Miyashita Zenji

1939 Born in Kyoto; eldest son of Miyashita Zenju (1901-1968)
1966 Graduated from the Kyoto Municipal University of Arts and Music
1966-85 Lecturer, Kyoto Municipal University of Arts and Music
1969 Studied under Kusube Yaichi (central figure in the Nitten)
Became Member of Japan Art Association
1974 Became Judge of the Kyoto Arts and Crafts Exhibition
1979 Became Member of I. A. C.
1983 Became Judge at the Japan New Ceramic Exhibition
1991 Became Judge of the first Nikkôkai Exhibition
1993 Became Judge of Nitten Exhibition
1994 Became Judge of International Ceramic Exhibition, Pusan, Korea
1994-96 Lecturer, Kyoto National University of Education
1998- Lecturer, Kyoto University of Art and Design


Awards:

1964 First entry to Nitten exhibition (thereafter 18 times)
1967 Won Encouragement Award, Kyoto Arts and Crafts Exhibition (thereafter, won the Award of Excellence three times)
The Third Award, Kansai Art Exhibition (thereafter, won the First Award three times)
1972 Won Kyoto Mayer Award
1975 Won Member’s Award and Foreign Minister’s Award, The Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition
1977 Won New Talent Award for Arts by Kyoto Prefecture
1985 Won award, Asahi Ceramic Exhibition
Won award, Chunichi International Ceramic Exhibition
1986 Won Member’s Award, and Yagi Kazuo Award, Japan New Craft Exhibition
1987 Won the First award, Nitten Exhibition
1991 Won Kusube Award, Kyoten Exhibition
1995 Won Prime Minister’s Prize, Nikkôkai Exhibition
2005 Awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award and Cultural Award by Kyoto Prefecture
Awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for the Arts by Kyoto City
2008 Awarded the Ministry of Education Award, Nitten Exhibition



Solo exhibitions:

1975 Central Gallery, Osaka
1978 The Asahi Gallery, Kyoto
1980 Gallery Nakamura, Kyoto (also in 1987)
Gallery Shiro, Osaka (also in 1988)
1981 Green Gallery, Minami Aoyama, Tokyo (also in 1983, 1985, 1993)
1983 Wakô Gallery, Ginza, Tokyo (also in 1988, 1995)
1984 Hankyû Art Gallery, Osaka
1989 Takashimaya Art Gallery, Kyoto (also in 1993)
1991 Gallery Maronie, Kyoto
Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Art Gallery, Tokyo
1992 Hanshin Art Gallery, Osaka
2002 Daimaru Art Gallery, Kyoto
2003 Moriguchi Keihan Art Gallery, Kyoto
2004 Takashimaya Art Gallery, Kyoto
2006 Moriguchi Keihan Art Gallery, Kyoto
2008 Moriguchi Keihan Art Gallery, Kyoto
2009 Mountains and Seas: the Evocative Ceramics of Miyashita Zenji, Joan B. Mirviss, Ltd. New York
2010 Kizashi, Shinsaibashi Daimaru Art Gallery, Osaka

Group exhibitions:

