ARTIST INFO

Kenji INUMAKI

Kenji INUMAKI

Kenji Inumaki was born in Osaka in 1943. While still at the Department of Advanced Art Sculpture of Kyoto University of Education, Inumaki exhibited his works including “Untitled” (1969) made with a cotton cloth that appears to be slanted glass in the Kyoto Independents Exhibition and attracted public attention. In 1970, Inumaki participated in the landmark event in postwar art history, the 10th Japan International Art Exhibition: Between Man and Matter (Commissioner: Yusuke Nakahara, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, 1970). His works produced from the end of the 60s to the early 70s, such as three-dimensional pieces of cubes formed by tying wires and huge works of brown paper taped to walls, can be seen as a critique of the minimal art that flourished during the same period, especially in the West. Inumaki’s works were also presented in the 8th Paris Youth Biennial (1973) and are considered historically important as one of the significant visual languages contemporary to mono-ha. From the mid-1970s, Inumaki shifted his primary art form to two-dimensional, such as drawings shaded with colored pencils on a square of grid paper, paintings depicting grids by an ink bottle, and works with lines created by narrow gaps between painted surfaces. However, his production methodology of arranging basic structures in space and planes has been continued to develop until his later work. Around 1990, Inumaki began creating the “White works series” that has become his signature; this series is painted on canvas with white paint, then scratched over linearly with a nail, and then painted over and over again with thicker layers of paint, rendering unique lines that seem delicate and fragile, yet emanates a strong sense of materiality. By eliminating the intention of “making a work of art” and reducing his practice to the repetition of simple acts, Inumaki explores another possibility of expression on a flat surface while rejecting the value of painting. Inumaki sadly passed away in Kyoto in 2023.

His major solo exhibitions include Kenji Inumaki, Gallery 16 (1969); Kenji Inumaki, Shinanobashi Gallery (1973); Kenji Iumaki, Matsumura Gallery (1974); Kenji Iumaki Exhibition (1979); Kenji Iumaki Irodoru, INAX Gallery Osaka (1987); Art in Kyoto: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow 18 The Works of Kenji INUMAKI, Kyoto City Museum of Art (1996); Kenji Inumaki: Shaping as Evidence, INAX Gallery 20 (1996); and Kenji Iumaki: STUDY UMBER…, INAX Gallery 2 (1996). Inumaki also participated in various group exhibitions including The 1st International Exhibition of Contemporary Sculpture, Hakone Open-Air Museum (1969); A Perspective on Contemporary Art, The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto (1969); the 4th Contemporary Japanese Sculpture Exhibition, Ube City Outdoor Sculpture Museum (1971); Sukkari Damena Bokutachi, Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art (1971); Kyoto Biennale, Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art (1972); Japan: Tradition und Gegenwart, Hetjens Museum (1974); Contemporary Japanese Art Exhibition, The Korean Culture and Arts Foundation (1981); Five Japanese Contemporary Artists, Hetjens Museum (1983); Matter and Perception 1970 Mono-ha and the Search for Fundermentals, The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama and others (1995); Reconsidering Mono-ha, The National Museum of Art, Osaka (2005); The Link Between Words and Art: An Homage to Nakahara Yusuke, Gallery Yamaki Fine Art (2012); and Frame and Wave, Toyota Municipal Museum of Art (2023).

Inumaki’s works are in the collections of major museums in Japan, including the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; the National Museum of Art, Osaka; the Museum of Modern Art, Saitama; Toyota Municipal Museum of Art; Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art; Takamatsu City Museum of Art; Iwaki City Museum of Art; and Ube City.

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Works

  • Title
    Untitled
    Size
    78×107.8cm
    Year
    2015
    Medium
    color pencil on paper
  • Title
    Listening to the Sounds of the Other World
    Size
    27.3×19cm
    Year
    2015
    Medium
    oil on canvas
  • Title
    Like a Jōmon Line
    Size
    91×116.7cm
    Year
    2015
    Medium
    oil on canvas
  • Title
    Untitled
    Size
    78×107.8cm
    Year
    2015
    Medium
    color pencil on paper
  • Title
    Listening to the Sounds of the Other World
    Size
    27.3×19cm
    Year
    2015
    Medium
    oil on canvas
  • Title
    Like a Jōmon Line
    Size
    91×116.7cm
    Year
    2015
    Medium
    oil on canvas

CV

1943
Born in Osaka
1972
Left Kyoto Educational University (Special fine art course for sculpturing)
2023
Died on January 18.
1969
(日本語) ’69京都アンデパンダン展」京都市美術館(京都)('70,'71,'73

Selected Solo Exhibitions

1969
Gallery 16, Kyoto
1973
(日本語) 「狗巻賢二展」信濃橋画廊(大阪)
1973
"Kenji INUMAKI-Drawings-", Gallery 16, Kyoto
1975
(日本語) 「狗巻賢二展」東京画廊(東京)('79)
1987
“Kenji INUMAKI: To Color“, INAX Gallery Osaka, Osaka, Japan
1996
“Art in Kyoto: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow 18 The Works of Kenji INUMAKI”, Kyoto City Art Museum, Kyoto, Japan
1996
“Kenji INUMAKI: Shaping as Evidence”, INAX Gallery 2, Tokyo
2014
Solo Exhibition of Kenji INUMAKI, Gallery Yamaki Fine Art, Hyogo

