profile
Born in Fukuoka, 1948.
Lives and works in Gunma Prefecture.
Shirakawa studied art and philosophy in France and Germany during the 1970s. In 1983, he returned to Japan and settled in Gumma. Undertaking a rigorous approach to issues around regional, marginal and minor communities, Shirakawa’s practice has been focused on the regeneration and revaluation of regional histories, cultures and economies — most notably exemplified in his “Basho – Gunma (Place / Gunma)” — away from the central where the dominant contemporary art trends are formed. The range of his activities are regarded as a precursor to today’s multiculturalist and participatory practices. Shirakawa has conducted research and authored numerous writings on contemporary art history, constantly developing criticism and revaluation of the dominant historical views and discourses. Shirakawa’s sculpture, composed of mundane materials, are light and precise in terms of shapes, colors and their hybrid composition, and makes him an excelled practitioner who explores the charm and possibilities in sculpture.
Education
- 1948
- Born in Tobata, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka
- 1981
- Graduated from Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, qualified as "Meisterschüler".
- 1993
- "Place - Gunma" established.
Solo Exhibitions
- 2022
- "SHIRAKAWA YOSHIO EXHIBITION", kenakian,Saga
"To the Enneades", rin art association, Gunma - 2019
- "Summer Light", Maki Fine Arts, Tokyo
- 2018
- "A Memory Erased Totori", Ais Gallery, Gunma
"A Memory Erased Nagasaki / Gunma", Concept Space, Gunma - 2017
- "Coyote", Maki Fine Arts, Tokyo
- 2016
- "The Capital Room: Beyond Three Dimensional Logical Pictures", gallery αM, Tokyo
"Exhibition of New Sculpture-Dark Light", GATEAU FESTA HARADA GALLERY, Takasaki, Gunma - 2014
- "Yoshio Shirakawa: dada,dada,da", Arts Maebashi, Gunma
- 2012
- “Step out”, Neues Asahi, Maebashi, Gunma
- 2011
- “Yoshio SHIRAKAWA: The Wooden Horse of Umaya”, Neues Asahi, Maebashi, Gunma
- 2010
- “Yoshio SHIRAKAWA: Delusion of Maebahi 2010”, Neues Asahi, Maebashi, Gunma
“Ethica”, Ya-man’s, Maebashi, Gunma
- 2009
- “Yoshio SHIRAKAWA: 25 Drawings and Monument for Defeat”, Neues Asahi, Maebashi, Gunma
“Dokomademo Michikusa, Doushitemo Mishikusa, Yoshio SHIRAKAWA’s 61 Years’ of Off track Art”, Playroom, Kiwamari, Mito, Ibaraki
“New Works of Yoshio SHIRAKAWA, From Gunma Nowhere”, Yamane Art Lab Viewing Room, Fukuoka
- 2008
- “Yoshio SHIRAKAWA, 1974: From Strasbourg to Paris”, Neues Asahi, Maebashi, Gunma
“Rose Princess”, Ya-man’s, Maebashi, Gunma
- 2007
- “Yoshio SHIRAKAWA and Field Caravan Project” organized by the Museum of Modern Art Gunma, Maebashi, Gunma
“Passage of Nymph”, AIS gallery(Art Institute Shibukawa), Shibukawa, Gunma
- 2005
- “SHIRAKAWA Yoshio: Project Platform Shibukawa”, Shibukawa City Museum of Art, Shibukawa, Gunma
“17747”, Space LIVE, Tokyo
- 2004
- “Form of Memory”, Gallery Gen, Tokyo
- 2003
- “Sachiko’s Dream”, Meues Asahi, Maebashi, Gunma
“Itadakimasu / Gochisosama”, Moris Gallery, Tokyo
- 2002
- “SHIRAKAWA Yoshio”, Gallery Space Pause, Tokyo
“Exchangem Circulation Snap”, Moris Gallery, Tokyo
