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THE hallmark of a truly great artist lies in his or her ability to transform the most ordinary and mundane aspects of life's realities into extraordinary and even, wondrous experieces for the viewer.
And, such was the case with the pioneering modern Japanese sculptor, Mr Fumio Asakura (1883-1964) and his famous cat sculptures, which are imbued with a deeply felt-sensitivity and emotive power.
Asakura is today considered a highly significant pioneer of modern naturalistic sculpture in Japan.
He had studied in the art department of Tokyo University during the first decade of this century and majored in the area of figurative sculpture.
His teachers had been Italian sculptors from Rome who had been brought to Japan to teach at Tokyo University, as a part of the modernising process related to Meiji era developments.
Unlike so many of his Meiji contemporaries, Asakura never went to Europe for his studies and his extraordinary achievements as a modern a figurative sculptor seems all the more remarkable, in restrospect.
All his initial experiences and exposured to Western-type figurative sculture had been acquired from his Italian teachers at Tokyo University.
Throughout his life, he remained a naturalistic sculptor.
The artistic influences of such 19th century European sculptors such as Boudelle and Rodin can...