（Japanese Follows)

Hideki Iinuma
Born: 1975, Nagano, Japan
Lives and works in: Tokyo, Japan

Education:

1994 – 1998 Bachelor of Arts, Teacher’s License, Fine Arts, Tamagawa University, Tokyo, Japan
1998 – 2001 Master of Fine Arts, Aichi Prefecture University of Fine Arts, Aichi, Japan
2002 – 2004 Diplôme National d’Arts Plastiques, École Régionale des Beaux-Arts de Nantes, France

Solo Exhibitions:

2024 “Roulette” UG Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2024 “Recto Verso” Otherwise Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2022 “Pro File Picture” SNOW Contemporary, Tokyo, Japan
2021 “Symptoms” SNOW Contemporary, Tokyo, Japan
2018 “New Works” Marian Cramer Projects, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2018 “Tokyo Paradise” SNOW Contemporary, Tokyo, Japan
2017 “Amazon Nile Taklamakan” SNOW Contemporary, Tokyo, Japan
2016 “Fighting Goddesses” Matsumoto City Museum of Art, Nagano, Japan
2014 “6th Sense” SNOW Contemporary, Tokyo, Japan
2011 “Beauties” XYZ Collective [SNOW Contemporary], Tokyo, Japan
2011 “Beauties” SLANT, Kanazawa, Japan
2010 Marian Cramer Projects, Netherlands
2006 Fabian & Claude Walter Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
2005 Ernst Barlach Prize Exhibition, Hamburg, Germany
2004 Cornelius Pleser Gallery, Munich, Germany
2002 Maison Billaud, Fontenay-le-Comte, France

Selected Group Exhibitions:

2024 “START Box EXHIBITION vol.1” Tokyo, Japan
2023 “Art Session Part 1” Ginza Tsutaya Books, Tokyo, Japan
2023 “EAST EAST TOKYO” SNOW Contemporary, Tokyo, Japan
2022 “Art Fair Tokyo” SNOW Contemporary, Tokyo, Japan
2021 “ART TAIWAN” GIN HUANG Gallery, Taiwan
2021 “Art Fair Tokyo” SNOW Contemporary, Tokyo, Japan
2017 “Echoes from the Past | Tokyo | Berlin | Kerava” Kerava Museum, Finland
2015 “LUMINE meets ART AWARD” Tokyo, Japan
2011 “Tongerlohuys Museum” Roosendaal, Netherlands

Awards & Prizes:

2016 Grand Prize, LUMINE meets ART AWARD 2015, Tokyo, Japan
2013 Special Recognition Award, Rokko Meets Art, Hyogo, Japan
2005 Ernst Barlach Prize, Hamburg, Germany
2004 First Prize, International Wood Sculpture Symposium, Dresden, Germany
2001 French Government Scholarship for Study Abroad
1999 INOAC International Education Foundation Scholarship, Aichi, Japan

Public Collection:

Matsumoto city museum of Art, Japan

Ernst Barlach Museum, Germany

The Kalevala Society Foundation, Finland

Art and Museum Centre Sinkka,Finland

Taguchi Art collection, Japan

Swagemakers collection, The Netherlands

Vigilius Mountain Resort, Italy

Interview

Describe the moment you realized art fed your soul.
I have been engaged in art since childhood, but I truly realized its deep connection to my soul when I began working primarily with wood. The tactile sensation, resistance, and organic nature of the material created a sense of dialogue between me and something beyond myself.

What themes do you pursue in your art?
My work explores the interaction between tradition, contemporary art, and fashion, reflecting the passage of time and impermanence. I am particularly influenced by the aesthetics of wabi-sabi and the dialogue between Japanese and Western art.

What influences the direction of your craft?
I am influenced by traditional Japanese woodcarving techniques, but I also incorporate abstract and modern forms, drawing inspiration from abstract painters such as Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock. The grain and texture of the wood often guide my creative decisions.

How has your work developed over time?
Initially, my work was functional and representational, but over time it evolved into more abstract and conceptual forms. Experimenting with different types of wood and surface treatments, and blending Western art and fashion with wood sculpture, has become an essential part of my creative practice.

What’s the most indispensable item in your studio?
My chisels. Each tool carries the history of my practice and defines the quality of my work.

