Seiichi Konno
Digital Museum
"Light of Song of Songs" or "Demon in the Heart Not Appearing"
Oil painting canvas F20 1996 Personally owned
The only abstract religious painter in Japan
There was a painter known as “Silent Abstract painter” in Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture.
His name is Seiichi Konno(1921~2005).
Although he painted more than 4000 pictures over a period of 50 years,
his works have rarely been made public.
His Catholic faith deeply supported his style, and Art Historian Hisao Tanaka commented,
"He is the only abstract religious painter in Japan”
With the cooperation of Mr.Tanaka, other related parties, and local media,
we present the works of Seiichi Konno that have been hidden from the public eye.
Express The Overall Essence of Heaven
- The Works of seiichi konno -
Seiichi Konno’s works profoundly capture the Heavens where sacredness or the spirits around it are flying freely. Interestingly, one cannot see any concrete figures in his paintings. In that sense, we could call his paintings abstract, yet I feel no other painter has ever expressed the light, the fragrance, indeed the overall essence of Heaven, as well as Konno. His works have the same character and ingenuity as stained glass, which was invented by Middle Age Europeans to express light suffusing through Heaven.
Konno, while keeping his delicate heart, survived as a soldier during the war, and attempted a solitary life for a time after its conclusion. He was baptized as a Catholic when he was near 50. Throughout these experiences, he encountered many hardships, and he has survived by prying open difficult doors and overcoming a period when he was unable to paint until he reached the point he is at now. I believe that his paintings are nothing less than the expression of the state of Heaven, an expression that is truly the result of his unique life. I give my highest regard to Konno as the sole abstract religious painter in Japan.
May 2002
The Director of The Akita Museum of Modern Art
The Emeritus Professor Seijo University
Hisao Tanaka
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