The special exhibition "The Complete Noboru Baba Exhibition: Drawn, Created, Enjoyed, Nyago!" will be held at the Kurashiki City Art Museum from July 26 (Friday) to September 1 (Sunday), 2024.
As a related event for this special exhibition, a commemorative lecture was held featuring Yuko Sekiya, the editor responsible for publishing Noboru Baba's picture books.
We will report on the lecture, which was filled with many episodes that only the editor could share, including stories about Noboru Baba's personality and the birth of his picture books.
What is the commemorative lecture for "The Complete Noboru Baba Exhibition: Drawn, Created, Enjoyed, Nyago!"?
The exhibition "The Complete Noboru Baba Exhibition: Drawn, Created, Enjoyed, Nyago!" is a special exhibition being held at the Kurashiki City Art Museum from July 26 (Friday) to September 1 (Sunday), 2024, for about a month.
Planned in 2021, marking the 20th anniversary of Noboru Baba's passing, the exhibition began at the Nerima City Art Museum in Tokyo and is touring across the country.
At the Kurashiki City Art Museum, there are many unique projects, such as a special exhibition of the original illustrations for the picture book "Momotaro" and the sale of original collaboration denim bags with the jeans brand Betty Smith, which originated in the Kojima area, making it a unique project for the Kurashiki venue.
On July 27 (Saturday), a commemorative lecture by Yuko Sekiya was held in the third-floor auditorium, titled "11 Cats" and Mr. Noboru Baba - Continuing to Seek True Humor, which is also one of the unique projects for the Kurashiki venue.
Yuko Sekiya is the editor responsible for Noboru Baba's works.
This lecture is a rare opportunity to hear episodes unique to Sekiya, who has continued to engage with Baba's family and works even after his passing.
Overview of the commemorative lecture "11 Cats" and Mr. Noboru Baba - Continuing to Seek True Humor
Seating on the day was on a first-come, first-served basis. I also entered the venue at 1 PM when the doors opened. About half of the seats in the auditorium on the third floor of the Kurashiki City Art Museum were already occupied, and it was clear that the audience was looking forward to the lecture.
As someone with a hearing impairment, I had a sign language interpreter dispatched to the Kurashiki City Art Museum. I was able to confirm the interpreter's position in the venue layout and check specialized terms with the interpreter before the lecture, as preparation for sign language interpretation is necessary.
Thanks to the proactive involvement of the staff at the Kurashiki City Art Museum in such pre-event arrangements, I was able to attend the lecture with peace of mind.
The Sketchbook of Noboru Baba that Fans of the "11 Cats" Series Should Know
During his lifetime, Noboru Baba reportedly did not allow almost anyone, including family, into his studio. It seems that even his unfinished works were not seen by his family.
However, after Baba's passing, the Aomori Prefectural Museum, located in his hometown, held a retrospective exhibition. With the family's consent, when Sekiya was allowed to investigate the studio located on the second floor of Baba's home, she discovered nearly 100 sketchbooks and reported this to the curators.
Initially, there was hesitation about whether it was appropriate to publicly display the sketchbooks that Baba had never shown to anyone. However, after some of them were exhibited at the exhibition, nearly 20 years after his passing, with the support of the curators, they were published in the form of "Noboru Baba's Sketchbooks" (published by Koguma-sha).
"The image of Noboru Baba peeking out from the sketchbooks is what I want fans of the '11 Cats' series to know, and that's why I started speaking at lectures like today," she said while introducing a book that compiles Baba's sketches with great care.
Each sketch is delicately drawn.
Not limited to painting, Noboru Baba was also skilled in calligraphy and lettering from a young age.
Sekiya states, "All of Mr. Noboru Baba's works, whether drawings or text, are things that could only be expressed because the fundamentals were properly established."
Some of the sketchbooks and childhood calligraphy works can be viewed at the exhibition venue.
