YASUNARI IKENAGA 池永康晟
Born in 1965 in Oita Prefecture, Japan Lives and works in Tokyo, Japan
Self-educated in Nihonga, Yasunari Ikenaga began devoting himself to crafting a unique skin tone with mineral pigments in his 30’s, before formally applying it to his works in his 40’s. His bijinga paintings of beautiful women, made with mineral pigments on hemp cloth, have a tone and texture that are unrivaled for their contrasting qualities of purity and sensuality. Domestically, he has worked in a wide variety of media, including providing images for book bindings and stationary, as well as illustrations for photo collections of popular Japanese idol groups.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2014
Yasunari Ikenaga: Japanese Style Paintings (Shinjuku Takashimya, Tokyo)
2008
Yasunari Ikenaga: Japanese Style Paintings (Gallery Morimoto, Tokyo, continued in 2010, 2013)
Meiji Taisho no Bijinga vs Yasunari Ikenaga (Tokyo Art Club, Shukad, Tokyo)
2006
Yasunari Ikenaga: Japanese Style Paintings (Gallery Tomo, Tokyo)
2005
Solo Exhibition (Ishida Taiseisha Hall, Kyoto)
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2019
Reimagined: Contemporary Artists Take on The Tale of Genji (SEIZAN Gallery, New York)
2015
Art Taipei 2015 (Taipei World Trade Center, Taipei)
Binan Bijo (Gallery Morimoto, Tokyo)
2014
Onna no Kao (Shukado, Tokyo)
The 20th Anniversary Exhibition Sen (The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto)
2012
Art Taipei 2012 (Taipei World Trade Center, Taipei)
The 8th Sugatatehiko Award Exhibition (The Museum of Kyoto, Kyoto and Kurayoshi Museum, Tottori)
Art Fair Tokyo (Shukado Booth, Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo, continued until 2015)
2011
Pocket Magazine Panashi (Gallery VIGLOWA, Tokyo)
2010
Art Fair Tokyo (Gallery Morimoto and Shukado Booth, Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo, continued in 2011)
2008
Pocket Magazine Panashi (Nanwa Gallery, Tokyo)
2007
Yasunari Ikenaga and Yuko Takebayashi (Gallery Keifu, Kyoto)
Binanga-ten (Gallery Tomo, Tokyo)
2006
Yubi no Ha (Ishida Taiseisha Hall, Kyoto)
Sen at the request of the exhibitior (The National Museum of Modern Art, Okazaki Ensei-ji temple, Kyoto)
AWARDS
2012
The 8th Sugatatehiko Award, Honorable Mention Award, Hyakkado Award
PUBLICATIONS
2015
Bijinga Calendar 2016, Hoshi no kiyuru wo matsu
2014
Paintings by Yasunari Ikenaga, Kimiomou Hyakuya no Koufuku (GeijutsuShinbunsha Co., Ltd)
2013
Front page design of the books Kanon Hanakage Jakka no Shizuku (2012), Moeizuru (2013) published by Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha, Ltd.
2008
Published and front page design of monthly Pocket Magazine Panashi (ongoing)
EXHIBITIONS
Reimagined: Contemporary Artists Take on The Tale of Genji