The narrative environmental scenes painted by Ken Matsubara (b. 1948) combine natural pigments and materials on delicate washi paper, constructing immersive and multidimensional atmospheres from classical Buddhist imagery. Matsubara's works have exhibited by the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art, and he won the museum's top award in 1991. Exhibitions of Matsubara's scenes have traveled throughout Japan, Europe, and the United States. His pieces are included in esteemed collections such as the Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
1948 Born in Kamiimachi, Toyama Prefecture
Solo Exhibitions
1980 ‘Ken ‘80’, Kunugi Gallery (Tokyo)
Chigasaki Citizens Cultural Center (Kanagawa)
1982 Athens Gallery (Tokyo)
1984 ‘Chaos’, Kunugi Gallery (Tokyo)
1986 Sairin Gallery (Kanagawa)
1988 Gallery MOVE (Kanagawa)
Gallery CenterPoint (Tokyo)
‘Sounds in the Air’ <Painting and Qinqin evening>, Sairin Gallery (Kanagawa)
1989 Gallery Moe (Tokyo)
1991 Ceratopia Toki Ceramic Wall Existence Commemorative Solo Exhibition / Gallery Shiranue (Gifu)
1992 Gallery Shiél (Tochigi)
Gallery Quattro Cats (Tochigi)
Gallery SICOH (Tokyo)
Gallery Freedom Space (Kanagawa)
Shinsakuramachi Gallery (Toyama)
1993 Gallery Art Robe (Tokyo)
Itamuro tourist hotel Daikokuya (Tochigi)
Gallery Hirose (Kagawa)
Gallery Shiēl (Tochigi)
Shinsakuramachi Gallery (Toyama)
1994 Gallery Kan (Fukushima)
Gallery Hiratsuka (Kanagawa)
Shinsakuramachi Gallery (Toyama)
Gallery SICOH (Tokyo)
1995 Gallery Freedom Space (Kanagawa)
Gallery Art Robe (Tokyo)
1996 ‘Ken Matsubara Solo Exhibition’, Kitanihon – Northern Japan Monthly Art (Kitanihon Shinbunsha Gallery) (Toyama)
1997 The Special Event ‘Ken Matsubara Solo Exhibition’, Shoo Museum of Arts (Okayama) Meiji-no-Yakata (Tochigi)
G. WING Gallery (Ishikawa)
Milestone . Artworks/ Shinsakuramachi Gallery (Toyama)
1998 Gallery Kan (Fukushima)
Sampôji Temple Hanamidō (Kanagawa)
1999 Gallery Shiranui (Gifu)
2000 Salon de Vamhou (Okayama)
Hotel Hilton Tokyo (Tokyo)
2001 Gallery Tas Tas (Tochigi)
Milestone . Artworks (Toyama)
2002 THE HOUSE VOL. 12 ‘Ken Matsubara Art Exhibition’, Office K2 (Tokyo)
2003 Salon de Vamhou & Art Garden (Okayama)
2005 ‘WABI Exhibition’, Gallery MA (Tochigi)
‘WABI Exhibition’, Milestone Artworks (Toyama)
Gallery Tas Tas (Tochigi)
Gallery Chikuonki (Tochigi)
2006 ‘Ken MATSUBARA technique mixte’, Espace Culture Bertin Poirée (Paris)
‘KEN MATSUBARA EXHIBITION’, Cologne Gallery TKW20 (Germany)
2007 Gallery Sho (Osaka)
‘Water-Earth’, Milestone Artworks (Toyama)
2008 ‘Earth-Water’, Gallery SICOH (Tokyo)
Ken Matsubara ‘Shoujyou-ruten – Metempsychosis’, Museum of Modern Art (Toyama)
Taikōyama Furusato Gallery (Toyama)
2011 Milestone Artworks (Toyama)
Gallery Ueda (Tokyo)
2012 Kakiden Gallery (Tokyo)
Gallery Tas Tas (Tochigi)
Gallery Chikuonki (Tochigi)
‘Byōbu Matsuri – Folding Screen Festival’, Salon de Vamhou / Naramura Gallery (Okayama)
2013 Gallery SICOH (Tokyo)
2014 ‘TAMAYURA’, GALLERY IN THE BLUE (Tochigi)
G. WING Gallery (Ishikawa)
2015 Ohno House (Tokyo)
Ginza Ippodo Gallery (Tokyo)
2016 ‘Fugaku – Mount Fuji Exhibition’, Kakiden Gallery (Tokyo)
Ippodo Gallery New York (New York)
Salon de Vamhou (Okayama)
Gallery NOW (Okayama)
2018 ‘Scenery – Waterscape’, Kakiden Gallery (Tokyo)
2019 ‘Jitsu Getsu Kukai-zu’, Wako Hall (Tokyo)
‘KÛKAI: Sun and Moon’, Ippodo Gallery New York (New York)
2020 Genra Art (Ishikawa)
‘Jitsu Getsu Kukai-zu’, Ginza Ippodo Gallery (Tokyo)
Group Exhibitions
1973 Dokuritsu Bijyutsu exhibition, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (Tokyo)
1977 Dai-ichi Bijyutsu Exhibition, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (Tokyo)
