About

Takeo Okuma (2012)

Takeo Okuma (Ohkuma/Ookuma) Chronology

1934 (Showa 9) | Age 0Born in Hayatsue, Kawasoe Town, Saga City.
1951 (Showa 26) | Age 17Organized the Saga Prefecture High School Art Federation (2nd year high school student).
1953 (Showa 28) | Age 19Graduated from Saga High School, 4th graduating class. Studied under Koji Matsumoto. Attended Asagaya Art Institute and Kokugakai Institute.
1955 (Showa 30) | Age 21First accepted into the 40th Nika Exhibition.
1958 (Showa 33) | Age 24Graduated from Tama Art University, Department of Painting (studied under Shoji Osawa). Lived in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture.
1960 (Showa 35) | Age 26Received the 45th Anniversary Award at the 45th Nika Exhibition. Recommended as a Chiba Prefecture Exhibition member.
1961 (Showa 36) | Age 27Received the Governor’s Award at the 13th Chiba Prefecture Exhibition. Became a teacher at Noda City First Junior High School, Chiba Prefecture.
1965 (Showa 40) | Age 31Recommended as a friend of the Nika Society at the 50th Nika Exhibition. Worked as an art instructor at Kitabe Elementary School in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture.
1966 (Showa 41) | Age 32Went on a study tour to eight European countries from September to November.
1971 (Showa 46) | Age 37Recommended as a member (jury member) of the 56th Nika Exhibition.
1972 (Showa 47) | Age 38Art instructor at Minoridai Elementary School, Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture.
1973 (Showa 48) | Age 39Received the Wakashio National Sports Festival Award at the Chiba Prefecture Exhibition. Served as a juror for the Chiba Prefecture Exhibition. Held his first solo exhibition in Ginza.
1974 (Showa 49) | Age 40Went on research trips to India and Nepal. Resigned from teaching after 13 years.
1975 (Showa 50) | Age 41Traveled to India and Sri Lanka. Held a self-selected exhibition for his 20th year in art at the Matsudo City Cultural Hall. Organized a posthumous exhibition for Koji Matsumoto at the Saga Prefectural Museum.
1976 (Showa 51) | Age 42Conducted research trips in France and Italy. Held a solo exhibition at the Saegusa Gallery in Ginza, and thereafter held ten exhibitions.
1978 (Showa 53) | Age 44Organized and guided the 62nd Nika Traveling Saga Exhibition, overseeing planning, display, and attendance, which attracted 25,897 visitors during the two-month event.
1979 (Showa 54) | Age 45Appointed as a director of the Chiba Prefecture Art Society. Traveled to China.
1981 (Showa 56) | Age 47Oversaw the 65th Nika Traveling Saga Exhibition, which attracted 30,687 visitors during the one-month event. Received the Member Effort Award at the 66th Nika Exhibition.
1985 (Showa 60) | Age 51Founded the SAGA Art Club in Tokyo. Became chairman of the Matsudo Art Society.
1987 (Showa 62) | Age 53Created “New Tokyo One Hundred Scenes” (Nakamise Street), presented to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
1988 (Showa 63) | Age 54Became a Nika Society councilor. Created ceiling paintings for Tengenji Temple in Miyaki Town, Saga Prefecture. Guided 5th graders at Higashiseburi Elementary School in oil painting mural production for the next ten years.
1989 (Heisei 1) | Age 55Participated in the Nika Bulgaria Exhibition. In December, visited Berlin to document the Berlin Wall. Traveled to Germany and France in January of the following year.
1991 (Heisei 3) | Age 57Created ceiling paintings for Tentokuji Temple in Saga City. Produced ceramic murals for Kawasoe Junior High School in Saga Prefecture. Featured in the exhibition “Saga Town Art Series No. 1 – Kawasoe Town” at the Saga Prefectural Art Museum. Appointed as Yoshinogari Ambassador of Saga Prefecture.
1994 (Heisei 6) | Age 60Served as Nika Society Secretary-General (for the next four years). Produced ceramic murals for Nakakawaso Elementary School in Saga Prefecture. Conducted a research trip to Egypt.
1995 (Heisei 7) | Age 61Held the Takao Okuma Oil Painting Exhibition at the Matsuya Ginza Gallery (held four more times subsequently).
1996 (Heisei 8) | Age 62Created a stage curtain for the Chiba Prefecture’s Sawayaka Prefectural Plaza in Kashiwa City. Appointed as an executive director of the Chiba Prefecture Art Society.
2000 (Heisei 12) | Age 66Directed the creation of the mural “The Dawn of Hakua Village in 2001” with all students of Nakakawaso Elementary School.
2001 (Heisei 13) | Age 67Participated in a curated exhibition at the Tsuki no Sabaku Memorial Museum in Onjuku Town, Chiba Prefecture (held two more times).
2002 (Heisei 14) | Age 68Went on a study trip to Documenta in Germany. Participated in the Nika New York Selected Exhibition. Featured on NHK’s national broadcast “Autumn Public Exhibition.” Received the Chiba Prefecture Education Merit Award (Art Division). Held a solo exhibition at the Muraoka Gallery.
2003 (Heisei 15) | Age 69Founded the National Hakua Painting Exhibition. Acted as organizer and juror. 1,697 entries from 25 prefectures were submitted to the Saga Johmin Memorial Museum.
2006 (Heisei 18) | Age 72Appointed as Nika Society Auditor.
2008 (Heisei 20) | Age 74Appointed as Nika Society Director.
2010 (Heisei 22) | Age 76Held the Takao Okuma Exhibition at the Saga Prefectural Art Museum.
2012 (Heisei 24) | Age 78Served as chairman of the judging panel for the 29th Junji Yoshii Memorial Exhibition. Conducted a research trip to Finland, Germany, and Denmark.
2013 (Heisei 25) | Age 79Received the Regional Culture Merit Award (awarded by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology).
2016 (Heisei 28) | Age 82Held a solo exhibition at Gallery Heizaemon. Featured in the first solo exhibition series of Matsudo artists, “Takao Okuma Exhibition.” Donated a size 130 painting to the Saga Balloon Museum.
2017 (Heisei 29) | Age 83Went on a study tour to India.
2020 (Reiwa 2) | Age 86Held the Takao Okuma Painting Exhibition at the Kawasoe Branch Office in Saga City.
2024 (Reiwa 6) | Age 89Passed away due to natural causes.

Article about my studio (in Japanese).

Interview in Townnet January 2000 (in Japanese).

Article about my time as a high school student (in Japanese).

My essay about India (in Japanese).

Interview in Nishinippon Shimbun (newspaper) 8 May, 2004 (in Japanese).

mail(at)takeo-okuma.com (Mami Okuma)