〈Painter’s words〉

The sun sets early in winter; by 5 o’clock in the afternoon it is pitch black. There were no electric lights so we would burn the bark of the white birch, which produces terrible soot, while gathered around the pechka, a type of fireplace. We were all so tired we could barely find the energy to talk. Our discussions were always about the towns where we were from, our families, the foods we ate. As I stretched out my hands towards the pechka, it sometimes seemed to me the surface marks and ridges were the contours of a map. This here is Siberia, there is the Japan Sea, on the other side of that is Japan, Yamaguchi prefecture should be around about here… so very far away. Such are the thoughts that went through my mind as I stared glumly at the pechka. No doubt many of the others were having similar thoughts.

Siberian Series (Shinchosha, 1971)

Kazuki Yasuo 1911 – 1974
Born in Misumi-mura (now Misumi, Nagato City) in Otsu-gun, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Studied oil painting at Tokyo School of Fine Arts, then taught fine art while producing works that were primarily exhibited at Kokugakai (National Painting Association). Kazuki was sent to fight in the Pacific War (WWII), then interned in Siberia after the war. This experience resulted in the Siberia Series, which won the inaugural Japan Art Grand Prize in 1967. This series is considered an important body of work that still resonates widely today.

《畫家的話》

冬天的日落來得早，下午5點天就黑了。因為沒有電燈，點燃了濃煙的白樺皮。由於工作勞累，連開口說話都覺得吃力，但隻要圍著暖爐說話，就必定聊起故鄉的事情、食物以及家人。用手觸摸暖爐表面的斑點和凹凸部分，有時看著像地圖。這裏是西伯利亞，日本海，對面是日本，山口縣就在那一帶。這可太遙遠了。我一邊這樣想著，一邊凝視著暖爐。估計同伴們也有同樣的想法。

《西伯利亞畫集》（新潮社 1971年）

香月泰男
生卒年　1911～1974（明治44年～昭和49年)
香月泰男出生於山口縣大津郡三隅村（現長門市三隅），在東京美術學校學習油畫，在擔任美術教員的同時，主要在國畫會發表作品。1967年， “西伯利亞係列 “獲得了第一屆日本藝術大獎，描繪了香月在太平洋戰爭中服役以及戰後被關押在西伯利亞的經曆。那些作品至今也受很多人歡迎。