The artist was born in Shiga, Japan, in 1972. She currently lives and works in Tokyo.
Kawauchi burst on the international scene in 2001 when she was
awarded the Kimura-Ihei-Prize, Japan’s most important emerging talent
photography prize, shortly followed by the simultaneous publication of
three beautiful books, Utatane (Catnap), Hanabi (Fireworks), and Hanako,
her very personal study of a young girl of the same name. Met with
great critical acclaim, these “visual essays” demonstrate her finesse
and skill of telling a photographic tale. Since this triple-debut, the
artist has gone to publish another eleven books, the newest of which are
Illuminance and Ametsuchi. Kawauchi, currently one of the most famed
contemporary female Asian artists, is a recipient the eminent Annual
Infinity Award (2009) from New York’s International Centre of
Photography, in the category Art, and similarly was shortlisted in 2012
for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize. She has joined and held many
group and solo shows both at home and abroad, with major solo
exhibitions in the Fondation Cartier pour l’art Contemporain in Paris,
London’s The Photographers’ Gallery, the Hasselblad Centre in
Gothenburg, Semear Museu de Arte Moderna de Sao Paulo, the Vangi
Sculpture Garden Museum in Shizuoka, or Brussels’ ARGOS Centre for Art
& Media. Major group exhibitions to date include those at Munich’s
Haus der Kunst, the Huis Marseille in Amsterdam, Museum of Contemporary
Art, inTokyo, Toyota Municipal Museum of Art in Aichi, or the Brighton
Photo Biennial 2010: New Documents. Her unique approach is like a
“drawing senses”, embracing motifs of every day details as well as cycle
of life and its transience, and has been admired by art lovers all over
the world.
Education
1993
Graduated Seian University of Art and Design (ex Seian Women’s College)
Solo Exhibitions
2024
“Rinko Kawauchi – a faraway shining star, twinkling in hand”, Fotografiska, Stockholm, Sweden
2023
“Rinko Kawauchi – Ametsuchi, Illuminance, Aila, Utatane”, Priska Pasquer, Paris, France
Rinko Kawauchi, Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition, Somerset House, UK
2022
“Rinko Kawauchi – A Retrospective”, Christophe Guye Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
“Rinko Kawauchi: M/E ―On this sphere Endlessly interlinking”, Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, Tokyo / Shiga Museum of Art, Shiga, Japan
"Making Daidai Shoten", Rainy Day Bookstore & Café, Tokyo / Daidai Book Shop, Kumamoto, Japan
"Rinko Kawauchi and Yamanami Kobo", umi no schole, Shiga, Japan
2021
"Under the same sky", MA2 Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
"as it is", gallery trax, Yamanashi, Japan
"A DROP", TEATON / PHAETON, Kanazawa, Japan
"M/E", Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store Main Building 6F contemporary Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2020
"as it is", POST, Tokyo / RAURAUJI gallery, Osaka, Japan
2019
"Days about" Atelier Yamanami, HOTEL ANTEROOM KYOTO (GALLERY 9.5), Kyoto / Gallery TUTUMU, Shiga, Japan
"When I was seven.", agnès b. galerie boutique, Tokyo, Japan
2018
"Someday for Sure", Gallery TUTUMU, Shiga, Japan
"A New Day", POST, Tokyo / Orange, Kumamoto, Japan
"Halo", foto-forum, Italy
2017
"Halo", POST, Tokyo / Morioka Shoten, Tokyo
„Halo“, Christophe Guye Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
2016
„The river embraced me“, Meessen De Clercq, Bruxelles, Belgium
„The rain of blessing“, Gallery 916, Tokyo, Japan
„Rinko Kawauchi: The river embraced me“, Contemporary Museum, Kumamoto, Japan
„Someday for sure“, Orange, Kumamoto / gallery trax, Yamanashi, Japan
"Till The Day", NOMA t.d. store, Tokyo, Japan
2015
„Let’s sing a song our bodies know“, GUCCI Shinjuku 3F, Tokyo, Japan
