Isamu WAKABAYASHI

KENJI TAKI GALLERY

（1936 – 2003）

Biography

1936 Born in Machida, Tokyo, Japan
1959 Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Sculpture
1960 Received the 45th Anniversary Prize at the Nika Exhibition
1967 Received the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Modern Art Award (also received in 1968 and 1975)
1968 Participated in the 1st India Triennale, International Academy of Art, New Delhi
1969 Participated in the International Iron and Steel Sculpture Symposium; exhibited works at the Expo ’70 site in Osaka
- Received the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo Award
1975–1984 Served as a Professor at Musashino Art University
1977 Received the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum Award
1978 Received the Teijiro Nakahara Prize (Grand Prize)
1980 Represented Japan at the 39th Venice Biennale (also exhibited in 1986)
1981 Received the Utsukushi-ga-hara Open-Air Museum Award
1982–1985 Designed and constructed the garden for the Karuizawa Takanawa Museum (currently the Sezon Museum of Modern Art)
1996 Received the 27th Teijiro Nakahara Prize
1998 Installed the permanent outdoor sculpture Stone Pillow at The Museum of Art, Kochi
1999–2003 Served as a Professor at Tama Art University
2000 Installed the permanent outdoor sculpture Elegant Trees Surrounded by Four Pieces of Iron at Kirishima Open-Air Museum, Kagoshima
2001 Installed Daisy in the Basement at the Fuchu Art Museum, Tokyo
2003
- Received the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize, Japan
- Passed away due to bile duct cancer
2006 Installed VALLEYS (2nd Stage) at the planned site of the Yokosuka Museum of Art, Kanagawa

Selected Solo Exhibitions

1959–1988

1959 “Erootitismedia I – VII” (First Solo Exhibition), Mitsugi Gallery, Kichijoji, Tokyo
1965 “Isamu Wakabayashi: Sculpture Exhibition,” Bank of Yokohama, Machida Branch, Tokyo
1973 “Isamu Wakabayashi: Drawing and Sculpture Exhibition,” The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura, Kanagawa
1987 “Artist of Today: Isamu Wakabayashi,” The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (Traveled to: The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto)
1988 “Isamu Wakabayashi: 1986.10 – 1988.2,” Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art, PDF, Fukuoka

1990–1999

1990 “Isamu Wakabayashi: Prints, Drawings and Sculptures,” Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts, Tokyo
1995 “Isamu Wakabayashi: Drawings as Events,” The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
1996 “Smoke and Fog: Isamu Wakabayashi,” Ashikaga Museum of Art, Tochigi (Traveled to: Koriyama City Museum of Art,簡 Fukushima; Yamagata Museum of Art)
1997 “Isamu Wakabayashi: Works since 1989,” Nagoya City Art Museum, Aichi (Traveled to: The Museum of Modern Art, Kanagawa; Ohara Museum of Art, Kurashiki; The Museum of Art, Kochi)
1998 “ISAMU WAKABAYASHI,” Kunsthalle Mannheim, Germany (Traveled to: Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst, Aachen, Germany)
1999 “Isamu Wakabayashi New Works: A Dog Turning Round,” Kenji Taki Gallery, Nagoya

2000–2008

2000
- “Isamu Wakabayashi: Silence of Iron, Words of Green,” Asago Art Village Museum, Asago, Hyogo
- “Isamu Wakabayashi: Ally of Sulfur,” Kenji Taki Gallery, Nagoya
2001 “Isamu Wakabayashi New Works: Bark and Vacant Lot,” Kenji Taki Gallery, Tokyo
2002
- “Isamu Wakabayashi Exhibition,” Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi
- “Isamu Wakabayashi New Works,” Kenji Taki Gallery, Nagoya
2003
- “Isamu Wakabayashi: Regarding Shindoshaku (The Oscillation Gauge),” Kawamura Memorial Museum of Art, Sakura, Chiba
- “Isamu Wakabayashi: Copper / Arc,” Kenji Taki Gallery, Tokyo
2004
- “Isamu Wakabayashi Exhibition,” Kenji Taki Gallery, Nagoya
- “Works from the Collection: Isamu Wakabayashi,” The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
2005
- “Isamu Wakabayashi Prints: Between Drawing and Sculpture,” Setagaya Art Museum, Tokyo
- “Isamu Wakabayashi: Walnut Tree – DRAWING 1993-1998,” Tama Art University Museum, Tokyo
2006 “Isamu Wakabayashi: Bouquet,” Kenji Taki Gallery, Tokyo
2007 “Isamu Wakabayashi: DAISY 1993-1998,” Tama Art University Museum, Tokyo
2008 “Isamu Wakabayashi: VALLEYS,” Yokosuka Museum of Art, Kanagawa

