ABOUT
ART FOR THOUGHT is pleased to present the exhibition, "AFT Market," which will be the first group exhibition after the gallery renovation.
Ko Kikuchi and Shotaro Sanada, as well as the artists who have previously exhibited at our gallery, will be presenting works in a variety of genres and expressions, including paintings, ceramics, three-dimensional works, Japanese paper, and more. We hope you will enjoy the exhibition.
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Ko Kikuchi
1994 Born in Higashimurayama, Tokyo
2015 Withdraws from Rikkyo University, College of Arts, Department of Education
2020 Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, Department of Painting, Oil Painting
2023 Completed Master's Program in Art Education, Department of Art Education, Special Graduate Course of Tokyo University of the Arts
2023 Entered Doctoral Program in Education, Graduate Program of Education, Rikkyo University Graduate School of Arts
Currently lives and works in Tokyo
Selected Group Exhibitions
HOLBEIN ART FAIR 2022 (SHIBUYA SCRAMBLE SQUARE, 2022)
WATOWA ART AWARD 2022 (WATOWA GALLERY, 2022)
Corporate Art Aid Kyoto (Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art - Annex, 2023)
Natsunokai (Summer) Exhibition (galerie nichido, 2023)
IGNITION Japan-Taiwan Exhibition by ArtSticker (333gallery, 2023)
Hello +ART Tokyu Plaza Shibuya (＋ART GALLERY, 2023)
Major Awards
Accepted for「ACRYL GOUACHE BIENNALE」
「TURNER AWARD 2021」Grand Prize
「Mirai-ten (Future Exhibition)」Nichido Employee Voting Award
Accepted for「WATOWA ART AWARD 2022」
Accepted for「Corporate Art Aid Kyoto」
Shotaro Sanada
Born in Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture in 2000. Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts, and currently enrolled in the Master's Program at the University of Tokyo. While creating large-scale paintings that abstract landscapes to an extreme degree, he also practices new aesthetic research in which he collaborates with artificial intelligence to create paintings.
He is the chairman of the executive committee of Geisai 2021 (festival of the university). He is the first artist of the "Google Japan x Generation Z Artists" program.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
from (art brewing gallery -haco, Tokyo, 2022)
ACROSS (Bumpodo Gallery, Tokyo, 2023)
Major Awards
His first solo exhibition attracted the largest number of visitors in the gallery's history.
Awarded the Art Plaza Prize of the University of the Arts, and a prize in Art Olympia 2022.
“GEIDAI ART FES 2023” Excellent Prize
Selected for “ART students STARS vol.1/vol.2” consecutively
Selected for “WHAT CAFE EXHIBITION at Terada Warehouse”
Selected for “Art Session by Ginza Tsutaya”, and many other awards and selections.
A large 10-meter wall painting was nominated by East Japan Railway Company to be permanently and semi-permanently exhibited at JR Nagano Station.
Yuki Shimizu
Born in 1993 in Tokorozawa, Saitama.
Completed postgraduate studies at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2022.
Currently lives and works in Toride City, Ibaraki Prefecture.
Aiming for the unity of material, technique, form, decoration and firing, he reinterprets concepts and origins other than the intended use of vessels and jars in the creation of his works.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
Hyo and Cho (gallery-1. Tokyo, 2022)
Room of Desire (ART FOR THOUGHT, Tokyo, 2023)
Various others
Rin Nakanishi
Born in Shizuoka, Japan in 1999.
Enrolled in the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts, majoring in sculpture in 2023.
Having grown up in a family that owned a confectionary store, he creates sculptures and performances mainly using confectionary as a material.
He produces "eat sculpture," which extends the experience of viewing an object not only by looking at it, but also by eating it, through the use of aromas, tastes, and textures.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
Give me a star (Gallery binosha, Tokyo, 2021)
Have you ever wanted to eat yourself? (Cafe Frontier, Tokyo, 2022)
eat sculpture (ART FOR THOUGHT, Tokyo, 2023)
Selected Group Exhibitions
P.O.N.D ARCADE Dialogue (PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO, Tokyo, 2023)
Major Awards
Special Award at the Selected Students Exhibition (Gallery binosha, 2019)
Melissa Finkenbiner
January 2022-present
Sumi-e (Suiran Yamada, Toshima, Tokyo, Japan)
November 2021-present
Jewelry/Chasing/Engraving Courses @ Aoyama School of Jewelry and Metalsmithing (Aoyama, Tokyo, Japan)
June 2022 Master of Business Administration @ Western Governors University, Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A.
May 2008 Bachelor of Arts in Art Education @ Evangel University Springfield, Missouri, U.S.A.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
Water and Mountain, (Moshimo Café and Art Space, Hayama, Japan, 2022)
Last Call (Open House, Harare, Zimbabwe, 2020)
Nodoka Yamaura
Born in Tokyo, Japan in 1990. Graduated from Tokyo Zokei University with a major in Graphic Design in 2015 and currently lives and works in Tokushima Prefecture.
Nodoka Yamaura has been working with materials that harmonize with light and nature, such as Japanese paper, sand, and indigo, while incorporating light, space, and the atmosphere of viewing artworks into her concept. Since around 2014, she has been creating original patterns that look like braided fabrics and can be linked to various environments and motifs and named this technique "NODOKA". She has exhibited her works in the U.S., Northern Europe, and other countries, and has participated in artist-in-residence programs. Since 2020, she has been working at Awagami Factory in Tokushima, where she is involved in the production of Awa handmade Washi paper.
Major Permanent Exhibitions
Archipelago Art Residency in Korpo AARK.fi (Turku, Finland, 2019)
Awagami Artist In Residence (Tokushima, Japan, 2019)
Selected Solo Exhibitions
Toy Shop! (Kamome Books (bookstore), Tokyo, 2017)
BAGLE PARTY. (HB Gallery (art gallery), Tokyo, 2017)
Muscat Day (dish (cafe), Tokyo, 2018)
yamaura nodoka. Solo exhibition (niji garo (gallery), Tokyo, 2018)
Swing, Shiny, Joy and Memories. (ART FOR THOUGHT, Tokyo, 2023)
Major Awards
11th “1_WALL” Graphics Award (2014)
12th “1_WALL” Graphics Award (2016)
Selected for the Dynic Award at the 3rd Tokyo Book-Cover Design Award (2015)
13th “1_WALL” Graphics Award” Jury's Encouragement Award selected by Daijiro Ohara (2015)
Selected for the 197th “The Choice” selected by Naoki Saito (2015)
15th “1_WALL” Graphics Award (2016)
Selected for the Delicious Tohoku Package Design Award (2016)
“HB FILE Competition VOL. 27” Jury's Award selected by Seiichi Suzuki (2016)
mt design contest 3 Jury's Award selected by Kōji Iyama (2016)
“INK de JET! JET! JET! × ZOKEI” Peace Paper Industrial Award (2017)