Japanese artist returns to campus to see his painting
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. 鈥 On a recent spring afternoon, Takuya Kanemitsu, a Tokyo-based artist and art professor, wandered through the Austin Peay State University Browning Building, looking for one of his paintings. He finally found the massive, six-foot wide canvas on a wall next to the President鈥檚 Office, and Kanemitsu spent several quiet minutes that day reconnecting with the image of a pensive young woman surrounded by books.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. 鈥 On a recent spring afternoon, Takuya Kanemitsu, a Tokyo-based artist and art professor, wandered through the Austin Peay State University Browning Building, looking for one of his paintings. He finally found the massive, six-foot wide canvas on a wall next to the President鈥檚 Office, and Kanemitsu spent several quiet minutes that day reconnecting with the image of a pensive young woman surrounded by books.
鈥淚 was interested in the rhythm of the books,鈥 he said, moving his hand slowly in front of the painting. 鈥淭he composition, I thought, was interesting.鈥
Kanemitsu created the work back in 2007, when he was an international student at APSU, and for the last eight years, he鈥檚 wondered what happened to it. A related mystery has preoccupied several APSU staff member working inside the Browning building. They pass the painting every day, often stopping to admire it, but the work is unsigned. Who, they鈥檝e often asked, is the artist?
鈥淲e have looked at this picture a lot,鈥 Carol Clark, APSU director of community and business relations and executive assistant to the president, said. 鈥淎ll we had heard is it was painted by an international student.鈥
Kanemitsu, dressed stylishly in a polka-dotted chambray shirt and blue jeans, quietly returned to campus around lunchtime one day in late March. He and his wife had come to Austin Peay to visit his old classmate, APSU Information Technology Specialist Jarad Sneed, and to get a glimpse of the painting he鈥檇 spent 200 hours working on during his time at the University.
Word quickly spread through the building that the painting鈥檚 artist had returned, prompting a small crowd to gather outside of the president鈥檚 office. Kanemitsu confirmed for them that it was set in the University鈥檚 Woodward Library, and he spent several minutes explaining how he created the popular work of art.
鈥淚 made a sketch and asked a student to be a model,鈥 he said. 鈥淎fter the library closed, I asked if I could go inside and take a picture. One of the librarians helped me take this picture, holding a lamp up.鈥
When he finished the painting, titled 鈥淎fter the Library Closed,鈥 Kanemitsu realized it was too large to take home with him to Tokyo. That spring, he entered it in the APSU Department of Art鈥檚 annual juried student exhibition.
鈥淲hen he painted it, he was hoping he would win a student award so he wouldn鈥檛 have to worry about taking it back home,鈥 Sneed said.
鈥淚t was too big,鈥 Kanemitsu added. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 take it back to Japan.鈥
He did win, which is how the University came to own it. Kanemitsu went back home to Tokyo a few weeks later, where he currently works as an artist and drawing professor.
For a several minutes that spring afternoon, he lingered in front of his painting, pleased to see it displayed so prominently. He answered a couple of questions and posed for pictures next to the canvas. When the nostalgia finally receded, Kanemitsu and his wife left the Browning Building in order to buy some APSU memorabilia.
鈥淪ome of my students are interested in studying abroad, so I talk about my experience here,鈥 he said.