1979 Japan and France Modern Art Exhibition, Grand Palais National Museum of Art (Paris)/ Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum/ Kyoto City Museum of Art)
Kanagawa Prefecture Art Exhibition, Kanagawa Kenmin Hall Gallery (Kanagawa)
1987 Grand Prize Exhibition, Ueno Royal Museum (Tokyo)
INF International Art Exhibition (Peoples’s Republic of China / Kobe)
Tokyo Exhibition, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (Tokyo)
1988 Japanese Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition, Tokishi Bunka Plaza (Gifu)
Japanese Contemporary Ceramics Maquette Exhibition, Tokishi Bunka Plaza (Gifu)
1989 Spanish Art Award Exhibition, Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (Barcelona)
1990 Exhibition for Leading Artist of the Next Generation, Hakone Open-Air Museum (Kanagawa)
1991 Art of Toyama, Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design (Toyama)
1994 Super Project ‘Kan’ by Ichrio Hosoya and Ken Matsubara, Kuroiso Cultural Hall (Tochigi)
1995 Art of Toyama ’95, The Museum of Modern Art, Toyama (Toyama)
1996 Saka no Machi Art Festival YATUO (Toyama)
1997 Japan and Korea Art Exchange Exhibition (Seoul)
1998 Performing Arts – Chikako Ogura Concert, Casals Hall (Tokyo)
‘Two-person Exhibition’, Roadside station Aoki (Tochigi)
1999 Korea and Japan Painting Exchange Exhibition (Tokyo / Seoul)
Open Studio ART WALK ’99 (Tochigi)
Performing Arts – Gagaku evening (Gifu)
Saka no Machi Art YATUO (Toyama)
2000 ‘Three-person Exhibition’, Milestone Artworks (Toyama)
Asian Art Now, Metropolitan Gallery Las Vegas Art Museum, (Las Vegas)
Performing Arts – Terumasa Hino Quartet, Kuroiso Cultural Hall (Tochigi)
2004 Performing Arts / Katengetchi – flowers blooming in moonlight (Toyama)
2007 Ken Matsubara and his Friends, Salon de Vamhou (Okayama)
2009 Schule im Berg, Nasu Niki Club (Tochigi)
2018 ‘Two-person Exhibition/ Ken Matsubara and Toshiya Shimozawa’, Ginza Ippodo Gallery (Tokyo)
2020 ‘Two-person Exhibition’, Salon de Vamhou (Okayama)
Awards
1977 Dai-ichi Bijyutsu Award at the Dai-ichi Bijyutsu Exhibition, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (Tokyo)
1979 Prefectural Assembly Chairman’s Award at the Kanagawa Prefecture Art Exhibition, Kanagawa Kenmin Hall Gallery (Kanagawa)
1987 Special Award at the INF International Art Exhibition (People’s Republic of China / Kobe)
1988 Ceramic Sculpture Exhibition Award at the Japanese Contemporary Ceramics Maquette Exhibition,
Tokishi Bunka Plaza (Gifu)
Outstanding performance Award at the Japanese Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition, Tokishi Bunka Plaza (Gifu)
Public Collections’
1980 “Kaku I – like burning fire I” / “Kaku 2 - like burning fire 2”, Chigasaki Cultural Center (Kanagawa)
“Jitsu Getsu Byōbu – sun and moon folding screen”, Fukugonji Temple (Fukui)
1987 “Chuu – Oto – sounds in the air’, Ueno Royal Museum (Tokyo)
1988 “Oto – Sounds” Tōchō – ceramic sculpture, Toki Municipal General Hospital (Gifu)
1990 “Jitsu Getsu – sun and moon” Hondō shōheki – painting on main hall barrier, Sengokuhara Chōanji Temple (Kanagawa)
1991 “Ten no koe, Chi no koe -voice of heaven, voice of the earth”, Tōheki – ceramic wall, Ceratopia Toki (Gifu)
“circle . triangle . square “, The Museum of Modern Art, Toyama (Toyama)
1992 “Rin – clear sound”, Headquarters of the National University Co-op. (Tokyo)
1993 “Kou – sluice” – Tōheki – ceramic wall, Utsunomiya City Shiroyama District Civic Center (Tochigi)
1994 “Yoh – Akatsuki”, Relief, Ota City Funeral Home (Gunma)
1995 “Rin – clear sound”, Kasama Inari Jinja, Sanshū-den- the gathering Hall (Ibaraki)
“Chuu – Oto – Sounds in the air”, Toyama City Hall (Toyama)
1996 “OTO – sounds” Relief, Aubade Hall (Toyama)
1997 “Chuu no koe – voice in the air” Relief, Kuroiso Municipal Office (Tochigi)