2010–2016

2010
- “Isamu Wakabayashi: Dog Field Drawing 1980-1992,” Tama Art University Museum, Tokyo
- “Isamu Wakabayashi: Submersion,” Kenji Taki Gallery, Tokyo
2012 “Isamu Wakabayashi: Memory,” Kenji Taki Gallery, Nagoya
2013 “Isamu Wakabayashi: The Man in His Studio – Drawing 1955-2003,” Tama Art University Museum, Tokyo
2014 “Special Feature from the 3rd Collection Exhibition: ‘Father: Isamu Wakabayashi’,” Yokosuka Museum of Art, Kanagawa
2015
- “Isamu Wakabayashi Exhibition,” Kenji Taki Gallery, Nagoya
- “Isamu Wakabayashi: Flying Leaves and Oscillation,” Nagoya City Art Museum, Aichi (Traveled to: Ashikaga Museum of Art, Tochigi; The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura & Hayama, Kanagawa; Fuchu Art Museum, Tokyo; Urawa Art Museum, Saitama)
2016 “Isamu Wakabayashi Exhibition,” Kenji Taki Gallery, Tokyo

2020–Present

2020 “Artists Associated with Machida: Isamu Wakabayashi,” Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts, Tokyo
2021
- “Isamu Wakabayashi / Sekigahara,” Sekigahara Ningenmura Living Museum, Gifu
- “New Acquisitions: Isamu Wakabayashi,” The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura & Hayama, Kanagawa
- “Special Exhibition: Isamu Wakabayashi’s Garden for the Karuizawa Takanawa Museum,” Sezon Museum of Modern Art, Karuizawa, Nagano
2023
- “Works from the Collection: 20th Anniversary of the Death of Isamu Wakabayashi,” Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi
- “Isamu Wakabayashi: Edge of the Woods,” Musashino Art University Museum & Library, Tokyo
2024 “Isamu Wakabayashi Exhibition,” Kenji Taki Gallery, Roppongi, Tokyo

Selected Group Exhibitions

1963–1969

1963 “New Generation of Sculpture,” The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
1964 “Trends in Contemporary Art: Painting and Sculpture,” The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto Annex
1966
- “New Generation of Contemporary Art Exhibition,” The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
- “Trends in Contemporary Art Exhibition,” The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto Annex
1967 “The 2nd Exhibition of Contemporary Japanese Sculpture,” Ube Open-Air Museum, Yamaguchi (Awarded the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Modern Art Award)
1967/68 “The 1st India Triennale – International Art Exhibition,” Tokyo Central Museum / International Academy of Art, New Delhi, India
1968 “The 1st Contemporary Sculpture Exhibition,” Suma Rikyu Park, Kobe (Awarded the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Modern Art Award)
1969 “International Iron and Steel Sculpture Symposium,” Expo ’70 Site, Osaka (Permanently installed)

1970–1977

1970 “The 2nd Contemporary Sculpture Exhibition,” Suma Rikyu Park, Kobe (Awarded the Mr. K Prize)
1975
- “The 13th Middelheim Biennale,” Middelheim Open-Air Sculpture Museum, Antwerp, Belgium
- “The 6th Exhibition of Contemporary Japanese Sculpture,” Ube Open-Air Museum, Yamaguchi (Awarded the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Modern Art Award)
1977 “The 7th Exhibition of Contemporary Japanese Sculpture: Abstraction and Figuration in Contemporary Sculpture,” Ube Open-Air Museum, Yamaguchi (Awarded the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum Award)

1980–1986

1980 “The 39th Venice Biennale,” Japan Pavilion, Venice, Italy
1981
- “The 2nd Henry Moore Grand Prize Exhibition,” The Hakone Open-Air Museum, Kanagawa (Awarded the Utsukushi-ga-hara Open-Air Museum Award)
- “Development of Modern Japanese Sculpture,” The Museum of Modern Art, Kanagawa
- “Contemporary Japanese Art Exhibition: Trends of Japanese Art in the 1970s,” Art Center of the Korean Culture and Arts Foundation, Seoul, South Korea
- “Inaugural Exhibition” (Installation of Iron Gate, 1st Stage), Karuizawa Takanawa Museum (currently Sezon Museum of Modern Art), Nagano
- “The 1960s: A Turning Point in Contemporary Art,” The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (Traveled to: The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto)
1985
- “ARTIST’S BOOKS JAPAN,” Franklin Furnace Gallery, New York (Traveled to: Fuji Television Gallery, Tokyo)
- “Sculpture japonaise contemporaine,” Galerie Jullien-Cornic, Paris, France
1986
- “The 42nd Venice Biennale,” Japan Pavilion, Venice, Italy
- “Asian Contemporary Art Exhibition,” National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, South Korea

1990–1996

1990 “A Primal Spirit: Ten Contemporary Japanese Sculptors,” Hara Museum Arc, Gunma (Traveled to: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, USA)
1992
- “The Universe of Books: Vessels for Poetic Thought,” Tochigi Prefectural Museum of Fine Arts
- “Vocal Iron: From Today’s Metal Sculptures,” Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
1996 “The 27th Teijiro Nakahara Prize Exhibition,” Hokkaido Asahikawa Museum of Art

