This is the official website of contemporary artist Kenji Yanobe.
Inspired by Japanese manga, anime, and tokusatsu (special effects films), Yanobe Kenji is one of the first artists who incorporated the essence of Japanese popular culture into contemporary art. He is known for his body of work in humorous realization with social messages, and his mechanical and giant sculptures that can move or be mounted or worn.
This website consists of a history of Yanobe’s work and exhibition, and complementary articles, which can be cross-referenced with each other to provide insight into his work’s magnetism and worldview, and the evolution of his activities.
Yanobe has been active for over 30 years since his debut in 1990. Throughout his carrier, he has responded to ever-changing social conditions while expanding his medium of expression, including sculpture, painting, installation, picture books, video, film, computer graphics, and theatre. He has also collaborated with several eminent creators and artists across various genres, such as fashion designer Issey Miyake, dance and theater company Papa Tarahrama, comedian and filmmaker Beat Takeshi, artist Sebastian Masuda, washi paper marker Eriko Horiki, and theater director Amon Miyamoto.
In recent years, Yanobe has become known to a broader audience than just art lovers due to proliferating opportunities to place his giant sculptures and public art, for instance, in the city of Ibaraki, the town of Shodoshima, as well as the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art and the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka.
We hope this website allows you to learn more about the world of Kenji Yanobe.
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