Kan Yasuda (b. 1945) is a foremost sculptor, working in both Japan and the historical Pietrasanta, Italy, who is known for his monumental carved stone works. Hailing from Bibai, Yasuda studied at Hokkaido University of Education before obtaining a master’s degree in sculpture under the guidance of Yasutake Funakoshi at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts. Participation in a fellowship from the Italian Government brought Yasuda to Italy in 1970, where he has continued to work and live for more than 50 years. After studying under Professor Pericle Fazzini at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, he began his studio in the northern Italian town of Pietrasanta — a place world famous for its superior quality of marble. The Kan Yasuda Sculpture Museum – Arte Piazza was established in his hometown in 1992; it has become a beloved “spiritual home” over the past 30 years.
Selected Awards:
1992 The 42nd Minister of Education and Culture Award for New Artist, Japan
1994 International Award for Sculpture, Italy
1995 Award of Pietrasanta of the World, Italy
2001 Special Award of Puccini Foundation, Italy
2002 The 9th Inoue Yasushi Cultural Award, Japan
2003 The 15th Murano Togo Award for the Arte Piazza Bibai project, Japan
Award for Poem of Alpi Apuane, Italy
2003 Special Award of Tuscany, Italy
2006 Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity (The honor of the Italian Republic)
2009 Japan Awards, Italia Japan Foundation
2010 Giacomo Puccini Award, Puccini Foundation, Italy Award of Commissioner for 2013 Cultural Affairs, Japan Hokkaido Culture Award, Japan
2015 Lifetime Achivement Award of Hokkaido, Japan
Public Collections:
Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Sappro, Hokkaido Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Museum, Tokyo, Japan Trajan Market, Imperial Forum Museum, Roma, Italy Don Luigi Giussani Park, Miano, Italy
Pietrasata Station, Pietrasanta, Italy
Boboli Garden, Firenze, Italy
APEC Naru Park, Busan, South Korea Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton, U.K. Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, U.K.
1251 Avenue of the Americas, New York, U.S.A. Garachico, Tenerife, Spain
Aurora Place, Sydney, Australia
