shimbun newspaper company). Visited South Korea to take pictures of Buddhist statues. Exhibit "Alphoto" in Osaka. Published "The Imperial Gardens of Japan" (Publisher: Weatherhill/Tankousha). Exhibit "Expo'70".
1971 Published "Japanese gardens" (Publisher: Chuokoronsha) and "Newly revised Japanese Gardens" (Publisher: Tankousha).
1972 Published "Japan Sea" and "Attraction of Kyoto" (Publisher: Tankousha). Won the Forth International Publishing Culture Award for "The Gardens of Imperial Court". "Japanese garden-an approach to nature" (Publisher: Publishing Bureau of Yale University). Began to take pictures of images of Buddha at the request of UNESCO.
1973 Published "Japanese Toro (garden lantern)" (Publisher: Shueisha), "OSAKA" (available from Osaka City Munincipal Office).
1974 Published "Stone Statues of Buddha in Silla (Ancient Korea)" (Asahi Shimbunsha Newspaper company). "Japanese gardens" (Publisher:Shueisha). Visited Srilanka,Indonasia,Thailand and Burma (Myanmar). Photo tour to Europe in order to take pictures of sculptures in Europe for "People in the World (Sculptures in the world)" for two months.
1975 Tour of the exhibit of "Images of Buddha" in Japan. Photo tour to India in order to take pictures of Buddha for 40 days. Published "The Dyeing and Weaving of Japan" (Mainichi Shimbunsha Newspaper company). One man show "Looked and shot in Spain and Portugal" in Osaka and Tokyo.
1976 Exhibit "Sumi(Indian ink) and Me" in Osaka. Exhibit "The Exhibit of Takeji Iwamiya" in Kyoto. Won the Merit Prize of All Japan Photo Federation. Published "The gardens of Kyoto" (Publisher: Kokusai Johosha) and "Works from 30 Years" (Publisher: Nippon Shashin-kikaku).
1977 Exhibit "Seligraphy and Tapestry" (Osaka). Published "The flower Arrangement of Japan" (Publisher: Shougakkan), "The gardens of Koto, original prints" (Publisher: Horupusha), "The color photography of Imperial Gardens I-II-III (Popular edition)" (Publisher: Tankousha), "Sado Island (Popular edition)" (Publisher: Asahi Sonorama) and "Image of Buddha" (English version UNESCO).
1978 Photo tour to China in order to take pictures of contemporary paintings of China at the request of UNESCO. Tour of photo exhibit "Image of Buddha" in USA. Joined the visiting China group of Osaka University of Arts. Published "The Japanese Forms" (Tankousha), "Kyoto, Colors and Forms" (Shueisha Publisher) and "Self-selected Works of Kyoto" (Tokishobo).
1979 Sailed across Mediterranean Sea by yacht. The Second Exhibition "Sumi (India ink) and Me" in Osaka. Exhibit "The Faces and Forms of Nepal? in Osaka, Tokyo and Katmandu.
1980 Exhibit "Buddhist statues, statues of gods and goddess" in Osaka. Published "Mokuzen-shingo (Looking Things With My Own Heart)" at his own expense . Exhibit "Mucho Sol" in Osaka and Tokyo. 5 persons exhibition "Faces people in the World". Visited China by the invitation of the Photographer Association of China. Visited China again as a member of the Japan Image Accademy. Duo exhibition "Masaya Nakamura and Takeji Iwamiya" in Tokyo and Osaka. Won The Osaka Art Prize from Osaka City Municipal Office.
1981 Photo tour to india and Nepal. Photo tour to Europe. Duo Exhibit "Yoshio Hayakawa (oil paintings watre colors) and Takeji Iwamiya (silk screen)" in Osaka. Traveled USA to give lectures at the request of Japan Foundation. One man show "Sumi (Indian ink) and ink for printing" in Osaka. One man show "Sketch" in Osaka. "Takeji Iwamiya photo exhibit" in Tokyo. Exhibit "Image of Buddha" in Tokyo and Nagoya. The exhibit "The Eyes of Takeji Iwamiya-35 years locus" in Osaka.
1982 Photo tour to India and Nepal. Photo tour to Europe. Exhibit "The Exhibit of Fotorama" in Tokyo and Osaka. Traveled to cover Seoul in South Korea. Visited Gueillin in China to take pictures. Exhibit "Memory A Trip in Europe" in Tokyo and Osaka. One man show "Image of Buddha" in Osaka. Duo Exhibit, Sok-su Li (Calligraphy and paintings) and Takeji Iwamiya (Calligraphy and Indian ink). Visited India and Nepal to take pictures.
1983 Photo tour to Gueillin in china . Made wall paintings with Yoshio Hayakawa on the ceramic board of Acty Osaka Building. Made a shooting tour to France, Italy and Egypt. "The photo exhibition of Image of Buddha" (Art Infomation Center of Osaka University of Arts).
1984 Photo tour to Swiss, Austria, Italy, Yugoslavia. Exhibit "Women series by 3 methods" (in Osaka). Visited Tibet in India: the Ladakh region to shoot Buddhist wall paintings. Photo tour to Nepal. Published "Angkor" (Iwanamishoten Publisher).
1985 Photo tour India. Made a shooting trip to Morocco and Spain. Also, covered the Borobudur Ruins in Indonasia.
1986 Published "Beautiful Hyogo Prefecture I- II" (Hyogo Prefectural Office).
1987 Published "Ladakh Mandala" (Publisher: Iwanamishoten ). Exhibit "Angkor? in Tokyo and Osaka. Visited China to take pictures of Buddhist statues of Maiji-shan stonecave. Became a councilor of Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art.
1988 Won The prize of Cultural Merits by Hyogo Prefecture.
1989 Published "Buddhist statues in Asia" (2 volumes) (Publisher: Shueisha). Won The Year Prize of Japan Photography Society with his works "Images of Buddha". Died of disease June, 26.
1990 Published "Borobudur" (Publisher: Iwanamishoten) and "Ladakh Mandala" (Horogram Publisher, France).

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Copyright 1997Kansai Power Network/edited and designed by Ingram Design Studio. All photographs are the property of Takeji Iwamiya Photo Office.