【Kan Yasuda in Italy vol.1】 Sculpture Exhibition on Milan’s Main Street

In the spring of 1991, the solo outdoor sculpture exhibition of a Japanese sculptor launched on the main street in Milan.

Twelve marble and bronze sculptures by Kan Yasuda were exhibited on the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, alongside the Duomo di Milano, the symbol of Milan and high-end boutiques.

Kan Yasuda had been working steadily on marble and bronze sculptures ever since 1970, his first arrival to Italy to advance his study of sculpture. In 1990, the exhibition “Sculpture Path for the World Cup ’90” was held to celebrate the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. Selected as one of 30 sculptors, there Yasuda chose to exhibit his white marble work MYOMU. He recalls seeing legendary soccer player Diego Armando Maradona window-shopping followed by paparazzi at that time.

Both the Plaza of the Duomo di Milano and the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II had been open to vehicles, but then changed to pedestrian-only streets before the World Cup. It may represent the Italian spirit to change Milan to a human-friendly city, taking this big event as an opportunity.

In 1991, being recognized for his creations in Italy by the city of Milan, Yasuda was appointed a big role to hold an exhibition on that 380-meter-long street, comprised only of his own work. In an interview at the time, Yasuda said:

This exhibit held by the city of Milan demonstrates to the world how the city is committed to sharing the work of a foreign sculptor who trained very hard in Italy for 20 years – finally becoming someone whose works can be shared globally. The true meaning of the city holding such an exhibition is that it creates a goal for younger artists and inspires hope for them. The tradition for appreciation of culture and art in Italy is deep and admirable.

There are established bookstores such as the Rizzoli Galleria and the Libreria Bocca in Galleria, an arcade along the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. Yasuda recalls it was such an honor to see his exhibition catalogs in their storefronts, feeling the recognition by the city of Milan.

Researching the Libreria Bocca, I came to know it was founded in 1775 in Torino as an art specific bookstore. The fact the bookstore has existed for about 250 years is surprising. In Japan also, Genpaku Sugita, Ryotaku Maeno and Jun-an Nakagawa translated a Dutch book 'Anatomische Tabellen' into Japanese and published 'Kaitai Shinsho' in 1774. I suppose the publishing industry was already developed then.

The exhibition received such excellent reputations that its term extended to five months, beyond the original two months. Also, Yasuda’s KIMON was permanently installed in a park in Milan.

This outdoor exhibition “Sculpture Path” in Milan inspired the confidence in 46-year-old Yasuda as he continued his work in Italy.