„Illuminance“, Kunst Haus Wien, Vienna, Austria
2014
„Light and Shadow“, Colissimo, Hyogo
„Ametsuchi“, Main Gallery Lesley University College of Art and Design, Cambridge, USA
„New Pictures 9“, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, USA
2013
„Ametsuchi”, Galerie Priska Parquer, Cologne
„Light and Shadow”, KAGIYA Building 4F Gallery, Hamamatsu “Ametsuchi”, Aperture Gallery, New York
„Light and Shadow”, msc Gallery, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Kyoto, Japan
„Ametsuchi”, Rose Gallery, Santa Monica, USA
„Illuminance”, Christophe Guye Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
2012
„Illuminance, Ametsuchi, Seeing Shadow”, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Tokyo, Japan
„Light and Shadow”, TRAUMARIS, Tokyo, Japan
2011
„A Glimmer in Silence”, FO.KU.S Kunst Stadtforum, Innsbruck, Austria
„Illuminance”, FOIL GALLERY, Tokyo, Japan
„Illuminance”, Gallery at Hermès, New York, USA
„murmuration”, Rose Gallery, Los Angels, USA
2010
„the eyes, the ears”, Kunstverein Augsburg e.V., Augsburg, Germany
„A Glimmer in Silence”, Galeria Priska Pasquer, Cologne, Germany
„AILA”, Seian University of Art and Design, Shiga, Japan
„I ridescence”, Meessen De Clercq, Brussels, Belgium
“Rinko Kawauchi: Transient Wonders, Everyday Bliss“ – Photography, Video and Slides, ARGOS Centre for Art and Media, Brussels, Belgium
2009
„Condensation”, Mountain Fold Gallery, New York, USA
„a pause”, GALLERY TRAX, Yamanashi, Japan
2008
„Rinko Kawauchi”, Antoine de Vilmorin, Paris, France
“Cui Cui”, The Vangi Sculpture Garden Museum, Shizuoka, Japan
„Semear”, FOIL GALLERY, Tokyo, Japan
„UTATANE”, Galeria Pepe Cobo, Madrid, Spain
2007
„Cohan and Leslie”, New York, USA
„Semear”, Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
„AILA + the eyes, the ears”, Fotografins Hus, Stockholm, Sweden
„AILA + the eyes, the ears”, Hasselblad Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden
2006
„AILA + the eyes, the ears”, FOTOGRAFISK CENTER, Copenhagen, Denmark
Galerie Priska Pasquer, Cologne, Germany
„AILA + the eyes, the ears”, Galeria Carla Sozzani, Milan, Italy
„Rinko Kawauchi”, The Photographers’ Gallery, London, England
2005
„AILA + Cui Cui + the eyes, the ears”, Foundation Cartier pour l’art Contemporain, Paris, France
„AILA”, Kanaz Forest of Creation, Fukui, Japan
„AILA”, Cohan and Leslie, New York, USA
„Cui Cui”, QUATRE Florence, Italy
2004
„AILA”, California Museum of Photography, UC Riverside, USA
„UTATANE”, Cohan and Leslie, New York, USA
„AILA”, Little More Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2003
„HANABI”, white cube, Kyoto, Japan
„HANABI”, Little More Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
„Blue”, Rocket Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
„Rinko Kawauchi”, 4F Gallery, Los Angels, USA
„Wacall photo exhibition”, SPIRAL GARDEN, Tokyo, Japan
„UTATANE”, vonrot gallery, Berlin, Germany
2002
„HANABI”, Little More Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
„UTATANE”, Colette, Paris, France
2001
„UTATANE”, Parco Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
„HANABI”, Gray, Tokyo, Japan
„HANAKO”, Little More Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
„HIBI”, Aki-Ex Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2000
„HITOIKI”, Light Works, Kanagawa, Japan
1998
„UTATANE”, Guardian Garden, Tokyo, Japan
Group Exhibitions
2024
MIA Fair Milano, Christophe Guye Galerie, Milan, Italy
"Print & Craft Showcase: Known Points" Form & Concept, Santa Fe NM, USA
2023
"Winter Interlude" Christophe Guye Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
"Collection Exhibition 1 – It knows : When Forms Become Mind", 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Japan
