BIOGRAPHY
Masahiko Kiyooka
1973 Born in Kochi Prefecture,Japan
1997 BA in Oil Painting, Painting Department, Tama Art University
1999 MA in Painting, Art Research Department, Graduate Program of Tama Art University
2008 Founded Repair Bank Corp.
2009 Founded Masahiko Kiyooka + Associates
2013 Founded Cave Contemporary
Masahiko Kiyooka was the grand prix winner at an art competition * in 1997, Japan when he was 24 years old while attending post-graduate school. He was given the award by art critics and the art museum curator judges that were in attendance. He then began to work as an artist thereafter, with his first solo exhibition in Tokyo, 1998.
He did not start out having an interest in art’s categorized formats such as paintings or sculptures in those early days. He focused on the interval between different elements, i.e. objects and sound, spaces, places or light. At his exhibition, those intervals are repositioned in such a way to connect the dots, created thus by chance or out of necessity for this encounter and integration.
Influenced by the art of Japanese landscape gardening, mysticism and Buddhism philosophy, Kiyooka has a unique outlook on scenery. He creates scenes with a reconnecting environment of bodies and consciousness. He says that this way of thinking is based on the realization of “himself” as an organ. His artwork “Landscaping Body” has a common association with Shusaku Arakawa’s “Architectural Body”.
Recently, he organizes and curates exhibitions at places where it’s extraneous to art, such as an abandoned building or a warehouse, in order to create a landscape of art using external and internal space.
The concept of “Floating Dive”, “Cave Contemporary” & “Filmy Nature” ** represents the verbalization of Masahiko Kiyooka’s awareness. He has also demonstrated his ability to adequately operate an art space; curate, design and in business matters domestically and abroad.
Presently he is a representative of the Masahiko Kiyooka + Associates and an organizer of Cave Contemporary.
* The art competition was started by several galleries in Tokyo in 1997, including the Morris Gallery with art critics and art museum curators to focus on new generation art and organize exhibitions for them. At that time, contemporary art was not fully commercialized. The panel of judges consisted of art critics such as Mr. Akihiko Takami, Mr. Tomohiro Nishimura and art museum curator Mr. Motoaki Hori. The way of screening each artwork as something groundbreaking was considered. The competition was an observer of contemporary art and the screening was conducted with a hands-on approach and away from any authority.
** “Floating Dive” is Kiyooka’s original concept which is frequently used in art exhibitions and artworks to stimulate the human senses. He discloses the dominion beyond all languages via the paradoxical words of ‘floating’ and ‘dive’. “Cave Contemporary” is a name for the corroborate art space for that dominion. Empathy towards a recognizable world is valued therein. Also the space is a site to think about the future of present rationalistic architecture. “Filmy Nature” is a concept and a design project, created to make alterations to intended architecture in terms of colors and materials.
Solo Exhibitions
2009 “Nishirokugo M Project” Ichinoyu, Tokyo
2008 “FLOATING DIVEⅢ” iGallery, Tokyo
2007 “Revert to LandscapeⅡ” iGallery, Tokyo
2007 “Revert to LandscapeⅠ” iGallery, Tokyo
2006 “FLOATING DIVE Ⅱ Art Interactive Tokyo, Tokyo
2004 “NEW ENTRANCE” Galerie SOL, Tokyo
2002 “FLOATING DIVE” Galerie SOL, Tokyo
2000 “Architectural Pictures” Galerie SOL, Tokyo
1999 “Sezon Museum of Modern Art Contemporary Museum, Sezon Art Program – Arting Tokyo 1999：21×21” Awajicho Gallery, Tokyo
1999 “Perceptive Body, Morris Gallery Planning Prize Exhibition, The 3rd Public Competition of Art ’99”
Morris Gallery, Tokyo
1998 “Aborning Moment – Jury Award Exhibition, The 2nd Public Competition of Art – A Base”
Key Gallery, Tokyo
Group Exhibitions
2013 “The 1st Exhibition of Cave Contemporary – Seeking for Undiscovered Regions” Cave Contemporary, Kanagawa Pref.
2011 “Tokorozawa Art Biennale 2011 – Railroad Siding” Former Second School Lunch Center of Tokorozawa-shi, Saitama Pref.
2011 “NAKANOJO BIENNALE 2011” Former Gotanda Primary School, Gunma Pref.
2010 “Okunoin Okunojo, Hot Spring Village Art Festival 2010” Former Gotanda Primary School, Gunma Pref.
2009 “NAKANOJO BIENNALE 2009” Former Gotanda Primary School, Gunma Pref.
2009 “Maquette #2” Galerie SOL, Tokyo
2008 “Kyobashi 3-3-8” iGallery, Tokyo
2007 “The 22nd Contemporary Art Kofu Exhibition – Delight of Space, Memorial Hall of Toson – 6 Ways of Interpretation” Memorial Hall of Toson, Yamanashi Pref.
2007 “Enjoy! Recycle & Re-create – directed by DEBLI Project” Gallery LE DECO, Tokyo
2003 “Shiori – bookmark Exhibition 2003” iGallery, Tokyo
2002 “Each Artist Exhibition – Real-Drive/Formative Drive” Gallery GAN.f, Tokyo
2002 “ Bit Exhibition – directed by Lee U-Fan and Naoyoshi Hikosaka” Tokyo Gallery, Tokyo
2002 “TRACE Exhibition V” Galerie SOL, Tokyo
2001 “Opened Landscape – Seeable Foreign Elements, directed by art writer Yuri Shirakawa” ART SPACE LIFE/days (mobile exhibition)
2001 “Kanagawa Art Annual 2001” Kanagawa Kenmin Hall Gallery, Kanagawa Pref.
2000 “TRANSIT, directed by Akihiko Takami” Galeria Rasen, Tokyo
2000 “Each Artist, Each Moment 2000, directed by Toshiaki Minemura” Gallery GAN, Tokyo
1999 “Sezon Museum of Modern Art Contemporary Museum, Sezon Art Program – Arting Tokyo 1999：21×21” Sezon Art Program Gallery, Tokyo
1998 “The 3rd Public Competition of Art ’98, Selected Art Works Exhibition” Shinkiba SOKO Gallery, Tokyo
1998 “Public Competition of Art, Presentation Exhibition” Morris Gallery, Tokyo
1997 “The 2nd Public Competition of Art ’98, Selected Art Works Exhibition” Key Gallery + Shinkiba SOKO Gallery, Tokyo
Direction
2013 “The 1st Exhibition of Cave Contemporary – Seeking for Undiscovered Regions” Cave Contemporary, Kanagawa Pref.
Lecture
6/8/2011 “NaиZö:zAяanYa(Nanzozaranya) “ Jazz Café Meg,Tokyo
Awards
1998 Awarded ”’99 Encouragement Prize” and “Gallery Organizing Prize” at “The 3rd Public Competition of Art”
1997 Awarded “’98 Grand Prize” at “The 2nd Public Competition of Art”
Literary Book
2010 “Thoughts Overlapping `Landscapes’ ①“
TV Appearance
2001 “TV Museum” Fuji TV