“Le réve de Sachiko”, Faux Mouvement Centre d’Art Contemporain, Metz, France
- 2001
- “The Art,The Local Currency”, Moris Gallery, Tokyo
“Cycle”, space LIVE, Tokyo
- 1999
- Exhibition series organized by Noriaki KITAZAWA VOL.2, With Regard to ‘Something Like Artcraft’”, Gallery MAKI, Tokyo
“Image, Reappear”, Moris Gallery, Tokyo
“Image, Reappear”, Key Gallery, Tokyo
“Open Circle Project”, Moris Gallery, Tokyo
“From Seeing”, Gallery Gen, Tokyo
- 1997
- “Are You a Japanese? No.4”,Kitakanto Museum of Fine Arts,Maebashi,Gunma
“Eyes ’87 SHIRAKAWA Yoshio: Inside and Outside of the Community”, IBM-kawasaki City Gallery, Kawasaki, Kanagawa
“For the Theory of Painting-TAKAHASHI Yuichi”, Moris Gallery, Tokyo
“The Form, the Place”, Centre International d’Art Contemporain de Mountréal, Montreal, Canada
- 1996
- “Are You a Japanese? No.3”, Moris Gallery, Tokyo
“Are You a Japanese? No.3”, Gallery Gen, Tokyo
- 1995
- Art Front Gallery and Hillside Gallery, Tokyo
- 1994
- Sagacho Exhibit Space, Tokyo
Kitakanto Museum of Fine Arts, Maebashi
- 1993
- Moris Gallery, Tokyo
- 1992
- Sagacho Exhibit Space, Tokyo
OXY Gallery, Raika, Osaka
- 1991
- Gallery Gen, Tokyo
Hillside Gallery, Tokyo
- 1990
- Ihara Ludens Gallery, New York
Moris Gallery, Tokyo
- 1989
- Kankodo Gallery, Maebashi
Gallery Gen, Tokyo
- 1988
- Moris Gallery, Tokyo
Gallery K, Tokyo
Concept Space, Shibukawa
Gallery Shimada, Yamaguchi
- 1987
- Sone Gallery, Tokyo
Moris Gallery, Tokyo
- 1985
- Gallery Independent, Tokyo
Gallery Shimada, Yamaguchi
- 1984
- Gallery of Institute Franco-Japan, Tokyo
- 1983
- Gallery Independent, Tokyo
- 1982
- Gallery Mayer-Hahn, Düsseldorf
- 1981
- Kunstakademie Hamburg Hamburg
Traveling exhibition in Poland, Warsaw, Posen, Lodz
Gallery Independent, Tokyo
Galsenkirchen Kunstverein, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Gellery Marber, Nice
- 1980
- Gallery Maraber, Nice
- 1979
- Bochum Kunstverein, Bochum, Germany
- 1978
- Gallery Merde, Tokyo
Gallery Mayer-Hahn, Düsseldorf
- 1977
- Gallery Art In Progress, Düsseldorf
Gallery Aura, Wuppertal, Garmany
Group Exhibitions
- 2023
- "Making Space for Art Activities; Art Apaces in Gunma from 1970s to 1990s"The Museum of Modern Art, Gunma, Gunma, Japan
- 2022
- "Alternative！"3331 Arts Chiyoda, Tokyo
- 2021-2022
- "Traces of Life"ART MAEBASHI ,Gunma
- 2019
- "Wooden Horse of Station House Festival", Gunma
"The Ecology of Expression " Arts Maebashi, Gunma
"Odawara Biennale 2019", Kanagawa
"A Century of Flux in Japanese Modern / Contemporary Art", Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo
"3331 ART FAIR", 3331 Arts Chiyoda, Tokyo
”Heroes and People in the Japanese Contemporary Art", Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Hyogo - 2018
- "Beyond the future of Meld Sculpture", Maki Fine Arts, Tokyo
- 2017
- ”Gallery Collection”, rin art association, Takasaki, Gunma
"Collection+ Secret of Art", Arts Maebashi, Maebashi, Gunma
”Art in Gunma"The museum of modern art, Gunma
Creative Dialogues with Museum 01"Who Owns the Memory?" Tottori prefectural museum
"Family/Conceptual" Art Center Ongoing, Tokyo - 2016
