【稀代の刺青仏師が紡ぐ 祈りの曼荼羅】
対峙するや瞬刻、息をすることさえも忘れてしまう。それ程までに激しい気魄がSHIGE氏の刺青の奥底には秘められている。それは氏の刺青を評するときに度々引き合いに出される気の遠くなるような精密さ、そしてそこから思いを巡らせる膨大な時間に起因する凄みともまた異なる。
一つの作品に注ぎ込んだ技術や時間、それらを超越した先にあり見る者を圧倒する熱量。執念や信念とも形容しがたい、氏の刺青に宿るそれは一体、何なのか——。
When facing a Shige original piece in person, you are instantly left breath-taken by how intense his spirit is hidden deep within the tattoo. This is not due to the ming-bogging precision and the vast amounts of time that can be inferred from the beauty, but from the energy that overwhelms the viewer, transcending the technique and proving the time poured into each work of art. But a question often asked is, what exactly sets Shige tattoos apart from other artists?
今さらYELLOW BLAZE TATTOO代表、SHIGE氏の経歴を詳らかに紐解く必要はあるまい。独学にて日本はおろか世界屈指の刺青の名手にまで昇り詰めたその功績を知らぬ者はいないだろう。それは天賦によるものではなく、己を鼓舞し続ける苦行の日々の果てに辿り着いた頂だ。
「全てはひとえにクライアントのため」。SHIGE氏は神経を擦り減らし自身を追い込んでまで刺青に懸ける理由をそう説く。肌に刺し入れれば二度と消えぬ不可逆であり、まさに人生を掛けて背負っていくものを一人の人間に施すにあたって、氏は「求められるものを常に超えていく」ことを己に課している。
As the majority of the people reading this article already know Shige from Yellow Blaze Tattoo, a long introduction is not required. He is world renowned for his achievements and it is fair to say that he is one of Japan’s top tattoo artists, as well as one of the greatest in the world. He is self-taught and acquired his unique style, not from a divine gift, but as the result of continuous self-development-like asceticism.
“Everything is only for the client”, Shige explains as he reiterates why he puts so much effort into his work, even to the point of wearing himself out. In giving a person something to carry for the rest of their life, Shige has imposed onto himself the sentiment to “always exceed what is required of me”.
そのためには自分を超えていくことしか方策はない。現時点での力量に甘んじることなく、セッションの度に限界を超えた更なる高みに手を伸ばす。その生みの苦しみの先にSHIGE氏が見ているのは名声などではない。ただ己を信じ、身を任せてくれたクライアントの喜ぶ姿だけなのである。
施術時の撮影に快く応じてくれた女性は15年程前にSHIGE氏の手による総身彫りを完成させた猛者だが、今また新たに二巡目となるフルボディプロジェクトへと身を投じている。一人の彫り師による二度におよぶ全身への刺青は世界的に見ても稀有な例であろう。氏のクライアントに対する仁愛、そして絶えざる向上心に信頼を置くからこそ、この女性も再び艱難の旅路への一歩を踏み出すに至ったのだ。
The only way to achieve this is to go beyond oneself and never be content with one’s own current abilities. The goal of an artist of his stature, is to always be moving into a more advanced stage in his career, which exceeds the limits in each session. What he seeks beyond the pain of his creations is not fame, but rather, the joy of his clients who have trusted in him and entrusted their bodies to his process.
The woman who kindly agreed to be photographed during this session completed a body suit by Shige nearly 15 years ago, and is now on her second round of her full body project. It is not uncommon to go to a different artist when completing a second body suit, but she insisted on Shige. Her complete trust in his willingness to improve and his benevolence to his clients, makes taking on this new step in her journey of hardship, easier.
SHIGE氏は自身のスタイルを「紛れもない日本刺青」であると強調する。
我が国の武道や芸道には“守破離”という思想がある。まず師から教わった型を“守”り忠実に鍛錬を積み、それを会得する。次に他の流派からも美点を吸収し、己の心技を磨き既存の型を“破”ることができるようになる。そして更なる修練を重ね、ついには守も破も意識せず、型から“離”れて独自に新しいものを生み出す自在の境地へと到達するのだ。
独学ゆえ、SHIGE氏において師とは特定の個人ではなく伝統を指す。伝統に学び、守に留まることなく破を経て、新たな地平を拓いた氏の刺青は描き方こそ古典とは一線を画すものの、その精神性は根源を同じくするのである。
Shige emphasizes that his tattooing style is “unmistakably Japanese irezumi”.
In Japanese art and martial arts alike, there is a concept called 守破離 (shu-ha-ri). 守 means to follow, 破 means to break, and 離 means to leave in this case. First, you must completely “follow” the kata taught by your master and train faithfully to master it. Next, you should absorb the virtues of other schools and hone yourself, which leaves you with the ability to “break” the existing kata. After further training, you finally reach a state of freedom where you can “leave” the kata and create something new on your own without being conscious of both 守 and 破.