1999 “Kan – ring” and “Kosho – voice of trees”, Amabiki Sanraku Hôji Temple (Ibaraki)
“Kan -ring” Tōchō – ceramic sculpture, Tokishi Bunka Plaza (Gifu)
“Kou – sluice”, Satake Memorial Hall, Hiroshima University (Hiroshima)
2001 “Kosho – voice of trees”, Tono City Community Center, Aeria Tono (Iwate)
2006 “Chisho – voice of the earth”, JA Kyosai Makuhari Business Support Inc. (Chiba)
“Chuu – Oto – sounds in the air”, “circle . triangle . square”, “Shoku – afternoon”, and others, Soto sect Ryukokuzan Shogakuji Temple (Ibaraki)
2012 “Chisho – voice of the earth”, Nasu Res Cross Hospital (Tochigi)
2016 “Yū – evening”, Fujiyama Museum (Yamanashi)
2020 “Gengetsu – crescent moon”, Philadelphia Museum of Art (Pennsylvania)
Hotels/Corporate Artworks
1989 “Kan -ring” Object, and others Nippon Life Insurance Company (Chiba)
1992 “Oto -sounds”, KDD Golf Country Club (Tochigi)
“Kan – ring”, Mitsubishi Corporation, Bangkok branch (Thailand)
“Ei – be filled”, Art Hotel Osaka Bay Tower (Osaka)
1993 “Rin – clear sound” NTT Urban Development Otemachi 1st Square (Tokyo)
“Oto – sounds” Tōban-ceramic panel, JR Hotel Clement (Tokushima)
“Gen Koh – dark sky and earth yellow”, Resort Trust XIV Yamanakako (Shizuoka)
Relief, Hotel New Otani Makuhari (Chiba)
“Kou – sluice” Object, Hotel Agora Regency Osaka Sakai (Osaka)
1994 “Kan – ring” Tōchō – ceramic sculpture, and others Itamuro tourist hotel Daikokuya (Tochigi)
1995 “Ran – waves”, Okura Akademia Park Hotel (Chiba)
“Kodama – echoes” Object, and others, Hotel Okura JR Huis Ten Bosch (Nagasaki)
“Yama Sandai – Three Mountain Titles”, Izu Ginsui (Shizuoka)
1996 Mural, Hotel Atollemerald Miyakojima (Okinawa)
Sounds, and others, Japanese Restaurant Nada Man Beijing Exhibition (Beijing)
1997 “Ten no uta Chi no uta – heavenly song and earth song” Relief, Komatsu MEC Corporation (Tochigi)
“Chuu – Oto – sounds in the air” Relief, “Chi no uta – earth song” Object, Nihon Propolis Corporation (Tokyo)
“Akari – light” Object, and others, ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel (Hokkaido)
“Koe – voice”, and others, Karatsu Seaside Hotel (Saga)
“Chou – overflowing”, Okinawa Harborview Hotel (Okinawa)
“Kan – ring” Relief, Hotel Granvia Kyoto (Kyoto)
“Chisho – voice of the earth” Object, Hotel Hamamatsucho (Tokyo)
“Shoku – afternoon”, and others, Kobe Laguna Garden Hotel (Kobe)
“Ran – waves”, Nihon Sports Academy (Nagasaki)
“Koe -voice”, Kaga Mansion (Tokyo)
1998 “Chuu – Oto – sounds in the air”, and others, Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba (Tokyo)
“Akari – light” Object, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts (Singapore)
“Koe – voice”, Mural, and others ANA Intercontinental Ishigaki Resort (Okinawa)
“Chisho – voice of the earth” Object, Asahi Shinkin Bank
“Kou – sluice” Wood carving, Yomogino Ryokan (Fukushima)
1999 “Rin – clear sound” and “Ran – waves”, for all guest rooms, Hotel Okura Hakata (Fukuoka)
“Kosho – voice of trees” Relief, Resort Trust XIV Tateshina (Nagano)
“Ran – waves” for all guest rooms, Hotel Okura Tokyo (Tokyo)
Mural, Fusuma painting, and others, Seaside Hotel Asuka (Niigata)
2000 “Ran – waves”, and others, Sun Members Saga (Kyoto)
“Shiro no koe -white voice”, Atami Resorpia (Shizuoka)
Fuji Film Health Insurance (Shizuoka)
2001 “Koe – voice”, and others, Resort Trust XIV Naruto (Tokushima)
“Gen Koh – dark sky and earth yellow”, “Ran – waves”, and others UOKI CO., LTD. (Kanagawa)
“Kosho – voice of trees”, and others ANA Crowne Plaza Shanghai (Shanghai)
2002 Whole building artworks, Hotel Marinoa Resort Fukuoka (Fukuoka)
“Soh – aspect”, Komatsu Ltd. Mo-oka Factory (Tochigi)
2003 “Yoh – sunlight” LUMINE Ogikubo (Tokyo)