Selected Group Exhibitions

1969
"Kenji INUMAKI-Drawing-", Gallery 16, Kyoto
1968
“Kyoto Independent Exhibition ‘68”, Kyoto City Art Museum, Kyoto, Japan
1968
(日本語) 「次元'68展」京都市美術館(京都)
1968
(日本語) 「第1回茨木現代美術展」茨木市大会議室教育委員会賞(第3席)
1968
(日本語) 「ニュー・ジオメトリック・グループ展」 ギャラリーヤツイ(大阪)
1968
(日本語) 「ニュー・ジオメトリック・グループ国内展」 東京セントラル美術館    (巡回)オークランド美術館(アメリカ'69)
1969
(日本語) 「第9回現代日本美術展」東京都美術館 (東京)(巡回)京都市立美術館(京都)
1969
(日本語) 「第1回現代国際彫刻展」 コンクール審査明治神宮絵画館(東京)
1969
(日本語) 「第1回現代国際彫刻展」 箱根彫刻の森美術館(神奈川)
1969
(日本語) 「美術という幻想の終焉展」 信濃美術館(長野)
1969
(日本語) 「現代美術の動向」 京都国立近代美術館
1970
(日本語) 第10回日本国際美術展(東京ビエンナーレ)「人間と物質 Between Man and Matter」、東京都美術館を皮切りに京都市美術館、愛知県美術館、福岡市文化会館を巡回
1970
(日本語) 「1970年8月 現代美術の一断面展」 東京国立近代美術館(東京)
1970
(日本語) 「幻想のインテリア展」神戸市サンボー・ホール(兵庫)
1970
(日本語) 「20人の方法展」信濃橋画廊(大阪)
1970
(日本語) 「毎日選抜美術展」大丸百貨店(京都)
1971
(日本語) 「第10回現代日本美術展「人間と自然」」東京都美術館(東京)
1971
(日本語) 「第4回現代日本彫刻展」 宇部市野外彫刻美術館(山口)
1971
(日本語) 「第4回現代の造形<映像表現'71>」京都新聞ホール(京都)
1971
(日本語) 「すっかりだめな僕たち展」京都市美術館、京都書院ホール(京都)
1972
(日本語) 「京都ビエンナーレ」京都市美術館(京都)('73,'76
1972
(日本語) 「映像による企画」京都大学西武講堂、京都書院\(京都)
1972
Gallery 16, Kyoto
1972
(日本語) 「美術は展覧会 活躍する僕たち展」京都市美術館、京都書院ホール(京都)
1972
(日本語) 「第1回現代日本グラフィック・アート展」 I.C.A(ロンドン,イギリス)西武百貨店渋谷店(東京)
1972
(日本語) 「今日の作家'72年展」(第8回今日の作家展)横浜市民ギャラリー(神奈川)
1973
(日本語) 「<実務>と<実務>12人展」 ピナール画廊(東京)
1973
(日本語) 「第8回パリ青年ビエンナーレ」パリ市立近代美術館(パリ,フランス)
1974
(日本語) 「日本-伝統と現代」デュッセルドルフ市立美術館(デュッセルドルフ,ドイツ)
1974
“ALL OVER & OVER ALL or retrospective exhibition”, Gallery 16, Kyoto
1975
(日本語) 「アサヒアートナウ」兵庫県立近代美術館(兵庫)
1976
“Collage and Frottage”, Gallery 16, Kyoto
1977
(日本語) 「絵画の豊かさ」(第13回今日の作家展)横浜市民ギャラリー(神奈川)
1981
(日本語) 「日本現代美術展 70年代日本の美術の動向」韓国文化藝術振興院美術館(ソウル)
1981
“FINAL'81”, Gallery 16, Kyoto
1983
(日本語) 「日本現代美術展5人の日本現代作家達」 デュッセルドルフ市立美術館(ドイツ)
1984
“20 years of Contemporary Japanese Art”, Museum of Modern Art, Gunma, Japan
1984
(日本語) 「東京画廊ヒューマン・ドキュメンツ」 東京画廊(東京)('85)
1991
“BACK AND FORTH-5 -In the Wake of the Seventies-”, Gallery 16, Kyoto
1994
(日本語) 「平安建都1200年記念展<京を創る>」 京都市役所(京都)
1994
(日本語) 「関西の美術1950's~1970's」 兵庫県立近代美術館(兵庫)
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
1997
(日本語) 「MURAMATSUⅡ 狗巻賢二・坂口寛敏・村上善雄」 村松画廊(東京)
2004
“Evidence: Bodies and Thoughts in postwar art”, The National Museum of Art, Kyoto, traveled to The National Museum of Art, Tokyo, Japan
2005
“10th Anniversary Time of Tokyo Municipal Museum 1926-1970”, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
2005
(日本語) 「第21回現代日本彫刻展 2005」 宇部市野外彫刻美術館(山口)
2005
“Reconsidering Mono-ha”, The National Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan
2009
“23th Ube Biennale: Contemporary Japan Sculpture”, Ube City Outdoors Sculpture Museum, Yamaguchi, Japan
2012
‘The Link Between Words and Art: An Homage to Nakahara Yusuke’
2014
Special Show / Tatuso KAWAGUCHI・Kenji INUMAKI, Gallery Yamaki Fine Art, Hyogo
2014
Mono-ha (School of Things) vs. Support / Surface, Gallery Yamaki Fine Art, Hyogo
2014
"1974 A Turning Point in Postwar Japanese Art : part Ⅱ", The Museum of Modern Art, Gunma, Gunma
2016
“over the ages”, 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)
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
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)
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)
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) 「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) 「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) 「Metamorphosis and Evolution 変容と進化」emmy art +(東京)
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)
2023
(日本語) 「枠と波」豊田市美術館(愛知)

Awards

2009
Received Mainichi News Award at the 23rd UBE Biennale Contemporary Japanese Sculpture Exhibition
2006
(日本語) 第25回 今立現代美術紙展'06 K氏賞   越前市いまだて芸術館