PROFILE

KENICHI ASANO [SCULPTOR]

While on the one hand exploring such themes as spiritual possession and union in traditional Japanese performing arts, Asano Kenichi employs pop-culture elements to sublimate wooden sculpture into contemporary art. Asano’s sensibility is rooted in memories of how he felt during visits to temples and shrines as a young boy. In those solemn spaces of prayer and awe, he was drawn to the tension and mystery inherent in the idea of something unseen, hidden under the surface of things.

Asano made his debut with Nokaku (Noh Fighter) capturing the human body’s suppleness and parts through a droll nod to martial arts. He then worked repairing Buddhist sculptures, through which he mastered traditional techniques of wood carving, lacquering, and gluing.

Asano’s native region has a tradition of karakuri mechanized doll masters dating back to the Edo period. Perhaps under that influence, Asano’s works evolved into moving wooden sculptures involving spherical joints and marionette-like cords.

This bold blending of modern technology into wooden sculpture continued with Denpashiki a motorized doll that serves tea and Bushin ichigo ki (Warrior God No. 1) whose built-in camera gives viewers a sense of visual unity with the figure. Then came a project at Kyoto’s Shimogamo Shrine concerning objects inhabited by divine spirits, an ideal opportunity for Asano to present his own explorations of that theme.

Asano applies free thinking and originality for a contemporary take on Japanese arts.

BIOGRAPHY

1981
Born in Aichi Prefecture, Japan
2006
Graduated from School of Fine Arts, Aichi University of the Arts
*produced “Nokaku”
“Asano Kenichi-ten” Gallery Kowa, Tokyo
2008
“Ikigami” Gallery IDF, Nagoya
Art Osaka 2008, Dojima Hotel, Osaka
Tokyo Contemporary Art Fair 2008, Tobi Art Forum, Tokyo
2009
D Art Festival, Daitec Sakae, Nagoya
“Hoyu” Gallery IDF, Nagoya
2010
“Chikarabito” shortlisted for the Taro Okamoto Award for Contemporary Art
Work selected for Yanobe Kenji Best Selection on NHK’s Digital Stadium
8th Anniversary Exhibition, Gallery IDF, Nagoya
“Bushin” Gallery IDF, Nagoya
2011
“Avatar” Gallery IDF, Nagoya
2012
10th Anniversary Exhibition, Gallery IDF, Nagoya
2013
“PechaKucha X Design-ah Exhibition” 21_21 Design Sight, Tokyo “Cho-Kyoto 2013, Contemporary Art @ Today’s Machiya in Kyoto”, Kyoto
“Yorishiro Project Kyoto kara aato de iwau shikinen sengu”Shimogamo Shrine, Kyoto
2014
“Kenichi Asano-Go no mono” produced by Tenmyouya Hisashi, hpgrp Gallery, Tokyo
Young Art Taipei 2014, Taiwan
Art Nagoya, Nagoya
Biwako Biennale 2014, Shiga
New City Art Fair, Japanese Contemporary Art, Taiwan
Maker Faire Tokyo 2014, Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo
2015
“Five Sculptors” hpgrp Gallery, Tokyo
New City Art Fair, hpgrp Gallery New York, NY
“Hero” Pl Gallery, Nagoya
2016
“Kenichi Asano-monstrum”hpgrp Gallery Tokyo
Work selected for The 8th Enku Grand Award Exhibition
日本の伝統芸能に「憑依」「一体化」をテーマにしながら、木彫にポップカルチャー的要素を融合させ、現代アートヘと昇華させる淺野健一。小さいころ、寺や神社に連れて行かれた時に感じた感覚が彼の原風景となっている。祈りや畏れの心が向けられた厳かな空間に、何かが潜んでいそうな緊張感や神秘性に魅かれていった。

《能格》でデビュー、趣味で打ち込んだ格闘技によって、身体のしなりや部位の位置を確かめながら表現した。その後、仏像修復に携わる中で木彫や漆、膠を使った古典技法を獲得した。

生まれ育った尾張地区は、江戸時代からカラクリ人形師を輩出し、職人の技が継承されてきたところである。

その影響からか、球体関節を使い、ひもで操るカラクリの技を学び、彼の作品は動く木彫ヘと進化していく。その後もモーターでカラクリを動かす茶運び人形の「電波式」から、小型カメラを内蔵し視覚的にー体化する感覚が味わえる「武神一号機」ヘと、果敢に現代のテクノロジーを木彫に取り入れていく。下賀茂神社で開催された依代(神霊が依りつく対象物)プロジェクトは、自身のテーマを発表する格好の機会であった。

淺野は柔軟な発想と独創性で日本の伝統芸能を現代的センスで蘇らせる。