2001–2007

2001 “Ikiro / Be Alive: Contemporary Art from Japan 1980 until Now,” Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, Netherlands
2002 “BOX ART Exhibition,” Rias Ark Museum of Art, Kesennuma, Miyagi (Traveled to: Niigata City Art Museum; Okazaki Mindscape Museum, Aichi; Shizuoka Art Gallery; The Museum of Art, Kochi)
2003
- “Gifts from Artists Exhibition,” Niigata City Art Museum (Traveled to: Misumi Town Kazuki Museum, Yamaguchi; Sapporo Art Park, Hokkaido; The Museum of Art, Kochi; Daimaru Museum Umeda, Osaka; Joshibi Art Museum, Sagamihara, Kanagawa)
- “Exhibition of Sculptors’ Drawings by Winners of the Teijiro Nakahara Prize,” Teijiro Nakahara Asahikawa Sculpture Museum, Hokkaido
2006
- “Labyrinth + Museum: 20th Century Art from the Collection of Tomio Sabarai,” Takasaki City Museum of Art, Gunma (Traveled to: The Museum of Modern Art, Gunma; The Shoto Museum of Art, Tokyo)
- “Japanese Public Art Living in Spaces,” Sapporo Art Park, Hokkaido (Traveled to: Setagaya Art Museum, Tokyo)
- “The Matter of Sculpture: Works by Kiyoshi Kawashima, Takeshi Tsuchitani, and Isamu Wakabayashi,” Iwaki City Art Museum, Fukushima
2007 “The Modernity of Japanese Sculpture: From the Meiji Era to the 1960s – A 100-Year Journey of Contemporary Sculpture,” Miyagi Museum of Art (Traveled to: Mie Prefectural Art Museum; The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo)

2010–2019

2010
- “MIHO GRANDAMA: Arte della Luce,” Miho Museum, Shiga
- “MASKS,” Chiba City Museum of Art (Traveled to: Ashikaga Museum of Art, Tochigi)
- “This is Not a Book: The Expansion of Book Art,” Urawa Art Museum, Saitama (Traveled to: Fukui City Art Museum)
2011 “Collaboration of Art and Books,” Urawa Art Museum, Saitama (Traveled to: Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art, Fukuoka)
2012 “Relation: Inherited Things – Unspeakable Things,” Musashino Art University Museum & Library, Tokyo
2013 “Re:Quest – Japanese Contemporary Art since the 1970s,” Museum of Art, Seoul National University, South Korea
2014 “The Arrival of Susanowo: Life, Anger, Prayer,” Ashikaga Museum of Art, Tochigi (Traveled to: DIC Kaw村 Memorial Museum of Art, Sakura, Chiba; Hakodate Museum of Art, Hokkaido; Yamadera Basho Memorial Museum, Yamagata; The Shoto Museum of Art, Tokyo)
2016 “Works from the Collection: The Wildness of Form,” The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
2019 “Drawing Lines in Space: Sculpture and Drawing,” Hiratsuka Museum of Art, Kanagawa (Traveled to: Ashikaga Museum of Art, Tochigi; Kuma Museum of Art, Ehime; Hekinan City Tatsukichi Fujii Museum of Contemporary Art, Aichi)

2020–Present

2020 “DOMANI・The Next Generation: Beyond the Wounded Landscape,” The National Art Center, Tokyo
2021 “The Three Titans!! Jiro Takamatsu, Isamu Wakabayashi, Lee Ufan: The Plate/Print as a Site,” Setagaya Art Museum, Tokyo
2022 “Polyphony of Function and Decoration,” Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi
2025 “VISION: Stars and Star Charts | Star Chart II: Alone, and as a Group,” Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi

Main Public Collections

Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, Nagoya
Ashikaga Museum of Art, Tochigi
Iwaki City Art Museum, Fukushima
Urawa Art Museum, Saitama
Expo ’70 Commemorative Park, Osaka
The Museum of Modern Art, Kanagawa
Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art,端 Fukuoka
Kirishima Open-Air Museum, Kagoshima
The National Museum of Art, Osaka
The Museum of Art, Kochi
The Hakone Open-Air Museum, Kanagawa
Sapporo Art Park, Hokkaido
Sezon Museum of Modern Art, Nagano
The Museum of Modern Art, Shiga
Setagaya Art Museum, Tokyo
Takamatsu Art Museum, Kagawa
Tama Art University, Tokyo
Chiba City Museum of Art, Chiba
DIC Kawamura Memorial Museum of Art, Chiba
The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, Tokyo
Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi
Teijiro Nakahara Memorial Asahikawa Sculpture Museum, Hokkaido
Nagoya City Art Museum, Aichi
Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Kobe
Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art
Fuchu Art Museum, Tokyo
Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Sapporo
Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts, Tokyo
Minokamo City Museum, Gifu
Mie Prefectural Art Museum, Mie
Miho Museum, Shiga
Yokosuka Museum of Art, Kanagawa
Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, Netherlands