As Shige is self-taught, in his mind, a master is not a specific individual but an original tradition. His tattooing continued through the 守 stage, and was honed in the 破 stage, he is now able to open up a new horizon. This new style is distinct from Japanese classic irezumi in its depiction, but is entirely similar in the spirituality that share the same root.
また、SHIGE氏の刺青において神仏の存在は極めて重要な位置を占めている。専ら仏像を彫る者を仏師、仏画を描く者を絵仏師と呼ぶが、氏は自らを刺青仏師と称しクライアントの肌に仏の姿を描き出すことにその人生を捧げている。氏は「誰の中にも、鬼も仏もある」とし、外から描くのではなく既に内にある御姿を見出して身体に表出せしめるのだと語る。
かつて仏師たちがノミを振るい筆を走らせ、作品に込めた願いは世の安寧や衆生の救済だったことだろう。SHIGE氏は自身とクライアントの個と個の繋がりを重んじ、その人のこれからの人生の穏やかな幸せを願いながら針を突くのである。
In addition, the presence of the Buddha occupies an extremely important position in Shige’s tattooing. A person who exclusively carves Buddhist statues is called a busshi (Buddhist sculptor), and one who paints Buddhist pictures is called an e-busshi (Buddhist painter), so fittingly, Shige calls himself an irezumi-busshi (Buddhist tattooer). As such, he devotes his life to tattooing Buddhist images on his clients’ skin. He says, “There are demons and Buddhas in everyone”, and as such does not depict outside images on his clients. Rather, he finds the image that is already inside on them, and makes it appear on the body.
In the past, busshis were tasked with putting their wishes of peace and salvation for the sentient beings in the world during their era, into their art. Shige values the personal connection between himself and his clients, and continually is wishing them a peaceful and happy life during the tattoo process.
「人の生は苦しみ、悲しみ、怒り、そして多くの痛みに満ちている。ときには無慈悲ですらある。それでも私は信じている。生きることは美しいものであると」。氏が完成したばかりの刺青の写真と共に、英文にてSNSに投稿した一節だ。
これは、祈り——。そう、冒頭で述べた圧倒的な熱量の本質は、刺青に込められた篤実な祈りにこそあったのだ。SHIGE氏の刺青はもはやただ身体を華やかに彩るデコレーションの域を脱している。氏が彫り上げるのは、祈りの具象なのだ。
“Life is full of suffering, sadness, anger, and a lot of pain, and sometimes it is unrelenting. However, I still believe that life is beautiful”. This is a passage Shige posted on one of his social media posts along with a photo of one of his newly completed back pieces.
The essence of the overwhelming energy, mentioned earlier, lies in the sincere prayer that is embedded in his work. His tattoos are not just decorations to add color to bodies, they are more importantly the embodiment of his prayer.
そして今、SHIGE氏は自身の集大成と位置付ける展覧会の構想を練っている。氏の刺青を纏ったクライアントたちが一堂に会し、美しき裸身を披露する空前絶後のエキシビジョンとなる予定だ。
氏は常々、人との出会いを仏縁と捉え大切にしてきた。この展覧会はさながら稀代の刺青仏師たる氏が、生涯を掛けて仏縁で紡ぎあげた一大曼荼羅となるのだ。彫刻や絵画とは異なり、生きた肌に描き上げる刺青の特性ゆえ、今この時にしかその荘厳たる光景を見ることは叶わない。同じ時代に生き合えた僥倖に感謝しつつ、続報を待ちたい。
Shige is currently working on a plan for an exhibition which he regards as the culmination of his career. It will be an unprecedented exhibition in which his tattooed clients come together to show their amazingly tattooed bodies.
He has always regarded his encounters with people as Buddhist karma and cherished them as such. This exhibition will be like a great mandala which Shige, as the unparalleled Buddhist tattooer, has spent his life weaving through his Buddhist karma. Unlike sculptures and paintings, the art of tattooing only lives in the present and cannot be viewed in a historical sense. We are grateful for the fortuitous chance to be living in the same era as Shige and eagerly wait for what is next to come on his journey.
Yellow Blaze Tattoo
住所: 神奈川県横浜市中区石川町1-15-6 東源元町ビル5F
営業時間: 10:00〜19:00（不定休）
電話: 045-662-7807
Eメール: yellowblazetattoo@gmail.com
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Address: Togenmotomachi Building 5F, 1-15-6 Ishikawa-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama city, Kanagawa
Business hour: 10:00〜19:00（Irregular Holidays）
Phone: (+81)45-662-7807
Email: yellowblazetattoo@gmail.com
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