Adults can be deceived, but children cannot
"11 Cats" was published in 1967 and has been reprinted over 200 times, continuing to be read to this day.
This series was very popular from the time the first book was released, but it took 5 years for the second book to be published, and thereafter, production progressed at a slow pace of one book every 6 to 7 years.
The reason for this was that he wanted to depict endings with surprising twists that would astonish children. The more he wanted to create endings that would not betray the readers' expectations, the more difficult it became to put pen to paper.
"As a result, all six books have become picture books with twists that surprise children at the end, and all are long sellers that continue to be read even now," Sekiya said with a smile.
Looking around the exhibition venue like this, fans of Noboru Baba of all ages, from children around 2 years old to elderly people close to 80, gather.
"Mr. Noboru Baba once said, Adults can be deceived, but children cannot, and he had a belief in depicting what he found interesting in a way that children could easily understand. This commitment is the secret to why he continues to be loved by many people of all ages even after his passing," Sekiya shared.
Noboru Baba and the Picture Book "Momotaro"
One of the highlight exhibits at the Kurashiki City Art Museum is the exhibition of the original illustrations for the picture book "Momotaro".
"The Complete Noboru Baba Exhibition: Drawn, Created, Enjoyed, Nyago!" has been touring various locations since the summer of 2021, but the original illustrations for the picture book "Momotaro" are being exhibited for the first time at the Kurashiki City Art Museum.
Koguma-sha was initially reluctant to publish the picture book, believing that "the charm of folktales lies in the enjoyment of imagining from the storytelling." However, this picture book "Momotaro" was one of the works that Noboru Baba himself proposed to draw.
At the time this proposal was made, Baba's health was not good, but when Sekiya asked him to draw the works he wanted to create, he happily created the illustrations.
Folktales are oral literature, so the same story can have various plots and endings depending on the region. The picture book "Momotaro" illustrated by Noboru Baba features a laid-back, leisurely version of Momotaro, rather than the brave one.
According to stories heard from his classmates after his passing, it seems that he had a special attachment to "Momotaro" since elementary school.
Reflecting on the episodes leading up to the completion of the picture book "Momotaro," Sekiya looks back and expresses gratitude for having Baba create the picture book.
The picture book "Momotaro," which was one of the important folktales for Noboru Baba, is fully exhibited (except for the cover and endpapers) at the Kurashiki City Art Museum, so please take a look.
I also got the newly reprinted picture book "Momotaro" after a long time.
Conclusion
Mr. Sakaya speaks of Noboru Baba, who grew up freely while being praised for his drawings by his family, and was a big-hearted person who could give the same love he received from his family to his readers and his own family. That is why he was able to remain a beloved manga artist across a wide range of ages, regardless of gender.
After the lecture, Mr. Sakaya and the staff from Kurashiki City Art Museum came close to the sign language interpreters and expressed their gratitude by saying, "Thank you for interpreting our talk today." It was impressive. Regardless of whether one can hear or not, the desire to convey Mr. Baba's way of life to his fans was clearly communicated, and I wrote this article with a warm feeling.
The "All About Noboru Baba Exhibition: Drawn, Created, Enjoyed, Nyago!" is being held at Kurashiki City Art Museum until September 1 (Sunday).
Please enjoy not only the adorable figures of the cats but also Mr. Baba's sketches, calligraphy, and the charm of the picture book "Momotaro."
Articles about Kurashiki City Art Museum
Data for the "All About Noboru Baba Exhibition: Drawn, Created, Enjoyed, Nyago!" Commemorative Lecture
| Name | "All About Noboru Baba Exhibition: Drawn, Created, Enjoyed, Nyago!" Commemorative Lecture |
|---|---|
| Date | July 27, 2024 (Saturday) from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM |
| Location | 2-6-1 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Participation Fee (Tax Included) | Free |
| Homepage | "All About Noboru Baba Exhibition: Drawn, Created, Enjoyed, Nyago!" |
