Omasa Hozumi (大政穗積)
Hozumi OMASA (June 12, 1929 - September 19, 2007) was a Japanese-style painter who resided in Kyoto and painted temples, shrines, armor and landscapes in Kyoto Prefecture, Nara Prefecture and Ehime Prefecture throughout his life.
His personal history and his personality
He was born in 1929 in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture. He studied under Chikkyo ONO, and dropped out of the Japanese-style painting department of Kyoto City University of Arts in 1952. Thereafter, he continued painting. In 1959, he was awarded Mayor's Prize in Kyoten (Kyoto Exhibition), and gained the recognition of Heihachiro FUKUDA. From the next year, he was awarded an NHK prize in Kyoten in 1960, a Kurenai (clear red) prize in Kyoten in 1961, was displayed his product in Asahi Shinjinten (Asahi Exhibition for new talents) at the request of the exhibitor in 1962 and wan his first-time prize in the Nitten Exhibition (sponsored by the Japan Fine Arts Exhibition) in 1963. After that, he won a prize 25 times in the Nitten. For three years from 1963, he displayed his product in the first Kyoto Shusakuten (an excellent art work exhibition in Kyoto) in 1963, the second Kyoto Shusakuten (an excellent art work exhibition in Kyoto) in 1964 and the third Kyoto Shusakuten (an excellent art work exhibition in Kyoto) in 1965, at the request of the exhibitor. After that, he won his first prize in Nisshunten (the spring exhibition of Japanese-style paintings by the Nitten) in 1967, and won a prize 22 times later at the exhibition thereafter.
In 1973, he was entrusted to carry out the painting "Ruins of the Fukuchiyam castle" by the exhibitor of "An exhibition of 100 landscapes in Kyoto," and won an incentive prize in Nisshunten in 1978. In 1983, he received an order to produce a large painting on fusuma (sliding doors) of Seiyo-in Temple in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture. In the Nitten in 1984, the next year, his product, "Early in the afternoon," won a special commendation. In the next 1985, he displayed his product without being screened, and also displayed his product in "The 19th exhibition of selected modern art works" held by Agency for Cultural Affairs. With his painting activities for a long period of time recognized, he was entrusted in 1987 to paint a picture of "Gansen-ji Temple" for "An exhibition of Kyoto's four seasons."
In 1988, he held his private exhibition at Takashimaya departments (at Nihonbashi, Tokyo, and at Kyoto) (planned by the department), and in 1989, he also held his private exhibition, "Travel along the Iyo road," sponsored by TV Ehime. Based on his various panting activities, Foreign Ministry bought "Yamazato" (a village in a mountain valley), his painting displayed in Nisshunten in 1991.
In 1991, he held again his private exhibition at Takashimaya departments (at Kyoto, at Osaka and at Nihonbahsi, Tokyo) until February of 1992, which was favored by many visitors. In addition, in 1995, he was entrusted to produce a painting for "an exhibition of Japanese-style paintings in present Kyoto" commemorating 1200th anniversary of the start of Kyoto as the National capital and displayed the painting at the exhibition.
After Chikkyo ONO, whom he looked up to as his mentor, died in 1971, he studied under Tatsuo TAKAYAMA.
He became ill around the middle of 1996. In order to return to painting activities as well, he made efforts to overcome the serious aftereffects of the illness through rehabilitation. However, he died from cancer on September 19, 2007, at a hospital in Nagaokakyo City, Kyoto prefecture. When he died, he was 79 years old.