"Wabi Sabi", Japanmuseum SieboldHuis, Netherlands
"I have not loved (enough or worked)", The Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA), Australia
2022
Art & New Ecology, THE UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM / The 5th Floor, Tokyo
20th anniversary of opening Exhibition "Flower of Life", Vangi Sculpture Garden Museum, Shizuoka
The Ateliers of Wonders, HOMO FABER,
Rinko Kawauchi and Yamanami Kobo, Higashi Osaka City Art Center, Osaka
2021
The Prix Pictet Fire exhibition tour
Thailand Biennale 2021, Thailand
WAYS OF TELLING, Tokyo Shibuya Koen-dori Gallery, Tokyo
CHIBA FOTO, Chiba Chuo Community Center, Matsunami Annex
2020
The Sense of Wonder into another garden, Vangi Sculpture Garden Museum
Timeless Conversations 2020: Voices from Japanese Art of the Past and Present, The National Art Center, Tokyo
2019
CAMK Collection Exhibition, Contemporary Art Museum, Kumamoto, Japan
Miffy's Field of Flowers: The World of Dick Bruna Picture Books, Vangi Sculpture Garden Museum, Shizuoka TOP Collection, Japan
Reading Images: The Time of Photography, TOP MUSEUM, Tokyo, Japan
Lianzhou Foto Festival 15th Edition, China
2018
"Forever (and again)", IZU PHOTO MUSEUM, Shizuoka, Japan
"A Matter of Light", PALAZZO REALE, Mailand, Italy
"Asama International Photo Festival", Nagano, Japan
"A Beautiful Moment", Huis Marseille, Amsterda, Netherlande
"25th Anniversary in Gallery Trax vol.I", gallery trax, Yamanashi, Japan
"Incognito: The Eye in Search, The 6th SIPF 2018 Festival", Singapore
"TAYLOR WESSING PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT PRIZE 2018", National Portrait Gallery, Londo, England
2017
"Prix Pictet", V&A Museum, London / CAMERA, Torino
"Seize the Uncertain Day", Chinretsukan Gallery (The University Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts), Tokyo, Japan
"Somewhere I Have Never Travelled", URANO, Tokyo, Japan
"Japanorama. A new vision on art since 1970" Centre Pompidou-Metz, France
2016
„Japanese Photography from Postwar to Now“, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, USA
"Genius loci" – The Higashikawa Awards –, Towada Art Center, Aomori, Japan
2015
„In the Wake Japanese Photographers Respond to 3/11”, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA
„The Younger Generation: Contemporary Japanese Photography”, Getty Center, Los Angeles, USA
2014
„INAUGURAL EXHIBITION, SHERRICK & PAUL BIWAKO”, Bienna Shiga,Paraty en Foco en festa, Paraty, Brazil
„Rinko Kawauchi×NOMA”, t.d. gallery trax,Yamanashi / TRAUMARIS, Tokyo / rizm, Hyogo, Japan
„Landskrona Fotofestival 2014”, Landskrona, Sweden
„Photography will be”, Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, Nagoya, Japan
„VIVID MEMORIES”, Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris, France
2013
„Exhibition of the 29th Higashikawa Award Winners“, Higashikawa Bunka Gallery, Hokkaido, Japan
„The Aesthetics of Photography - Five Elements Collection Exhibition 2013“, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Tokyo, Japan
„Fotografia Europea“, Reggio Emilia, Italy
2012
„Daegu Photo Biennale 2012”, Daegu, Korea
„Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2012”, The Photographers’ Gallery, London, England
„To Wander a Garden”, The Vangi Sculpture Garden Museum, Shizuoka, Japan
„Visible / Invisible”, Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi, Japan
2011
„FotoGrafia” - Festival Internazionale di Roma, Rome, Italy
„Fotofestival Mannheim Ludwigshafen Heidelberg”, Mannheim, Germany
„Le Mois de la Photo à Montréal”, Montréal, Canada
„Colloquy and Soliloquy”, Mountain Fold Gallery, New York, USA
„Bye Bye Kitty!!! Between Heaven and Hell in Contemporary Japanese Art curated by David Elliott”, Society, New York, USA
2010
„The 6th Lianzhou Photography Festival”, Lianzhou, China
