{"id":216,"date":"2023-01-05T14:41:26","date_gmt":"2023-01-05T19:41:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/23w-japn-025-kyoto\/?p=216"},"modified":"2023-01-19T02:00:04","modified_gmt":"2023-01-19T07:00:04","slug":"keiko-udaka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/23w-japn-025-kyoto\/artist-masters\/keiko-udaka\/","title":{"rendered":"Keiko Udaka"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/span><\/h2>\n

UDAKA Keiko is a Noh mask maker from Kyoto who comes from a long family line of individuals specializing in the art of Noh. Since her youth, she has been involved in the drama form under the tutelage of her late father, Michishige Udaka, a renowned Kong\u014d school Noh performer and mask carver who helped establish the International Noh Institute. Udaka-sensei graduated from the Department of Fine Arts of the Kyoto City University of the Arts, concentrating on Noh mask carving. As a female mask carver in a traditionally male-dominated industry, her presence in this scene also represents the evolving legacy of Noh. Following her graduation, she has been involved in the art form as both an educator and a practicing artisan. For Udaka-sensei, a single mask may take around two months to complete due to the intricate process involved in the carving and coloring aspects of the mask creation. Although her practice follows traditional ways of mask making, she has expanded her art practice by utilizing different modern mediums of engagement to educate a wider audience who may not be familiar with Noh.<\/p>\n

In terms of Udaka-sensei\u2019s engagement with the traditional, she helps lead workshops and teaches<\/a> mask carving to students in the International Noh Institute. In these workshops, which meet three times a month, students learn how to carve different styles of Noh masks, using traditional chisels, templates, and engaging with natural pigments to create the masks. These masks are then displayed in a biennial exhibit to showcase the students\u2019 work.<\/p>\n

Moreover, Udaka-sensei\u2019s approach to Noh mask carving extends to more modern interpretations. For instance, during the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped found the Takumi New Standard<\/a> alongside five Kyoto-based artists. With the turbulent times facing Kyoto, the group began as a way to relieve some of the emotional burdens of the pandemic by creating comforting and humorous art. One such work, created by Udaka-sensei, reinterprets a Noh mask as a protective surgical mask, done by removing the top portion of the mask.<\/p>\n

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(Image: SoraNews24; Creator: Keiko Udaka)<\/h5>\n

Some of the other modern ways Udaka-sensei approached this artistry is through its representation on digital spaces and gaming. On Rarible<\/a>, an NFT marketplace, she allowed the masks to exist on its own as an artform, away from the performance that usually accompanies the masks. Under the larger Sukiyaki Japan umbrella, which features a large collection of traditional Japanese artworks and whose mission is to \u201cdisseminate traditional Japanese crafts to the world and enliven the industry,\u201d Udaka-sensei has a series of around 32 NFTs of Noh masks on the marketplace. Beyond the NFT space, Udaka-sensei has also collaborated with the game Apex Legends for their Golden Week sale celebration. For the game, she created a mask of the Wraith\u2019s Demon Skin<\/a> which was handed to a lucky individual through a giveaway that the game hosted.<\/p>\n

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(Image: Noh Mask #05 Doji by Sukiyaki Japan of Rarible; Creator: Keiko Udaka; Photographer: Hiroko Nishihara)<\/h5>\n

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(Image: Apex Legends and Udaka Keiko)<\/h5>\n

In all her art making process, it is evident that each mask is created with great care and attention to detail. In an interview with the documentary Noh Masks (\u9762, Men): The Spirit of Noh Theatre<\/i><\/a>, Udaka-sensei says that when she knows what Noh performance the masks will be used for, she \u201c[thinks] of the character\u2019s story and imagine how the character will move.\u201d In the interview, it is clear that in the process of creating Noh masks, it is vital to bring the life of the character through the masks and help spark the essence and soul into the masks during the creation process. Regarding the liveliness that occurs in creating these masks, themes of Inochi as it relates to spreading Inochi and the circulation of Inochi is clear as the creation process involves unleashing life into the masks, which will then be used by the performers.<\/p>\n

Question:<\/strong><\/p>\n