The theme of my artwork is sustainability of life. By combining the vitality and sustainability of plants and the potentiality of Urushi to wrap and protect everything, I want to express the mystery of life which has been sustained since the ancient days. I hope you will be able to feel the sustainability of life through my artwork.

Kanae Ako

Born in City of Shibetsu, Hokkaido

2004 BFA in Urushi Art, Tokyo University of Arts

2006 MFA in Urushi Art, Tokyo University of Arts

Currently, an active member of the Japan Contemporary Craft Artists Association

Selected Awards

2012 Successful Competitor, at the 51st Japan Contemporary Craft Art Exhibition

2013 The New Face Award , at the 52nd Japan Contemporary Craft Art Exhibition

2015 The Contemporary Craft Award, at the 54th Japan Contemporary Craft Art Exhibition

2015 The Memorial Award , at the 40th Tohoku Contemporary Craft Art Exhibition

2017 The Second Place Award , at the 71st Fukushima Comprehensive Art Exhibition

2013 The First Place Award , at the 72nd Fukushima Comprehensive Art Exhibition

Solo and Group Exhibitions

2009 Artists Awakening from Taro Okamoto Museum , at the Fukushima Prefectural Museum

2010 Urushi: On its New way of Expression, at the Kitakata City Museum

2011 Summer Art Festival 2011 – An Exhibition of Works of Young Emerging Artists, Collaboration between Mitsukoshi and the Tokyo University of Arts , at Mitsukoshi Department Store, Nihonbashi, Tokyo

2011 Festival for a Beautiful Party with Urushi, held in Tokyo, Kyoto and Fukushima

　　　　　　　　　　

2011 Urushi Art; Its Path and Future, Commemorative Project for the 125th Anniversary of the Establishment of Tokyo University of Arts, at the Museum of Tokyo University of Arts

2015 Solo exhibition, Urushi; Kanae Ako, at the City of Shibetsu

2015 Duo Exhibition, A Study of Contemporary Urushi Art and its History, Kanae Ako vs. Takao Togashi , at the Fukushima Prefectural Museum

2016 Asian Lacqer Art Exhibition, in Hanoi, Vietnam

2017 Asian Lacquer Craft Exchange Research Project, in Baghan, Myanmar

2018 Group exhibition, Urushi Today; 2018, at Mitsukoshi Department Store, Nihonbashi, Tokyo