Biography

Exhibitions

Selected Exhibitions

2020
Nitten Japan Fine Art Exhibition 2020, The National Art Centre, Tokyo, Japan
2021
RE:OPENING CEREMONY, A Lighthouse called Kanata, Tokyo, Japan

3331 Art Fair, 3331 Arts Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
2022
TEFAF Maastricht, The Netherlands (’23, ’24, ’25, ’26)

A Lighthouse called Kanata New York Pop-Up, USA

Masterpiece London, UK

Seattle Art Fair, USA

International Art Festival BIWAKO BIENNALE 2022, Shiga prefecture, Japan

RAKUCHU KANSEI Art Exhibition Kyoto 2022, Japan (’24)

5^th Triennale of Kogei in Kanazawa 2022 Kogei World Competition in Kanazawa, Japan

The Future Eternal – a special exhibition for DESIGNART TOKYO, A Lighthouse called Kanata, Tokyo, Japan
2023
Break Zenya Exhibition, Artglorieux of Tokyo, Japan

SHITSURAI-Offerings-IX, THE TERMINAL KYOTO, Japan

Visions of the Sky, Kanata at Didier Aaron New York, USA

Beyond the Abstract World: From Yufuku to Kanata, A Lighthouse called Kanata, Tokyo, Japan

The Treasure House Fair, London, UK

Tokyo Gendai, Japan (’24, ’25)

West Bund Art and Design, Shanghai, China

Art Miami, USA
2024
Art SG, Singapore (’25)

People from Kyoto × Next Generation Artists2024, Kyoto, Japan

Art Collaboration Kyoto, ICC Kyoto, Japan

The Elemental II – Music of the Spheres, A Lighthouse called Kanata, Tokyo, Japan

The Armory Show, New York, USA

FAB Paris, France
2025
Premonition of Beauty 2025 –Transposition–, Nihombashi Takashimaya, Osaka Takashimaya, JR Nagoya Takashimaya, Takashimaya Kyoto, Japan

The 6th Triennale of Kogei in Kanazawa, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan

OPENING CEREMONY II, A Lighthouse called Kanata, Tokyo, Japan

Awards

2020　Selected, Nitten Fine Arts Exhibition
2022　Selected, Kogei World Competition in Kanazawa (’25)

Public Collections

亘章吾 Shogo
Watari Shogo
Watari

Blossom Ring ｜Japanese cypress

H63 x W63 x D63 cm / H24.8 x W24.8 x D24.8 in

Shogo
Watari

Profile

1987 Born in Kyoto, Japan
2014 Shinrin Takumi Juku
2016 Joseph Walsh Studio
2019 Nakagawa Mokkougei Hira Studio
2020 Founds own studio in Kyoto, lives and works in Kyoto

01 Exhibitions More
02 Awards More

About
the ArtistAbout
the Artist

Hailing from a family long associated with the forests of Kyoto and Nara, Shogo Watari (b. 1987 –) is one of the most captivating young artists in wood to recently emerge from Japan, an island nation whose art and culture is deeply entwined with the natural beauty of wood itself. Virtually 70% of Japan’s terrain continues to be covered in forest, and unlike Western cultures, our religious architecture such as temples and shrines, as well as our traditional statues and paintings, were often made with wood. Timber and the beauty of wood flows through the veins of Watari, and it is within this context that the young artist marks his international debut with Kanata.

Having first receiving his formal training in woodworking at the Shinrin Takumi Juku workshop, perhaps Japan’s leading training center for wood crafts, then working directly under Joseph Walsh’s supervision at the Joseph Walsh Studio in Ireland for 3 years, and then returning to Kyoto to work under the reputable wood studio of traditional “oke” (Japanese buckets) maker Shuji Nakagawa, Watari marked his solo debut as an independent artist in 2021, and has already received a selection at the Nitten Japan Fine Art Exhibition in 2020 as well as receiving a Juror’s Prize at the 3331 Art Fair in Tokyo, Japan in 2021. TEFAF 2022, however, will be the first time that Watari’s sculptures in wood will be physically exhibited in Europe.