Shiotsuki Juran (1948 - 2016)

Born on Shukoku Island, Ehime Prefecture, Shiotsuki Juran studied bamboo craftsmanship at the Beppu Industrial Art Crafts Institute and subsequently trained under the bamboo artist Ichihara Kaunsai (1916 - 1995). He started exhibiting his works in 1976 and first showed at the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition in 1982. By the early 1990s, he stopped showing at traditional exhibition venues and began focusing on more experimental pieces, some of which have inspired young bamboo artists from Kyushu and the Kansai region. His works are in the collections of institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.