Kenji Yanobe

	Born in 1965 in Osaka, Kenji Yanobe attended Kyoto City University of Arts and received a Master of Arts degree in 1991. Since the early 1990s, Yanobe has been incorporating the theme of survival in present-day society into his work, creating numerous large-scale mechanical sculptural works that may be attached to one’s body or ridden and controlled. With the dawning of the 21st century, Yanobe shifted to the theme of revival, and in 2003, he held the exhibition Megalomania, the culmination of his work up to that time, at The National Museum of Art, Osaka (on the site of Osaka Expo ‘70 world’s fair). In 2004, he created The City of Children Project during a six-month residency at 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. Yanobe is continuing to develop creative activities that transcend established artistic forms, with such projects as Kindergarten (Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi, 2005), The World of Torayan (Kirishima Open-Air Museum, Kagoshima, 2007) and ULTRA( Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi, 2009).

Born in 1965 in Osaka, Kenji Yanobe attended Kyoto City University of Arts and received a Master of Arts degree in 1991. Since the early 1990s, Yanobe has been incorporating the theme of survival in present-day society into his work, creating numerous large-scale mechanical sculptural works that may be attached to one’s body or ridden and controlled. With the dawning of the 21st century, Yanobe shifted to the theme of revival, and in 2003, he held the exhibition Megalomania, the culmination of his work up to that time, at The National Museum of Art, Osaka (on the site of Osaka Expo ‘70 world’s fair). In 2004, he created The City of Children Project during a six-month residency at 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. Yanobe is continuing to develop creative activities that transcend established artistic forms, with such projects as Kindergarten (Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi, 2005), The World of Torayan (Kirishima Open-Air Museum, Kagoshima, 2007) and ULTRA( Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi, 2009).

Education
1991: M.A., Kyoto City University of Arts, Kyoto
1989: Graduated from Kyoto City University of Arts, Kyoto

Awards
2009: Nominee for VOCA award, Japan.
2008: Tomio Koyama Jury's Award at Tokyo Art Award

Collection: FNAC Fond National d'Art Contemporain in France
FRAC Provance-Alpes-Cóte-D'Azur
University Art Museum, Santa Barbara
Galleria d'Arte Moderna di Bologna
Contro Per L'Arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci, Prato
Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art
Kyoto City
Fukuroi City
Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
Contemporary Art Museum, Kumamoto
The National Museum of Art, Osaka
Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo

Artist website: http://www.yanobe.com/
Gallery: YAMAMOTO GENDAI, Tokyo

Works


Torayan's Great Adventure (special cover)
by Kenji Yanobe
sold out
picture book


mini Giant Torayan
by Kenji Yanobe
$3,000
sculpture


Turtle Island- THUMP!
by Kenji Yanobe
$840
lithograph


Shipbuilding - Torayan Tribe
by Kenji Yanobe
$1,080
lithograph


The Tiny Tiny Sun
by Kenji Yanobe
$240
multiple


Torayan 4 Works Set
by Kenji Yanobe
$2,000
lithograph multiple


Torayan Reading a Picture Book
by Kenji Yanobe
$600
lithograph


Torayan Picking Up the Small Sun
by Kenji Yanobe
$600
lithograph

Exhibition

Selected Solo Exhibition

2009	Temporary Exhibition "Kenji Yanobe - Ulrta," Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi, Japan
2007	Kenji Yanobe "The World of Torayan," Kirishima Open Air Museum, Kagoshima, Japan
2005	"Kindergarten," Tokyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi, Japan
2004	"City of Children," Workshop, 21st Centery Museum of Art Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
2003	"Megalomania", The National Museum of Art Osaka, Osaka, Japan "Atom Suit - Survival, Revival," Kita Kyushu Art Museum, Fukuoka, Japan
2001	"Viva Riva Project - Hair Haire-," Rontgen Kunstram, Tokyo, Japan
1999	"Luna Project-Emargency Shoppers-," The Museum of Contemporary Art Nagoya, Aichi,Japan
1998	"Last Amusement Park of the World," Kirin Art Space Harajuku, Tokyo/ Kirin Plaza Osaka, Osaka/ Mitsubishi-jisho Artium, Fukuoka/ Last Film Theatre of the World, Rontgen Kunstraum, Tokyo Center on Contemporary Art in Seattle, Seattle
1997	Center for the Arts Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco (Cat.) University Art Museum, Santa Barbara CAN Centre d'Art Neuchatel, NeuchatelArs Futura, Zurich
1991	"An Eccentric Life of Kenji Yanobe," Kirin Plaza Osaka, Osaka

