Portrait by GION
KENGO TAKAHASHI 高橋賢悟
Born in 1982 in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan
Lives and works in Tokyo, Japan
The recipient of the 2018 Geidai Emerald Prize, metal sculptor Kengo Takahashi is one of Japan’s fastest rising stars. His recent exhibitions include his participation in the Paris Museum of Decorative Arts Japon-Japonismes, 1867-2018, SEIZAN Gallery New York’s inaugural exhibition Nihonga: Contemporary Art of Japan in 2018, and the 2018 Tokyo Art Fair. Takahashi’s signature series, Flower Funeral, uses ultra-thin metal casting to create animal skulls entirely made up of delicate aluminum flowers. Capturing a life in the midst of both decaying and blossoming, Takahashi has catapulted metal arts in Japan forward with his innovative use of technology. Sensing the world’s need for positive sociocultural identification, Takahashi’s current works strive to preserve familiar icons of life and culture through permanent metal casts while at the same moment presenting them in a new, fresh way. He is presently pursuing a post-graduate degree at Tokyo University of the Arts, School of Fine Arts.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2017
Received Award for Best New Artist from The 46th Dentōkugei Nihon kinkō-ten (Meiji Jingu Takaramono-kan, Tokyo)
2016
Solo Exhibition (Seizan Gallery, Tokyo)
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022
Toshiyuki Kajioka & Kengo Takahashi, SEZAN Gallery, New York
2018
Art Fair Tokyo (Tokyo International Forum, Seizan Gallery Booth, Tokyo)
Kyoi no Chozetsu Giko! Meiji Kogei Kara Gendai Art he (Gifu Prefectural（Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu / Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum of Art / The Suiboku Museum, Toyama / Abeno Harukas, Osaka
Nihonga: Contemporary Art of Japan (SEIZAN Gallery, New York）
2017
Kyoi no Chozetsu giko! Meiji Kogei kara Gendai Art he (Mitsui Memorial Museum, Tokyo)
Fushigi! Kyoi! Omoshiroi! (Saihodo Gallery, Tokyo)
2016
Material Symphysis (University for the Creative Arts, England)
Silver Drops 'Chapter1 Prelude' Exhibition (Seizan Gallery, Tokyo)
Shin Gigei –Hono– (Tokyo University of the Arts Exhibition Hall, Tokyo)
〜Mito he no Gusho〜 Za Tewaza III (Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, Tokyo)
Mitsukoshi x Geidai Summer Art Festival 2016 Jidai wo Ninau Wakate Sakka-ten (Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, Tokyo)
Something Precious (Seizan Gallery, Tokyo)
2015
Nihon no Chukin – Imono no Katachi-ten (Saitama Prefectural Modern Art Museum, Saitama)
Ashita he no Rutsubo-ten (Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Fukuoka)
2014
Chūgoku cha kagami (Chongqing, China)
2013
Kogei (Daimaru Shinsaibashi, Osaka)
Nichuu no Chabunka Koryu-ten (Tokyo University of the Arts Exhibition Hall, Tokyo) (Tsinghua University School of Fine arts/China)
2012
Mitsukoshi Art Fair (Sendai Mitsukoshi, Miyagi)
Taichi no Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial Satoyama Art Zoo 2012* (Nobutai, Niigata)(Anjin, Tokyo)
2010
Dobutsu no Mori (Utsunomiya Museum, Tochigi)
AWARDS
2018
Received Geidai Emerald Prize
2015
Received grand prize at the 8th Sano Renaissance Chukin-ten (Sanoshi Community Hall/Tochigi, NHK Utsunomiya Station Chief Award)
2014
Received grand prize at the 19th Mokichi Okada Award Art Fair (MOA Art Museum/Atami）
2013
Received grand prize at the 7th Sano Renaissance Chukin-ten (Sanoshi Community Hall/Tochigi)
2012
Received prize from Metro Cultural Foundation for thesis work at Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo University of the Arts Art Museum, Tokyo)
2011
Selected for the 6th Art Plaza Grand Prize Exhibition (Geidai Art Plaza, Tokyo)
AAC Art Meets Architecture Competition
2010
Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate Exhibition, Taito-ku Honorable Mention Award (Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo)
Selected for Minami Nihon Bijutsu-ten (Kagoshima-kan/Kagoshima)
2008
Haruji Naito Award
EXHIBITIONS
Toshiyuki Kajioka & Kengo Takahashi
Nihonga: Contemporary Art of Japan
PRESS
Human and Animal Skulls Encrusted in Delicate Floral Filigree by Kengo Takahashi, Colossal, October 29, 2018.