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.


⚫︎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.

⚫︎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
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