S h i n j i I h a r a ｜ Painter and contemporary artist
Ihara is an artist based in Japan. Born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1987, he currently lives in Hiroshima Prefecture. He graduated from the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts, majoring in painting in 2012. He has been exploring the self, others, and relationships between people in society, mainly through painting portraits.
After graduating from graduate school, he began to travel around the world, while based in Hiroshima and Tokyo. Based on the various encounters, experiences, and research he had in these places, he is exploring approaches to expression using soundwork, photography, video, objects, three-dimensional works, texts, novels, etc. in addition to his previous painting expressions.
His major works include the "LIFE" series, in which he projects himself or people close to him, the "MEYOU" series, which depicts people he meets randomly online, without knowing their names or where they live, and "Love Your Neighbor," which depicts an encounter he had on a voyage to Antarctica.
After graduating from graduate school, he began to travel around the world, while based in Hiroshima and Tokyo. Based on the various encounters, experiences, and research he had in these places, he is exploring approaches to expression using soundwork, photography, video, objects, three-dimensional works, texts, novels, etc. in addition to his previous painting expressions.
His major works include the "LIFE" series, in which he projects himself or people close to him, the "MEYOU" series, which depicts people he meets randomly online, without knowing their names or where they live, and "Love Your Neighbor," which depicts an encounter he had on a voyage to Antarctica.
⚫︎Biography
1987 Born in Fukuoka, Japan
2010 BFA in Oil Painting of Hiroshima City University
2012 M.F.A in Oil Painting Materials and Techniques of Tokyo University of the Arts
⚫︎Solo Exhibition
2024 Shinji Ihara ″Abstract Concept″, KEN NAKAHASHI, Tokyo
2023 Shinji Ihara ″1111″, KEN NAKAHASHI, Tokyo（ART WEEK TOKYO 2023）
2021 Love Your Neighbor 2021, KEN NAKAHASHI, Tokyo
2020 Love Your Neighbor, Hiroshima Drawing Lab, Hiroshima
2018 MEYOU, KEN NAKAHASHI, Tokyo
2016 Hakata Gion Yamakasa Otoko E-zu, matchbaco, Tokyo
2015 RENDEZVOUS, matchbaco, Tokyo
2013 SINCE NOBODY SEES, Gallery Art Morimoto, Tokyo
⚫︎Group Exhibition
2025 Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2025, National Portrait Gallery, London
OITA ART FESTIVAL 2025, ART PLAZA, Oita
35th Anniversary Exhibition, TAKANAWA GALLERY, Tokyo
AMPLIFIED ART vol.4, PALETTE GALLERY, Tokyo
A line drawn by chance, Hiroshima Drawing Lab, Hiroshima（Hiroshima Art Galleries Week 2025）
Lenz, SASAI FINE ARTS, Tokyo
Drawing Today, Morooka Seisakujo, Saitama
2024 Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award 2024, National Portrait Gallery, London
KAIKA AWARD TOKYO 2024, KAIKA TOKYO by THE SHARE HOTELS, Tokyo
Okubuka zine Okubuka book store, 339 museum shop counter, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Hiroshima
Art Marché HIROSHIMA, Hiroshima Drawing Lab, Hiroshima
2023 Art in Book, Hiroshima Drawing Lab, Hiroshima （Hiroshima Art Galleries Week 2023）
Hiroshima Contemporary Art Salon 2023 with HAGW, Mitsukoshi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima
Fusetsu Nakamura and Portraits Exhibition, Takanawa Gallery, Tokyo
Secret Door, Hiroshima Drawing Lab, Hiroshima
Lenz, SASAI FINE ARTS, Tokyo
2022 Perpetual Shadow, Gallery Suchi, Tokyo (Also held in 2021,2019,2018,2017)
ART OLYMPIA 2022 (Selected works), Kiun-Kaku, Shizuoka
Pencil drawing Exhibition, Gallery Art Morimoto, Tokyo
Oyster Collection, Hiroshima Drawing Lab, Hiroshima
2021 Handsome Men They Are, The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama; Iwami Art Museum, Shimane (Touring exhibition)