2004 “Jitsu Getsu – sun and moon”, Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand Shiodome (Tokyo)
“Kou – sluice”, “Nami -waves”, and Bench, La Tour Shiodome (Tokyo)
2006 “Chisho – voice of the earth”, JA Kyosai Makuhari Business Support Inc. (Chiba)
“Kou – sluice”, Noble Court Hirakawacho (Tokyo)
Whole building artworks, Oriental Hills Okinawa (Okinawa)
“Kan – ring”, Gran Creer Fujigaoka (Kanagawa)
2007 “Kan – ring”, and “Oto – sounds”, KPEC (Tochigi)
2008 “Chisho – voice of the earth”, Village Kyoto (Kyoto)
2009 “Kan – ring” and “Oto – sounds”, KPEC (Tochigi)
2010 “Kodama – echoes”, La Tour Shibuya (Tokyo)
2015 “Ran – waves”, Fairmont Jakarta (Indonesia)
2016 “Gyoukou – dawn”, Minaguchiya Gallery (Shizuoka)
2018 “Kou- sluice”, Hotel Mystays Premier Sapporo Park (Hokkaido)
“Ran – waves”, Hakodate Kokusai Hotel (Hokkaido)
“Kou – sluice”, KOBELCO Mo-oka Shinko Ryo (Tochigi)
2019 “Kan – ring”, “Kei – scenery” and “Fugaku – mount Fuji”, Brillia Ichibancho Enterance Hall (Tokyo)
2020 “Chisho – voice of the earth”, Fusaki Beach Resort Hotel and Spa Ishigaki (Okinawa)
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Extreme Surfaces: Cutting Edge Kogei
Ippodo Gallery's Premiere at Design Miami 2022 + New Year Exhibition 30 Nov 2022 - 16 Feb 2023Ippodo Galleryis a pioneering kogei-focused gallery based in Tokyo and New York. Our mission is to honor the living tradition of Japanese fine art in the contemporary world by cultivating...Read more -
Chaos to the Cosmos: White Road between Two Rivers
Paintings by Ken Matsubara 10 Mar - 14 Apr 2022White Road The echo of the wind, the sound of water, a full moon floating in a mysterious blue sky, the cries of wild beasts that agitate the ripples of...Read more -
Moonlit Night
A selection of crafts that celebrates this Otsukimi season 2 Sep - 5 Oct 2021The Moon and Japan The moon can be seen faintly against the blue sky as the sun goes down. The waxing and waning of the moon have long appealed to...Read more -
Kogei: The Art of Japanese craft
Summer Selections from Ippodo Gallery, New York 5 - 27 Aug 2021The Japanese festival of Obon ( お盆) traces back to ancient Chinese and Buddhist rituals that honor one’s ancestors. It is believe that this time every year, the ancestor’s spirits...Read more -
Kukai : Sun and Moon
Paintings by Ken Matsubara | Grand Opening Exhibition at 32 E 67th street gallery 10 Oct - 22 Nov 2019Benevolent Painting The Kuroshio Current that flows along Japan’s south-eastern coastline creates powerful eddies around the sunken rocks while the raging waves thunder against the coast, raising fine spray. The...Read more -
Distillation
Paintings by Ken Matsubara 12 May - 10 Jun 2016“When the ability to express emotion was acquired, that is when man became human. I would like to get back to this starting point. If my paintings strike a...Read more
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Design Miami 2022
Extreme Surfaces: Cutting Edge Kogei 30 Nov - 4 Dec 2022Design Miami 2022Read more -
Opening Reception - Wednesday, March 16, 5 - 9pm
Chaos to Cosmos: White Road between Two Rivers 16 Mar 2022Special Opening Reception NEW YORK- Ippodo Gallery welcomes you to Chaos to Cosmos: White Road between Two Rivers, Paintings by Ken Matsubara. Please join...Read more
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Year in Review
Reflecting on the Exhibitions of 2022 January 4, 2023Yukiya Izumita, “Stream of Time” 2022 began with Yukiya Izumita’s “Layers of Time,” an impressive showing of the artist’s newest works. The ceramicist began...Read more -
Matsubara's White Road
An Essay by Shoko Aono March 18, 2022The echo of the wind, the sound of water, a full moon floating in a mysterious blue sky, the cries of wild beasts that agitate...Read more