Kazuhito Tanaka

Artist
Installation view from the solo exhibition “Picture(s) II” (2025, KANA KAWANISHI GALLERY, Tokyo) | © Kazuhito Tanaka, courtesy KANA KAWANISHI GALLERY
Artist
Kazuhito Tanaka was born in 1973 in Saitama, Japan. After receiving a B.Com. at Meiji University, School of Commerce, and working in a corporate job, he relocated to the United States. In 2004, Tanaka received a B.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts (New York). Exhibiting works both in Japan and abroad, Tanaka explores new forms of expression through photography, with a focus on the relationship between photography and painting. He is currently based in Kyoto and Fukuoka. As its director, he also organizes exhibitions at the artist-run space “soda” in Kyoto. He received the Grand Prix at Tokyo Frontline Photo Award in 2011.
Tanaka’s recent solo exhibitions include “Picture(s) II” (2025, KANA KAWANISHI GALLERY, Tokyo), “Picture(s)” (2024, DOCUMENT, Lisbon), “Picture(s)” (2023, Galerie Kandlhofer, Vienna), “Picture(s)” (2022, KANA KAWANISHI GALLERY, Tokyo), “Picture(s)” (2022, Paris London Hong Kong, Chicago), “Self-Dual” (2019, Gallery PARC, Kyoto), “Gold Sees Blue” (2018, Maki Fine Arts, Tokyo), and “Trans/Real: The Potential of Intangible Art Vol.7 Kazuhito Tanaka” (2017, gallery αM, Tokyo).
Group exhibitions include “Dreaming Chimera” (2024, soda + HAGIWARA PROJECTS, Tokyo), “‘Photography Mine,’ Unrealization of the subject (object) and photography.” (2023, Sprout Curation, Tokyo), “Never the Same Ocean” (2021, HAGIWARA PROJECTS, Tokyo), and “S/F -Photography, or a Monolith after 200 years-” (2019, KAYOKOYUKI + soda, Tokyo).
Kazuhito Tanaka was born in 1973 in Saitama, Japan. After receiving a B.Com. at Meiji University, School of Commerce, and working in a corporate job, he relocated to the United States. In 2004, Tanaka received a B.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts (New York). Exhibiting works both in Japan and abroad, Tanaka explores new forms of expression through photography, with a focus on the relationship between photography and painting. He is currently based in Kyoto and Fukuoka. As its director, he also organizes exhibitions at the artist-run space “soda” in Kyoto. He received the Grand Prix at Tokyo Frontline Photo Award in 2011.
2011 “TOKYO FRONTLINE PHOTO AWARD 2011”
2007 “Mio photo award” Finalist
2006 “Tokyo wonder wall” Finalist
2024 Picture(s) DOCUMENT (Lisbon, Portugal)
2023 Picture(s) Gallery PARC (Kyoto, Japan)
2023 Picture(s) Galerie Kandlhofer (Vienna, Austria)
2022 Picture(s) KANA KAWANISHI GALLERY (Tokyo, Japan)
2022 Picture(s) Paris London Hong Kong (Chicago, USA)
2020 Gravity and Light soda (Kyoto, Japan)
2019 Self-Dual Gallery PARC (Kyoto, Japan)
2018 GOLD SEES BLUE Maki Fine Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
2018 pLastic_fLowers Smart center Kyoto DOT S (Kyoto, Japan)
2017 Trans / Real -The potential of Intangible Art vol.7 Kazuhito Tanaka gallery αM (Tokyo, Japan)
2015 pLastic_fLowers Maki Fine Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
2015 before A-Q MEDIA SHOP (Kyoto, Japan)
2014 high & dry gallery PARC (Kyoto, Japan)
2013 (ZOO) Maki FIne Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
2013 blocks SUNDAY (Tokyo, Japan)
2012 Untitled Composition Maki Fine Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