Group Exhibition

2009	"TWIST and SHOUT: Contemporary Art from Japan," Bangkok Art and Culture Centre "Aqua Metropolis 2009," Osaka "Roppongi Art night," Roppongi hills
2008	"Shelter x Survival Alternative Homes For Fantastic Lives," Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Hiroshima "Heavy Light: Recent Photography and Video from Japan," International Center of Photography, New York "Manga! Japanese Pictures," Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
	>>See more Group Exhibition here.

Related Topics

	Interview with Sophie Cavaliero, author of "Nouvelle Garde" dedicated to new generation in Japanese art Sep. 27, 2012 [Interview] This is a book about the new generation in Japanese contemporary art after Takashi Murakami, including many artwork images all in color. I interviewed her over skype asking why she started to work on this book and how things went during the process. Read More >>

	Interview with Yuko Yamamoto, galleriest of Yamamoto Gendai Sep. 04, 2012 [Interview] We have interviewed Yamamoto about the artists, Fukaya and Yanobe before. But this time, we asked her about how she started her gallery and what she cares for choosing artists to represent. Read More >>

	Kenji Yanobe "Until Sun Child Rises" at the Gallery of Ibaraki Jun. 18, 2012 [Exhibition] On 11th March 2012, 6.2 meter (20.4 feet) tall FTP statue was unveiled in the central island of the rotary in front of Hankyu Minami Ibaraki station (Ibaraki city, Osaka). The day marked exact one year since the Great Eastern Japan EarthquakeRead More >>

	"Double Vision" at Moscow museum of modern art Apr. 14, 2012 [Exhibition] The Moscow Museum of Modern Art intends to give an overview of contemporary Japanese Artwork with a capacious exhibition dedicated solely to Japanese Art from the last 40 years...Read More >>

	"Kenji Yanobe : Sun Child, Taro's Children" at Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum Jan. 14, 2012 [Exhibition] 2011 is the 100th anniversary of Taro Okamoto's birth, who gave Yanobe great influence on his life as an artist. In celebration of Okamoto's centenary, several exhibitions have been held this year. The last one is this "Kenji Yanobe: Sun Child, Child of Taro". Colliding with Okamoto's work, Yanobe presents a novel and exciting view before our eyes.Read More >>

"Kenji Yanobe : Sun Child, Taro's Children" at Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum: Jan. 14, 2012; [Exhibition]; 2011 is the 100th anniversary of Taro Okamoto's birth, who gave Yanobe great influence on his life as an artist. In celebration of Okamoto's centenary, several exhibitions have been held this year. The last one is this "Kenji Yanobe: Sun Child, Child of Taro". Colliding with Okamoto's work, Yanobe presents a novel and exciting view before our eyes.Read More >>

	Kenji Yanobe "Mythos" exhibited in an old electric power plant Jul. 23, 2010 [Exhibition] [through Sep 23] This exhibition place used to be an electric power plant. Yanobe will transform this abandoned building into the "future" place by creating a story and put it as an installation...Read More >>

	Kenji Yanobe "Levitation" at Yamamoto Gendai Gallery Dec. 15, 2010 [Exhibition] Kenji Yanobe's solo exhibition "Levitation", was held at Yamamoto Gendai Gallery. The selected pieces were from his entirely new series to operate on magnetic energy. Read More >>

	Gallerist talks about Kenji Yanobe Oct. 23, 2010 [Interview] We interviewed Yuko Yamamoto, the gallery owner of Yamamoto Gendai, about the a...Read More >>

	What made Yanobe create "Torayan" Mar. 25, 2009 [Announcement] The 1970 Osaka Expo, with its motto "Human Progress and Harmony" was the beacon...Read More >>