- "Aichi Triennale 2016 - Homo Faber: A Rainbow Caravan", Nagoya
- 2015
- "Railroad siding 2015" Ex-Tokorozawa city supply center of school meals, Saitama
"Beyond the 'sculpture merde'-chronicle of sculpture", Bunka Institute in Maebashi, Gunma - 2013
- “The Flower with the Color of Wind -Dialogues for the Future-“, Arts Maebashi, Maebashi, Gunma
“Matsushiro Contemporary Art Festival Vol.12”, Matsushiro-hanBunbu Gakko, Nagano
“Odawara Biennale”, Odawara, Kanagawa
“The 19th Nippon International Performance Art Festival, 3331 Arts Chiyoda, Tokyo
- 2012
- “Matsushiro Contemporary Art Festival Vol.11”, Matsushiro-hanBunbu Gakko, Nagano
- 2011
- “Matsushiro Contemporary Art Festival Vol.10”, Matsushiro-hanBunbu Gakko, Nagano
- 2010
- “Matsushiro Contemporary Art Festival Vol.9”, Matsushiro-hanBunbu Gakko, Nagano
- 2009
- “Art of Gunma 1941-2009”, Museum of Modern Art, Gunma
”Matsushiro Contemporary Art Festival Vol.8”, Matsushiro Bunbu Gakko, Nagano
- 2008
- “MAGMA 2008”, Asaya, Maebshi, Gunma
“Matsushiro Contemporary Art Festival Vol.7”, Matsushiro-han Bunbu Gakko, Nagano
“Asian Performance Art”, Macao Museum of Art, China
- 2007
- “Brono Taut and Light”, Shorinzan, Takasaki, Gunma
“Maetsushiro Contemporary Art Festival Vol.6”, Matsushiro-hanbunbu Gakko, Nagano
- 2006
- “Exhibition Wedding Ceremony with Roses”, Rinkoukaku, Maebashi, Gunma
“Survival Art”, Asaya, Maebashi, Gunma
“Test of Rose Proficiency”, Ya-man’s, Mebashi, Gunma
“Uroco Exhibition”, Nigiwai Station, Maebashi, Gunma
Matsushiro Contemporary Art Scene Ⅱ“, Koumim-machi Kogen Museum of Art, Koumi-machi, Nagano
- 2005
- “Neues”, Neues Asahi, Maebashi, Gunma
“Homage to Bruno Taut”, Sorinzan Daruma-ji Senshintei, Takasaki, Gunma
“Recollection of Memori”.Asaya,Maebashi,Gunma
“Recollection of Memory”Gallery Maki,Tokyo
“Ars Nova,Between Contemporary Art and Art Craft”,Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo,Tokyo
“Matsushiro Contemporary Art Festival Vol.4”,Matsushiro-hanbunbu Gakko,Nagano
- 2004
- “Neues”, Neues Asahi, Maebashi, Gunma
- 2003
- “Neues”, Neues Asahi, Maebashi, Gunma
“Au coin du mond”, Espace Mulripedia Ganther, Boulogne, France - 2002
- “Gunma an Inside and the Fringe”, Maibashi Curtual Srudies Center, Maebashi, Gunma
“A Modern Bed”, Maeda Studio, Maebashi, Gunma
“7th Kitakyusyu Biennale - ART FOR SALE: Intimacy between Aesthetics and Economy”, Kitakyushu Munisipal Museum of Art, Fukuoka
- 2001
- “Maebashi Art Week”, C・A・M・P, Maebashi, Gunma
- 2000
- "Place-Gunma,The Project of Unmanned Station”, Kankodo Gunmamachi Gallery, Takasaki, Gunma
”Ecigo Tsumari Art Trienmial”, Tsumari, Niigata
”Yumeno Ato”, Haus am Waldsee, Berlin
“Yumeno-Ato”, Kunsthaus Baden-Baden, Germany
- 1998
- “Place-Gunma-Always Made in Japan-“, Kitakanto Museum of Fine Arts, Maebashi, Gunma
“The Rinkoukaku Project 5”, Rinkoukaku, Maebashi, Gunma
“Ensuite…”, Centre Regional d’Art Séte, Séte, France
- 1997
- “The 14th Sakei-kai Exhibition”, Kankodo Gallery, Maebashi, Gunma
“Place-Gunma-Recurrent Place-“, Kitakanto Museum of Fine Arts, Maebashi, Gunma
“The Rinkoukaku Project 42", Rinkoukaku, Maebashi, Gunma
“Accept and Rejection”, Komyoji Project, Ina, Nagano