2010 GOLD SEES BLUE Gallery Antenna (Kyoto, Japan)
2010 GOLD SEES BLUE _ KYOTO Gallery PARC (Kyoto, Japan)
2009 GOLD SEES BLUE Port gallery T (Osaka, Japan)
2008 link Port gallery T (Osaka, Japan)
2026 Seen, Remembered, Unmake KANA KAWANISHI GALLERY (Tokyo, Japan)
2024 Dreaming Chimera soda + HAGIWARA PROJECTS (Tokyo, Japan)
2023 AIR Susaki Susaki Machikado Gallery (Kochi, Japan)
2023 Ebisu International Festival for Art and Alternative Visions Tokyo Photographic Art Museum (Tokyo, Japan)
2023 Photography Mine Sprout Curation (Tokyo, Japan)
2022 50 seconds soda (Kyoto, Japan)
2022 FGC July Exhibitions Foreland (Catskill, USA)
2021 NADA Miami (with xyz collective, Fig., soda) Ice Palace Studios (Miami, USA)
2021 Artist Running Festival in Kyoto soda (Kyoto, Japan)
2021 Never the Same Ocean soda + HAGIWARA PROJECTS (Tokyo, Japan)
2021 Wind and Images Sprout Curation (Tokyo, Japan)
2020 Either / Or (Two-persons exhibition with Futo Akiyoshi) KAYOKOYUKI (Tokyo, Japan)
2019 KOUGEI NOW 2019 “DIALOGUE" Hotel Kanra Kyoto (Kyoto, Japan)
2019 S/F -Photography, or a Monolith after 200 years- KAYOKOYUKI+soda (Tokyo, Japan)
2017 NADA NEW YORK (Maki Fine Arts) Skylight Clarkson North (New York, USA)
2017 New Phantasmagoria Kyoto Art Center (Kyoto, Japan)
2016 DOORS ISETAN Shinjuku (Tokyo, Japan)
2016 NEW INTIMACIES XYZ collective (Tokyo, Japan)
2016 TAMA VIVANT II Tama Art University (Tokyo, Japan)
2016 DUO (two-person exhibition) Maki Fine Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
2016 TAMA VIVANT II Parthenon Tama (Tokyo, Japan)
2015 still moving @KCUA @KCUA (Kyoto, Japan)
2015 hyper-materiality on photo G/P gallery shinonome (Tokyo, Japan)
2015 Photo London (G/P gallery) Somerset House (London, UK)
2015 Nature Creations Spiral (Tokyo, Japan)
2015 unseen photo fair (G/P gallery) Westergasfabriek (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
2015 NEW BALANCE #3 (curated by Sprout Curation) XYZ collective (Tokyo, Japan)
2015 NOSEDEN Art Line 2015 (Hyogo, Japan)
2015 MELON SODA former KIRIGAYA (Kanagawa, Japan)
2015 discreet abstraction Maki Fine Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
2015 Coop Labyrinth Kitakagaya (Osaka, Japan)
2014 Summer Show Maki Fine Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
2013 RED, BLUE, GREEN Maki Fine Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
2013 light and blindness Maki Fine Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
2012 Her Name is ABSTRA Daido-Soko (Kyoto, Japan)
2011 THE PHOTO / BOOKS HUB, TOKYO Omotesando Hills Space O (Tokyo, Japan)
2011 PROMISED LAND Maki Fine Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
2010 Cabinet library (two-persons show) Port Gallery T (Osaka, Japan)
2010 Photo Taipei 2010 (Maki Fine Arts) Sunworld Dynasty Hotel (Taipei, Taiwan)
2009 KYOTO GENSE museum Kenninji temple (Kyoto, Japan)
2008 Cabinet library Port Gallery T (Osaka, Japan)
2008 DOOR 2008 Port Gallery T (Osaka, Japan)
2007 Mio photo award 2007 Mio Hall (Osaka, Japan)
2007 DOOR 2007 Port gallery T (Osaka, Japan)
2006 Tokyo wonder wall 2006 Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (Tokyo, Japan)
2004 MENTORS VISUAL ARTS gallery (New York, USA)
2004 AAF Contemporary Art Fair (Visual Arts Gallery) pier 92 (New York, USA)
the amana collection