1975 Japan Ceramic Exhibition for Avant-garde Version
1976 Traveled to the Middle East through Kyoto Arts and Crafts Exhibition Award
1977 Contemporary Japan Ceramic Exhibition, a traveling exhibition to Australia and New Zealand organized by the Japan Foundation
1978 The Craft Competition, Kyoto
Co-founder of the Japan New Craftsman Federation
1979 The First prize, the Nitten exhibition
Asu-wo-hiraku Shin Kôgei (New Crafts: Opening up for Tomorrow) exhibition toured in New Zealand under the Queen Elizabeth II Educational Foundation
1980 Clay Work exhibitions, Seibu Department Store Gallery, Ôtsu and Yûrakuchô, Tokyo
1982 Contemporary Japan Ceramics Exhibition, a traveling exhibition to Italy and Canada
Ceramics Today: Object and Vessel exhibition, Seibu Gallery, Ikebukuro, Tokyo
1985 Clay Work ‘85: Vessel and Decoration exhibition, Gallery Maronie, Kyoto
Asahi Contemporary Craft Exhibition (also in 1992)
1986 Clay Work II: Clay, Image & Form ‘81-’85, Seibu Gallery, Ôtsu & Yûrakuchô Tokyo
Contemporary Japan Ceramics Exhibitions, a traveling exhibition to U.S. and Eastern Europe, sponsored by the Japan Foundation
1987 Art Selection, 1987 and Modern Current: Japanese- style paintings and crafts in Kyoto, the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, Kyoto
1988 Japanese Craftsman, commemorative exhibit of the 80th anniversary of Takashimaya, Kyoto
1989 Art Selection ‘89, and Kusube Yaichi and his Fellows, Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, Kyoto
Ceramics and Flowers exhibition, Sanyô Gallery, Himeji
1990 Architectural Space and Art exhibition, Kyoto
New Generation in Kyoto Crafts ‘90, Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, Kyoto
Art Selection ‘90 exhibition, Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, Kyoto
Commission work for the Government’s Pavilion at Flower Exposition, Osaka
1992 Le Ceramique au Japon, un Art Majeur: 58 Créateurs Contemporains, Mitsukoshi Étoile,
Paris, France
Contemporary Japanese Ceramics exhibition, Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, New York
International Exhibition of Contemporary Ceramics exhibition, Taiwan National Art Museum
1993 Modern Japanese Ceramics in American Collections exhibition, Japan Society, New York
1994 Commemorative Exhibition of 1200th Anniversary of Capital City Kyoto exhibition, Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, Kyoto
Development of Kyoto Studio Pottery exhibition, Museum of Kyoto, Kyoto
Seven Messages from Contemporary Ceramics ‘94 exhibition, Keihan Gallery, Osaka
1995 Contemporary Craft in Kyoto exhibition, Museum of Kyoto, Kyoto
1996 Contemporary Ceramics in Japan exhibition, a traveling exhibition to Asian countries, organized by International Cultural Association
1998 Ceramic Art Fuji International Biennial exhibition, Nakatomi Museum of Contemporary Crafts, Yamanashi
Contemporary Ceramics Selections from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
1999 Japanese Contemporary Ceramic-Trends of the Avant-garde exhibition, the Museum van Bomme van Dam Venlo, Holland
2000 I. A. C. Members Exhibition, Keramion-Verein fur Kerumische Kunst, Germany
2001 Masters of Clay; Five Artists from Kyoto exhibition, Barry Friedman Gallery, New York organized by Joan B. Mirviss, Ltd.
I.A.C. Member’s Exhibition, Chosun Royal Kiln Museum, Korea
Art and Crafts Kyoto Exhibition, The City Art Center Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.
2001-02 Crafts in Kyoto, National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
2005-06 Several works exhibited and published, Contemporary Clay: Japanese ceramics for the new century, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,
2005-06 Wege zur Japanischen Keramik: Tradition in der Gegenwart, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst zu Berlin
2006-07 Several works exhibited and published, Contemporary Clay: Japanese ceramics for the new century, Japan Society, New York
Tôji: Avant-Garde et Tradition de la Cèramique Japonaise, Musèe national de cèramique Sèvres, France
2006 A History of Modern Crafts, National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo
2007 Japanese Clays, Japan Cultural Center in Roma, Italy
2009 Breaking from Tradition Japanese Ceramics Today, Harvey/Meadows Gallery, Aspen in collaboration with Joan B. Mirviss, LTD., New York


Select Public Collections:

British Museum, London, UK
Brooklyn Museum, NY
Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA
Chazen Museum of Art, Madison, WI
Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY
Keramion-Verein fur Keramische Kunst, Germany
Herbert F. Johnson Museum, Cornell University, NY
Houston Museum of Art, Houston, TX
Indiana University Art Museum, IN
Japan Foundation
Kyoto Prefectural Archive
Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
Minneapolis Institute of Art, MN
Musée des Arts Décoratif, Paris France
Musée national de cèramique, Sèvres, France
National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
Newark Museum, NJ
Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA
Royal Ontario Museum, Canada
Saint Louis Museum of Art, MO
Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park
Spencer Art Museum, University of Kansas, KS

Selected Western References:

Frederick Baekeland, Modern Japanese Ceramics in American Collections, Japan Society 1993.

Contemporary Japanese Ceramic Art [Gendai Nippon no Togei], vol. 15, Tokyo: Kôdansha, 1985, pp. 72- 77, 153- 154.

Joe Earle, Contemporary Clay: Japanese ceramics for the new century, (Boston: Museum of Fine Arts, 2005), pp. 52-55

Exhibition Catalogue: Japanese Contemporary Ceramic Art (Museum van Bommel van Dam Venlo, 1999): pp. 40-41.

Christine Shimizu, Tôji: Avant-Garde et Tradition de la Cèramique Japonaise, Editions de la rèunion des musées nationaux, Paris, 2006

Toh: Miyashita Zenji, vol. 37, Kyoto: Kyoto Shoin, 1992

Wege zur Japanischen Keramik: Tradition in der Gegenwart, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst zu Berlin, 2005

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