April 2008 | On Our Radar

Enlightenment on Tour

Shinjo Ito was born on March 28, 1906, in imperial Japan. By the time of his death in 1989, he had lived through the 20th century’s seminal events, including two world wars and the “Japanese miracle,” which saw the nation — brought low after a crushing defeat in 1945 — rebound to become a global economic player.

Shinjo Ito saw all of this through the lens of Buddhism. He was introduced to the spiritual path at an early age and eventually attained the rank of Grand Master at the Daigoji monastery, the premier school for Shingon Buddhists. Along with his wife, Shinjo Ito established Shinnyo-en, an offshoot sect based on the teachings of the Nirvana Sutra. Among other things, the order taught that the seed of enlightenment lives in all people and needed only a lifetime of kindness and service to awaken it.

Over the course of more than six decades, Shinjo Ito produced a number of striking and influential works of art influenced by his pioneering approach to Buddhism. And on April 8 — more than a century after his birth in Japan’s Yamanashi prefecture — Shinjo Ito’s art is coming to Chicago. The stop is part of The Vision and Art of Shinjo Ito, a historic exhibition commemorating the founder’s body of work.

The artifacts — sculptures, photos, engravings, calligraphy and more — will be on display at the Chicago Illuminating Co., 19 E. 21st St., from April 8 through May 1. Chicago is the second of just three U.S. cities that will host the historic tour; the collection spent most of 2006 and 2007 touring Japan, when more than 310,000 people viewed it.

“Shinjo Ito created devotional images based on a personal interpretation of scriptures, combining elements of traditional Buddhism with a fresh, modern approach,” said Hiroko Sakomura, curator and general director of the tour, in a media release.

“This important exhibition gives U.S. audiences a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain insight into the heart and mind of a major Buddhist figure of the 20th century and one of Japan’s most revered spiritual leaders.”

The exhibition includes a 16-foot sculpture of Buddha as he prepared to enter “complete nirvana” at the end of his life. Dubbed the “Great Parinirvana Image,” the stunning gold-colored sculpture was completed in 1957 by Shinjo Ito and his congregation.

“What I seek to create is not just the physical form of a Buddha figure,” Shinjo Ito was quoted as saying. “My purpose for sculpting them is to inspire and motivate everyone to find the enlightened [Buddha] nature within their own selves and grow spiritually.”

In addition, the tour showcases artifacts from Shinjo Ito’s private life, including busts of his family and friends. Particularly poignant are two sculptures of his sons, both of whom died young. All told, more than 100 pieces of art are featured in the tour.

Admission is free; after Chicago, the tour will stop in Los Angeles from May 8 through June 29. For more information, visit chicagoilluminatingcompany.com, or shinjoito.com.

— Patrick W. Rollens

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