Pencil drawing Exhibition, Mitsukoshi-Nihonbashi, Tokyo
one's signal, KEN NAKAHASHI, Tokyo
A BIGGER SPLASH, Hiroshima Drawing Lab, Hiroshima
Urge, Hiroshima Drawing Lab, Hiroshima
2020 SILVER LINING, Hiroshima Drawing Lab, Hiroshima
Premonition of beauty 2020, Takashimaya-Nihonbashi / Yokohama / Kyoto (Touring exhibition)
Breakzenya / Tomio Koyama Selection, HILLSIDE TERRACE, Tokyo
one's behavior, KEN NAKAHASHI, Tokyo
2019 Soft Mirrors, KEN NAKAHASHI, Tokyo
Horns of Rhinoceros, Gallery Art Morimoto, Tokyo
The portrait within 1km, Atmosphere, Tokyo
2018 FAUSS, 3331 Arts Chiyoda, Tokyo
In Between the Classic and the Contemporary, Hiroshima City University Art Museum, Hiroshima
2017 My Cat, Sato Museum, Tokyo
Star Tale, KEN NAKAHASHI, Tokyo
The Cat is the Greatest masterpiece, Gallery Art Morimoto, Tokyo
2016 IMAGO MUNDI”Benetton collection’s exhibition, PRATT INSTITUTE THE RUBELLE AND NORMAN SCHFLER GALLERY, NY (Fondazione Querini Stampalia / Venice / 2013)
LOIVE, matchbaco, Tokyo
Ichiro Sato and his comrades exhibition, NAGAI Art Gallery, Mitsukoshi-Nihonbashi, Tokyo
2015 Place We Seek, Former Hiroshima Branch of the Bank of Japan, Hiroshima
THE LITE - PORTRAITS OF THE HIBAKUSHA , JMS Aster Plaza, Hiroshima
2014 9th Kanji Maeda Grand-Prix Exhibition, Takashimaya-Nihonbashi, Tokyo / Kurayoshi Museum, Tottori (Touring exhibition)
Seeing / Drawing, Tokyo University of the Arts University Art Museum, Tokyo
2013 IMAGO MUNDI, Benetton collection’s exhibition Fondazione Querini Stampalia, Venice
THE LITE - PORTRAITS OF THE HIBAKUSHA , International Conference Center Hiroshima, Hiroshima
Next Art exhibition, The Asahi Shimbun Company and Matsuya Ginza, Tokyo
⚫︎Art Fair
2019 Art Taipei, Booth: YIRI ARTS, Taipei World Trade Center, Taipei
2018 Art Fair Asia, Booth: Gallery Suchi, Hotel Okura Fukuoka, Fukuoka
2016 Art Taipei, Booth: Wada Fine Arts + KEN NAKAHASHI, Taipei World Trade Center, Taipei
2014 Kyoto Art Fair, Booth: Gallery Art Morimoto, Kyoto Exhibition Hall, Kyoto
⚫︎Public Collections
Hiroshima City University Museum
Luciano Benetton Imago Mundi Collection
⚫︎Awards
2025 Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2025 “Selected works”, National Portrait Gallery, London
2024 Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award 2024 “Selected works”, National Portrait Gallery, London
2024 KAIKA AWARD TOKYO 2024 “Selected works”, KAIKA TOKYO by THE SHARE HOTELS, Tokyo
2022 ART OLYMPIA “Selected works", Kiun-Kaku, Shizuoka
2017 FINE ART / UNIVERSITY SELECTION 2016-2017 “Excellence award”, Tsukuba Museum of Art, Ibaraki
2013 13th Hiroshima City University Graduation works “Noda award”, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art.
⚫︎Grunt
2024 Nomura Foundation "Individual Activity Grunt Overseas"
⚫︎Book
RENDEZVOUS, published by matchbaco, 2015
⚫︎Magazine Feature
THE WINDOW OF ART, October 2024 No.493, P75
Gekkan Bijutsu, April 2023 No.571, P42
THE WINDOW OF ART, April 2023 No.475, P157
ART Collectors, June 2021 No.147
ART Collectors, July 2019 No.124
ART Collectors, June 2018 No.111, P23
ART Collectors, December 2018 No.117, P53
ART Collectors, December 2017 No.105, P41
ART Collectors, June 2017 No.99
ART Collectors, April 2017 No.97, P21.30
ART Collectors, March 2017 No.96
ART Collectors, January, 2017 No.94
ART Collectors, November 2016 No.92
GEIJUTSU SHINCHO, October 2016
Gekkan Bijutsu, May 2016, No.488, P48
ART Collectors, February 2016 No.83, P28.29
ART Collectors, August 2015 No.77, P32.33
ART Collectors, December 2014 No.69
THE WINDOW OF ART, October 2014 No.373, P24-29
ART Collectors, December 2013 No.57
ART Collectors, July 2013 No.52
THE WINDOW OF ART, December 2012 No.373, P46-47
THE WINDOW OF ART, November 2012 No.373, P50.51
⚫︎Column
Since Nobody Sees, published by Shukan Dokushojin, 2016
⚫︎Media Coverage
NEOQUE｜ART & PHOTOGRAPHY｜Shinji Ihara, 2023, Italy
i-D Vice｜“MEYOU” Shinji IHARA Solo Exhibition, 2018, Tokyo