YANOBE Kenji

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YANOBE Kenji 　
Contemporary artist

Contemporary artist

In 1990, he made his debut with “Tanking Machine”, an experiential work that involves meditating inside an isolation tank. He creates mechanical sculptures with the theme of "survival in modern society." His works, which contain social messages in humorous forms, have been praised both domestically and internationally. In 2011, after the Great East Japan Earthquake, he created “Sun Child”, a monument of hope, which toured domestically and internationally. In 2017, he began producing the SHIP’S CAT” series, which is a guardian deity of travel that brings good fortune, and in 2021, “SHIP’S CAT (Muse) will be permanently installed at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka. The origin of his creation is his childhood when he played in the “Ruins of the Future,“ the site where the Osaka Expo venue was being demolished. He questions the origin and meaning of art and creates works that interact with the environment. Recipient of the 9th TAKIFUJI Art Award (1988, now the International TAKIFUJI Art Award)
YANOBE KENJI

1965

Born in Osaka

1989

Studied as an exchange student at Royal College of Art, London, United Kingdom

1991

MFA, Kyoto City University of Arts, Japan

1994

Stayed in Berlin, Germany（～1997）

2008

Professor at Kyoto University of the Arts and the director of ULTRA FACTORY