Kenji Inumaki was born in 1943, Osaka Japan. In the 1970s he created, with thread, eye-deceiving sculptures which appeared as if a piece of glass was standing diagonally and with simply tying wire, multiples of cubic structures. Such works have been highly appreciated as a movement having emerged in conjunction with the Mono-ha. He has been a participant in numerous important exhibitions including, ‘The 10th Japanese International Art Exhibition: Between Man and Matter’, 1970 and ‘The 8 th Paris Youth Biennale’, 1973. Such practice of ‘placing a primary structure in space’ has become the foundation of his creations. Since the mid 1970s, he consistently creates works which are the results of repeating a simple task, such as faintly coloring in graph paper grids with coloring pencils, drawing with sumi ink lines from a sumitsubo (sumi inkpot) and the ‘White works series – Sort of primitive idealistic space’ by applying thick layers of white paint.
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TitleUntitledSize78×107.8cmYear2015Mediumcolor pencil on paper -
TitleListening to the Sounds of the Other WorldSize27.3×19cmYear2015Mediumoil on canvas -
TitleLike a Jōmon LineSize91×116.7cmYear2015Mediumoil on canvas
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TitleUntitledSize78×107.8cmYear2015Mediumcolor pencil on paper
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TitleListening to the Sounds of the Other WorldSize27.3×19cmYear2015Mediumoil on canvas
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TitleLike a Jōmon LineSize91×116.7cmYear2015Mediumoil on canvas
CV
1943
Born in Osaka
1972
Left Kyoto Educational University (Special fine art course for sculpturing)
1994
“Art in Kansai 1950’s-1970’s”, Hyogo Prefectural Modern Museum, Kobe, Japan
2005
Selected for The 21st Contemporary Japanese Sculpture Exhibition
2009
Received Mainichi News Award at the 23rd UBE Biennale Contemporary Japanese Sculpture Exhibition
2023
Died on January 18.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2022
" '22 Study ", Gallery Yamaki Fine Art, Hyogo
2019
"Study Umber…。", Gallery Yamaki Fine Art, Hyogo
2015
Solo Exhibition of Kenji INUMAKI, Gallery Yamaki Fine Art, Hyogo
2014
Solo Exhibition of Kenji INUMAKI, Gallery Yamaki Fine Art, Hyogo
1999
"Solo Show" , Muramatsu Gallery, Tokyo
1996
“Kenji INUMAKI: Shaping as Evidence”, INAX Gallery 2, Tokyo
1996
“Art in Kyoto: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow 18 The Works of Kenji INUMAKI”, Kyoto City Art Museum, Kyoto, Japan
1987
“Kenji INUMAKI: To Color“, INAX Gallery Osaka, Osaka, Japan
1980
"Kenji INUMAKI－Drawings－", Gallery 16, Kyoto
1974
"Kenji INUMAKI－Drawing－", Gallery 16, Kyoto
1969
Gallery 16, Kyoto
Selected Group Exhibitions
2022
(日本語) 「Art Collaboration Kyoto (ACK)：ギャラリーヤマキファインアートブース」国立京都国際会館イベントホール（京都）
2022
(日本語) 「Study：大阪・関西国際芸術祭 / アートフェア 2022」グランフロント大阪 北館1F ナレッジプラザ、ギャラリーヤマキファインアートブース(大阪)
2021
(日本語) 「Art Collaboration Kyoto (ACK)：ギャラリーヤマキファインアートブース」国立京都国際会館イベントホール（京都）
2021
(日本語) 「2021年度 第I期 コレクション展」豊田市美術館(愛知)
2021
(日本語) 「狗巻賢二、中原浩大、毛利武士郎 – 村松画廊コレクションより」Satoko Oe Contemporary(東京)
2021
(日本語) 「Metamorphosis and Evolution 変容と進化」emmy art +(東京)
2020
(日本語) 台北Dangdai Art ＆ Ideas：ギャラリーヤマキファインアートブース(台湾)
2020
(日本語) 「CADAN：現代美術」寺田倉庫B&Cホール ギャラリーヤマキファインアートブース(東京)
2018
(日本語) 「戦後の日本美術展」ギャラリーヤマキファインアート(神戸)
2018
“Collection / galerie16 Kenji INUMAKI・Yoshihisa KITATSUJI・MOON Seung-Keun”, Gallery 16, Kyoto
2016
(日本語) 「ペーパーワーク展」ギャラリーヤマキファインアート(神戸)
2016
“over the ages”, Gallery 16, Kyoto
2014
"1974 A Turning Point in Postwar Japanese Art : part Ⅱ", The Museum of Modern Art, Gunma, Gunma
2014
Mono-ha (School of Things) vs. Support / Surface, Gallery Yamaki Fine Art, Hyogo
2014
Special Show / Tatuso KAWAGUCHI・Kenji INUMAKI, Gallery Yamaki Fine Art, Hyogo
2012
‘The Link Between Words and Art: An Homage to Nakahara Yusuke’
2009
“23th Ube Biennale: Contemporary Japan Sculpture”, Ube City Outdoors Sculpture Museum, Yamaguchi, Japan
2005
“Reconsidering Mono-ha”, The National Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan
2005
“10th Anniversary Time of Tokyo Municipal Museum 1926-1970”, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
2004
“Evidence: Bodies and Thoughts in postwar art”, The National Museum of Art, Kyoto, traveled to The National Museum of Art, Tokyo, Japan
1995
“1970: Matters and Parception Mono-ha and other artists questioning roots”, Gifu Prefectural Museum of Art, Gifu, Japan, traveled to Hiroshima City Museum of Art and Kitakyushu Municipal The Museum of Modern and The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama and Contemporary Art of Saint-Étienne Métropole, France
1991
“BACK AND FORTH-5 -In the Wake of the Seventies-”, Gallery 16, Kyoto
1984
“20 years of Contemporary Japanese Art”, Museum of Modern Art, Gunma, Japan
1981
“FINAL'81”, Gallery 16, Kyoto
1976
“Collage and Frottage”, Gallery 16, Kyoto
1974
“Japan: Tradition and Modern”, Stadtmuseum Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
1974
“ALL OVER & OVER ALL or retrospective exhibition”, Gallery 16, Kyoto
1972
Gallery 16, Kyoto
1968
“New Geometric Group Exhibition in Japan”, Tokyo Central Museum, Tokyo, Japan, traveled to Auckland Museum, California, USA［'69］
1968
“Kyoto Independent Exhibition ‘68”, Kyoto City Art Museum, Kyoto, Japan