„Brighton Photo Biennial 2010 New Documents curated by Martin Parr”, Brighton, UK
„Summer Loves, Huis Marseille”, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
„Kassel Fotobook Festival 2010”, Documenta Halle, Kassel, Germany
2009
„Touch the World Borderless”, Art Museum NO-MA, Shiga, Shiga
„Photography Now “ China, Japan, Korea San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, USA
„Parrworld”, Jeu de Paume, Paris; BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, UK
„FotoGrafia Festival International in Roma Palazzo delle Esposizioni”, Rome, Italy
„Verdure! New Acquisitions and Related Works of the Collection”, Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi, Japan
2008
„Blooming: Brazil-Japan Where You Are”, Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi, Japan
„Parrworld”, Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany
2007
„Curator’s Choice ’07: Museum Dialogues”, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Tokyo, Japan
2006
„A to Z by Yoshitomo Nara + graf”, Yoshii Brick House, Aomori, Japan
„PHotoEspaña 2006”, Madrid, Spain
„Collection of the Foundation Cartier pour l’art Contemporain”, Museum Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan
„Whisper not!”, Huis Marseille, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2004
„Lonely Planet”, Art Tower Mito Contemporary Art Center, Mito, Japan
„AILA & UTATANE”, Recontres d’Arles Photographie, France
2003
„Love Planet”, The 41st Okayama City Arts Festival Program, Okayama, Japan
„HOPE”, Laforet Museum, Tokyo, Japan
„OIL”, Litte More Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2002
„Kimura Iehei Award Winners Exhibition Minolta”, Photo Space Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
2000
„Hinata Kanata”, Landmark Tower Gallery, Kanagawa, Japan
Awards
2013
The 29th Higashikawa Award, Domestic Photographer Award
Art Encourage Prize for New Artist from the Ministry of Education
2012
shortlisted for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize
2009
ICP 25th Annual Infinity Award, Art Category
2002
Winner of the 27th Kimura Ihei Award
The Photographic Society of Japan, the Rookie of the Year Award
1997
Grand Prix Prize, The Guardian Garden’s 9th Hitotsubo Award
Publications
2021
Illuminance: The Tenth Anniversary Edition, 2021 (Aperture, NY)
Des oiseaux（On birds）(Editions Xavier Barral, Paris)
2020
as it is (Chose Commune, Marseille)
2019
When I was seven., HeHe
2018
A New Day, Kyuryudo
2017
Halo (Aperture, NY / HeHe, Tokyo / Editions Xavier Barral, Paris)
2016
The river embraced me (torch press)
2014
Gift with Terri Weifenbach (IMA Photo Book)
Kirakira with Leiko Ikemura (NOHARA)
2013
SHEETS (Kominek)
Ametsuchi (Apertur, NY/Seigensha, Kyoto)
2012
Light and Shadow (Rinko Kawauchi Office)
Illuminance, Amtsuchi, Seeing Shadow (Seigensha, Kyoto)
2011
Illuminance (Apertur, NY/FOIL, Tokyo)
2010
Murmuration (Photowork, UK)
2007
Semear (FOIL,Tokyo)
Majun (FOIL, Tokyo)
2006
Rinko, Diary II (FOIL, Tokyo)
Rinko, Diary (FOIL, Tokyo)
2005
Cui Cui (FOIL, Foundation Cartier pour l'art Contemporaim, Actes Sud)
the eyes, the ears, (FOIL, Tokyo)
2004
AILA (FOIL, Tokyo)
2003
blue (Petit Grand Publishing, Tokyo)
2001
UTATANE (Little More, Tokyo) – 2nd edition 2012
HANABI (Little More, Tokyo) – 2nd edition 2009
HANAKO (Little More, Tokyo)
Collections
The Vangi Sculpture Garden Museum, Shizuoka
Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi
Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Tokyo
Foundation Cartier pour l’art Contemporain, Paris
Huis Marseille, Amsterdam
Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo, São Paulo
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco
Montréal Museum, Montréal
Contemporary Art Museum, Kumamoto