“Four Seasons’ Color”, Moris Gallery, Tokyo
- 1996
- “The 3rd Place Gunma-Maebashi-Dubin”, Kitakanto Museum of Fine Arts, Maebashi, Gunma
“The Rinkoukaku Project 3”, Rinkoukaku Maebashi, Gunma
“Literature and Contemporary Art”, Hokkaido Hakodate Museum of Art, Hakodate, Hokkaido
- 1995
- “The 30th Artists Today Exhibition”, Yokohama Citizen’s Gallery, Yokohama
“The 2nd PIACE - GUMMA”, Kitakanto Museum of Fine Arts, Maebashi
“The RInkoukaku Project 2 -From Duchamp to Duchamp-“, Rink-oukaku, Maebashi, Gunma
- 1994
- “PIACE-GUMMA”, Kitakanto Museum of Fine Arts, Maebashi
“A-Value”, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Manila, Philippines
- 1993
- “The 2nd Kitakyusyu Biennale”, Kitakyusyu Municipal Museum of Art, Kitakyushu
- 1992
- “Winter Exhibition of Artworks at Kankodo”, Kankodo Gallery, Gunma
- 1991
- “The World of Boxes”, Contemporary Art Gallery of Art Tower Mito, Mito
“A-Value Ⅳ”, Shizuoka Prefectural Museum Gallery, Shizuoka
“CONTEMPORARY ART FROM JAPAN,”Edinburgh College of Art,Edinburgh,United Kingdom
- 1990
- ”Contemporary Sculpture in Japan Ⅲ”, Kanagawa Prefectural Gellery, Yokohama
“Shibukawa Triennial Exhibition of Contemporary Scultpture’90”, Shibukawa City Park, Shibukawa
- 1989
- “The 9th Hara Annual”, Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo
- 1988
- “New Year-Nes Arts ’88”, Moris Gallery, Tokyo
“OUTWARD BOUND”, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo
“PARTY 3”, Toshiba Building, Tokyo
- 1987
- “ARTIST’S NETWORK ’87”, Sagacho Exhibit Space, Tokyo
“ARTIST’S NETWORK”, Fukuoka Prefectural Museum, Fukuoka
“PARTU 2”, Toshiba Building, Tokyo
“Sapporo Clock Tower Biennial ’87,” Sapporo Clock Tower Gallery, Sapporo
- 1986
- “Contemporary Artists Exhibition in Hokkaido", Hokkaido Museum of Modrn Art, Sapporo
“The 6th Try Art-Small Art Exhibition”, Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art, Kofu
“Session’86-Small Art Exhibition”, Yoyogi Art Gallery, Tokyo
“Kanagawa Art Exhibition, Art—Dialogue for Peace”, Okurayama Memorial Museum, Yokohama
- 1985
- “Sound in Space Exhibition”, Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art, Kofu
“International Environmental Art Symposium,” Tsukuba, Tsukuba
“Shibukawa Open-Air Exhibition’85,”Shibukawa City Park,Shibukawa
- 1984
- “4 Artists Exhibition,” Gallery Iteza, Kyoto
- 1983
- “4 Sculptors Exhibition,” Gallery Löhrl, Mönchengladbach, Germany
“Natur, Zeichen, Raum: Japanische Bildhauer in Düsseldorf", Skulpturenpark Seestern, Düsseldorf
“International Sculpture Exhibition,” Antwerp, Belgium
“Ryujin Art Village - Wood and Art Exhibition,” Ryujinmura, Wakayama
- 1982
- “Jung Kunst,” Berlin Kunstakademie, Berlin
“Jund Kunst,” Paris Ecole das beaux Arts, Paris
“Construction and Process,”Solidarite Project,Lodz,Poland
“Düsseldorf Open-Air Exhibition,”Skulpturenpark Seestern,Düsseldorf
- 1981
- “31 Artists of Düsseldorf”, Kunst Museum, Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf
“3 Artists Exhibition”, Hildebrand Studio, Düsseldorf - 1977
- “Contemporary Art: a Group Unknown”, Gallery Merde, Tokyo
- 1974
- “Vitry International Art Exhibition,” Paris