In Japanese bamboo art, a malleable and versatile material from nature is transformed to all sorts of wonderful creations from tightly woven traditional baskets to contemporary abstract sculptures that seem to “split the air.” Tanabe Chikuunsai IV (b. 1973, Osaka) is a modern practitioner of this centuries-old art.  The fourth generation of one of Japan’s most illustrious family of bamboo artists, he utilizes skills taught by his father to make sculptures in his own innovative style. His works encompass both the traditional basket based on the techniques of his ancestors, and abstract sculptures with his signature organic forms. Tanabe’s work is exhibited in major museums including the Seattle Art Museum, Museum Fine Art of Boston, Philadelphia Museum of Art, the British Museum and the V & A Museum.

Selected Basketry Works of Tanabe Chikuunsai IV