We look back to September 2012, a year and a half after the Great East Japan Earthquake. At the Museum of Modern Art, Saitama, an exhibition was held that laid bare the raw soul of the artist.
“Sei” (Life): A Vow to Live
The “Bokusho-ten 2012” featured approximately 130 works by Chosho Yabe and her Masumi Shodo Class students. Among them, one piece stopped visitors in their tracks, inducing goosebumps with its sheer intensity: the character “Sei” (Life).
This work was created in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, amidst crushing fear and anxiety. It was not practiced. It was not calculated. It was a one-take outburst of emotion—a vow to “live with all one’s might” simply because we survived.
Prayers for Recovery and Requiem
Alongside “Life,” other monumental works were displayed:
- “Inori” (Prayer) & “Fukkou” (Reconstruction): Written one year after the quake, embodying hope.
- “Heart Sutra”: A requiem for the souls lost.
- “Arukimashou” (Let’s Walk): Created after visiting the devastated areas, symbolizing the resolve to walk alongside the victims and find ways to help.
Art that Touches the Soul
During the exhibition, an evacuee from Sendai visited the gallery. With tears in their eyes, they told Chosho, “I am so glad I came.”
True art is born not from technique, but from an uncontrollable overflow of emotion. When an artist stands on the precipice, the brush becomes the only voice. This exhibition was a testament to that power.
Yabe Chosho Office
