Comedian & Author Naoki Matayoshi and Calligrapher Syou U Tanaka Hold a Collaboration Event
2015年10月17日(土) Report
The winner of Akutagawa Award, Naoki Matayoshi, enthralls an audience as his artistic world is exhibited through art at this year’s Kyoto International Film & Art Festival
On Saturday 17th October, the exhibition “Naoki Matayoshi and His World of Literature” took place at Sohonzan Seiganji temple in Nakagyo-ku. A special event “The Temple Bell will Ring or it will Clear Off” was held, and Naoki Matayoshi of comedian duo Peace and the calligrapher Syou U Tanaka both appeared.
“Naoki Matayoshi and his world of literature” is an exhibition to let the audience imagine the world of Matayoshi’s literature. His novel, Hibana, won the Akutagawa Award earlier this year. Art relating to his work is exhibited, including the painting “Imasuka”, which decorated the cover of the book, painted by Miho Nishikawa. The calligraphy of his fantastic four-character idiomatic compounds and drawn by the calligrapher Syou U Tanaka are also in display.
In the special event at the main hall of Seiganji, Matayoshi read poems beside a live painting performance by Tanaka. She painted powerfully, using a writing brush on 2 meters square paper.
Following the performance, the talk show started with writer Motoki Nakamura, who has a good friendship with Matayoshi.
Matayoshi and Tanaka shared the story of how their book New Four-Character Idiomatic Compounds has begun, to the audience. The beggining of their encounter was when Matayoshi saw Tanaka’s live painting performance, afer which he asked her to create his performance’s title lettering. Matayoshi became a fan of Tanaka’s works and also she noticed his special sense of choosing wards, so she asked him to think of words for her to write.
Nakamura asked questions about Matayoshi’s novel Hibana that sold more than two million copies and won the Akutagawa Award. Matayoshi answered a question of why he choose Miho Nishikawa’s work “Imasuka”. “When I first saw the piece, I thought it’s a red mountain. But when I read the title ‘Imasuka’ (Are you there?), then I thought it might be a person covered by a red cloth. Am I asking to the person or does the person ask to me: ‘Are you there?’ I was very curious about the piece and I thought this image actually fits on my novel.”
He also talked about his feeling recently that he has a lot of attention as the winner of Akutagawa Award. “I want to write an interesting story before my 5th book. I will renew my aim each 4-5 years.” He made audience laugh with his jokes, and added, “the exhibition is wonderful, so please visit it.”
Shoji Murakami also has an exhibition of ink brush paintings titled “Shoji Murakami’s Bamboo paper paintings” at the same venue, Sohonzan Seiganji. He uses Japanese paper made of bamboo and created pieces using the theme of Kyoto. The exhibition continues until 18th October.
Naoki Matayoshi
Naoki Matayoshi’s novel, Hibana won the Akutagawa Award and sold more than two million copies. Art relating to his work is exhibited, including the painting“ Imasuka”1.6m x 1.6m, which has decorated the cover of the book of Hibana, painted by Miho Nishikawa, the calligraphy of fantastic four-character idiomatic compounds devised by Matayoshi and drawn by the calligrapher Syou U Tanaka, and other works that will make you imagine the world of Matayoshi’s literature.
Naoki Matayoshi (又吉 直樹 Matayoshi Naoki?, born June 2, 1980) is a Japanese comedian, screenwriter, and novelist who won the Akutagawa Prize[1] in 2015 for his book, Hibana (火花?, A Spark). He is the boke member of the comedy duo Peace with his partner Yūji Ayabe.[2]
He is from Neyagawa City in Osaka Prefecture.
The success of comedian Naoki Matayoshi, who became the first active comedian to win the prestigious Akutagawa Prize for rookie and rising authors on Thursday, has heightened hopes for recovery in the ailing publishing industry.
Matayoshi, 35, a member of comic duo Peace, was named a winner of the prize for his work “Hibana,” together with Keisuke Hada, 29, for “Scrap and Build.” The award for serious novels was created in honor of prominent writer Ryunosuke Akutagawa, who was active in the early 1900s.
Matayoshi’s success has prompted the novel’s publisher, Bungeishunju Ltd., to print additional copies.
Bungeishunju said Friday the total will exceed a million after an initial print run of 640,000.
The committee also said it has selected Akira Higashiyama, 46, as winner of the Naoki Prize, a leading award for popular fiction, for “Ryu.”
In “Hibana,” Matayoshi depicts friendship and struggle between two comedians.
At a news conference after the committee’s announcement at a hotel in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, Matayoshi said he was glad to receive the Akutagawa Prize and that he hopes more people will take an interest in both literature and comedy.
“I’d like to write something interesting,” Matayoshi said, while adding that he wants to maintain his image and career as a comedian.
This was first time Matayoshi was nominated for the award, while Hada has been nominated three times.
