Hoshi no Katachi (The Shape of Stars) Yuji Kanamaru

SHIKISAISHA is pleased to present HOSHINO KATACHI, a solo exhibition by Yuji Kanamaru.This exhibition marks a new development in Kanamaru’s sculptural series, which he has been presenting continuously since 2011.  Yuji Kanamaru has long explored animals that symbolize “time” and “life,” such as ancient fish and turtles, as a lifelong theme in his practice.His paintings are characterized by distinctive material surfaces and vivid yet gentle colors, creating a world that is both humorous and approachable, quietly stimulating the viewer’s memory and imagination.  Kanamaru first introduced his sculptural works at Art Fair Tokyo in 2011.These works took animals that had previously appeared only within his paintings and gave them physical form as three-dimensional objects.By emerging into real space, the motifs become more immediate and tangible, allowing viewers to experience them with a stronger sense of presence.  In HOSHINO KATACHI, Kanamaru incorporates the color sensibility developed through his painting practice into sculptural expression, exploring what he considers to be the “form of life.”The exhibition features works based on a wide range of creatures, including lions (komainu guardian figures), pigs, turtles, armadillos, dragon heads, octopus, squid, and flounder.Rather than realistic representations, these animals are expressed through color and form, appearing as distinctive beings unique to Kanamaru’s artistic language.  The exhibition will present a total of 20 works: 10 sculptures and 10 paintings.The paintings are conceived in close relation to the sculptural works, creating a dialogue between two-dimensional and three-dimensional expressions within the space.  We invite you to experience the current form of Yuji Kanamaru’s evolving sculptural practice at SHIKISAISHA.

Yuji Kanamaru

Born in Kanagawa in 1978. Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts. Working from a foundation in Nihonga, he develops a distinctive painterly language defined by unique textures and layered, vibrant yet subtle colors. Incorporating elements such as fabric, fragments of newspapers, and intentional cracks, his surfaces generate a singular material presence. Influenced by his childhood spent in the Middle East, his work evokes a world where a sense of the unfamiliar and nostalgia intersect.