Nobuo Kubota
(1932–)
Nobuo Kubota
1932–
Nobuo Kubota (1932– ) is a Japanese Canadian multimedia artist who often combines sound, music, installation, and film in his work, which he calls “intermedia.” He was an early member of the Artists Jazz Band and the CCMC. He is renowned for his use of extended vocal techniques and sound poetry. He has produced a variety of disciplinary hybrids, such as sound sculptures, performance-video installations, three-dimensional poems, and improvisational-art music.
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Kubota started his career in 1959 with a degree in architecture from UofT. He left architecture after ten years to pursue his passion for art. Throughout his artistic career, architecture remained a significant influence on his work. His early sculptures show the impact of constructive and minimalist sculptors. Sculpture installations have been a central part of his work over the years.
In 1964, Kubota spent a year in Japan studying the impact of Zen and Shintoism on Japanese art and culture. Upon returning to Canada, his work strongly reflected this influence. He focused on visual and sound poetry, exploring the “intermedia” strategy, which serves as an extension of his vocal work. Kubota’s interest in Japanese Calligraphy led him to develop his style, which he used to write sources for vocal presentations.
Kubota was a professor at OCAD University from 1970 to 1998. His artwork is in collections like the National Gallery of Canada, and he was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Kubota currently resides in Toronto. He is interested in developing a calligraphic style of notation for the depiction of sound, which he calls Sonic Calligraphy. Kubota has received numerous awards, including the Allied Arts Award from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, the Victor Lynch Stanton Award from the Canada Council, and the Governor General’s Award for the Arts.