Koji Minami
南 公二
ー If you step in there, you will feel as if you are lost in a strange, mysterious, nostalgic time-space. When you see the work of Koji Minami, you are overwhelmed by the fantastic worldview, as you forget that it is made of ceramics. ー
His ceramic art, produced on the theme of creatures in animal world such as cats, have some kind of creepy loveliness. It evokes memories and stories hidden in each viewer, and inflates imaginations. He has continued to produce ceramic art for about 20 years. His work is not only the cat objet such as marionette and ornament but also tea ceremony bowl, flower vase, ring and pendant etc. He dare to use basic techniques and colorants, because rather than over-communicating the author's intention with specific techniques and forms, he hopes to make the viewer aware of the fragility of the soil, the process of growing or decaying, so that viewer can draw out stories from their experiences.
He won numerous awards in art contests. At Exhibitions and Art Fairs in Japan and the World, his works have continued to attract many art collectors.
2001 B.F.A Kyoto Seika University（Japan)
1975 Born in Osaka.
【AWARD】
2011 The 25th Yokkaichi Banko Ceramics Competition (Mie, Japan) “EXCELLENCE AWARD”
2009 The 3rd Kikuchi Biennale (Toyko, Japan) “ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD”
2008 Matcha Tea bowl contest (Saitama, Japan) “ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD“
The 4th Sake vessel CERAMICS COMPETITION (Fukui, Japan) “JUDGE’S SPECIAL AWARD “
2006 MESHIWAN Grand Prix Exhibition / 2006 (Nagasaki, Japan) “JUDGE’S SPECIAL AWARD “
【Exhibitions】
2022 NEJA-ism, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Hyogo
2021 NEJA-ism, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Fukuoka
2020 Solo Exhibition, Izumi Ichikuboso Memorial Museum of Art, Osaka
Solo exhibition in SYSTEMA GALLERY, Osaka,
2016 SYSTEMA BIENNARE, Museo Tricolori di Montese, Italy
Itami International Craft Exhibition
2014 6th Kashiwabara Biennale
2013 Contemporary Ceramics Competition, Hyogo Ceramic Art Museum, Hyogo
2013 Kobe Biennale
2011 5th Sake Vessel Exhibition, Kanazu Forest of Creation Art Core Museum, Fukui
2010 BIWAKO BIENNALE, Shiga etc.
【Art Fairs】
2025 Knokke Art Fair (, 2024 Belgium)
Affordable Art Fair Vienna (Austria)
Kobe Art Marche (2023,2022,2017,2016 Japan)
Affordable Art Fair Brussels (,2024,2023 Belgium)
2024 Arte Padova (Italy)
Affordable Art Fair Hamburg (Germany)
Affordable Art Fair Amsterdam (, 2023, 2022,2017 Netherlands)
2023 Affordable Art Fair Stockholm (,2016 Sweden)
Art Market Budapest (Hungary)
Art Fair Asia Fukuoka (,2022, 2019,2016 Japan)
2021 Kogei Art Fair Kanazawa (Japan)
2020 Affordable Art Fair Milan (Italy)
2016 Art Kaohsiung (Taiwan)
2015 Art Osaka (Japan)
2013, 2014 Art Zurich International