IIDA Seiseki
(b. 1929)
After WWII Iida was walking in the countryside contemplating the devastation and misery that the war had caused. He decided to commit his life to bringing more beauty into the world.
He approached Iizuka Rokansai, one of the most prestigious bamboo artists in the world, and asked to become his apprentice. Iizuka would not even speak to him until he returned with his father. Ultimately Iizuka took him on, the last student he would ever have.
Iida went to live with him and was assigned menial tasks such as sweeping floors for several years until he was permitted even to touch the bamboo. The great artist gave him the artistic name that means "pure stone."
After Iizuka's death, Iida went out on his own, working as a graphic designer and printer to earn a living and making baskets in his spare time. His platters and vessels, which have received more than a dozen awards over the course of his career, are noted for their meticulous technique and range of contemporary and traditional styles. They are included in the collections of the Tochigi Prefecture Museum of Fine Arts and the Ruth and Sherman Lee Institute for Japanese Art.
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