Do you collect anything?
I collect Choro-Q pullback toy cars from Japan. They evoke nostalgia for Japan’s post-war automotive industry and my childhood memories of model cars and miniatures. Each toy carries a story and a connection to the past.

What’s the most inspiring thing you’ve seen, read, watched, or listened to recently?
I am inspired by stories of painters. Documentaries on German artists such as Anselm Kiefer and Gerhard Richter, who create in harmony with their souls, deeply resonate with my approach to sculpture.

What advice would you give to your younger self about your artistic journey?
Trust the process and embrace mistakes. The imperfections in the material and technique often lead to unexpected beauty and new creative paths.

Bonus Question: What role does music play for you while you work?
I sometimes live-stream my work on Instagram and YouTube, using royalty-free AI-generated music. I also create and listen to my own lo-fi, chill sounds to stay focused while working.

– Is there anything collectors need to know about care? Dusting? Any materials to use and NOT TO USE?

There is nothing to be particularly careful about. The color paint is strong because it is coated with acrylic paint. If you continue to be exposed to direct sunlight for 20 years, the color of the red may fade. If you want to store it in the warehouse for a long time, you should wrap it in a cotton cloth. The tree is breathing, so do not seal it in a plastic bag. If dust accumulates, it may cause stains, so please dust it at least once every six months. Please do not touch it with your hands as much as possible.

Artist Statement
My work explores the intersection of tradition and modernity, reflecting the ever-changing trends of fashion and the fleeting nature of cherry blossoms, which bloom and fall within a week. Through wood sculpture, I capture the essence of impermanence and transformation. Rooted in the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, I embrace the natural imperfections of wood, allowing its organic forms to guide my process. By carving, refining, and sometimes leaving raw textures, I create a dialogue between control and spontaneity, permanence and decay. My sculptures reflect the quiet resilience of nature and the passage of time, offering a tactile meditation on beauty and transience.

cv japanese

個展

2024 「Rullet」UG gallery (東京）

2024 「recto verso」Otherwise gallery (東京）

2022 「Pro File Picture」SNOW Contemporary（東京）

2021 「Symptoms / 兆候」SNOW Contemporary（東京）

2018 「New works」マリアン・クラマー・プロジェクツ（アムステルダム／オランダ）

　　「東京楽園」SNOW Contemporary（東京）

　　 SCHOENE HEILIGE UND HELDINNEN「ヴィギリス　マウンテン　リゾート」（イタリア）

2017 「アマゾンナイルタクラマカン」SNOW Contemporary（東京）

2016 「闘ウ女神タチ」松本市美術館（長野）

2014 「6th Sense」SNOW Contemporary（東京）

2011 「美女」XYZ collective[SNOW Contemporary] （東京）

　　「美女」SLANT（金沢）

2010 マリアン・クラマー・プロジェクツ（オランダ）

2006 ファビアン＆クロードワルターギャラリー（スイス）

2005 エルンスト・パルラッハ賞展覧会（ドイツ）

　ファビアン＆クロードワルターギャラリー（スイス）

2004 ギャラリーコーネリウス・ブレーザー（ドイツ）

2003 ヴィギリウス　マウンテンリゾート（イタリア）

　ギャラリー　コーネリウス・ブレーザー（ドイツ）

2002 メゾン・ピラウド美術館（フランス）

グループ展

2024「START Box EXHIBITION vol.1」(東京）

2024 Art session Part2　銀座蔦屋書店（東京）

2023 Art session Part1　銀座蔦屋書店（東京）

　EAST EAST TOKYO SNOW Contemporaryより（東京）

2022 アートフェア東京 SNOW Contemporaryより（東京）

2021 ART TAIWAN GIN HUANG Galleryより (台湾）

　アートフェア東京 SNOW Contemporaryより（東京）

など多数

賞歴

2016 LUMINE meets ART AWARD 2015 グランプリ（東京）

2013 六甲ミーツ・アート芸術散歩2013主催者特別賞（東京）

2005 エルンスト・バルラッハ賞（ドイツ）

2004 国際彫刻シンポジウム、一等賞　マルクノイキルヘン(ドイツ)

2001 フランス政府給費留学奨学金

1999 財団法人イノアック国際教育振興財団奨学金（愛知）