Whale

Yuji kanamaru (b. 1978, Kanagawa, Japan) graduated from the Department of Design at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2003. During his studies, he was influenced by Masataka Oyabu and Chinami Nakajima, two leading figures in Japanese painting, while developing an independent approach to pictorial expression grounded in that tradition. kanamaru’s works are distinguished by their unique material surfaces, in which fragments of hemp cloth and English newspapers coexist with intentionally created cracks, combined with layers of vivid yet gentle color. These stratified surfaces give rise to a distinctive painterly language that emphasizes texture, depth, and the accumulation of time. Memories of his childhood spent in the Middle East inform the dry atmospheric quality of his paintings, as well as recurring motifs of mysterious creatures and urban landscapes. These elements evoke a sense of otherness and nostalgia, forming a poetic world that invites viewers into an ambiguous space between familiarity and distance. Deeply conscious of the role of art within society, kanamaru co-founded the artist collective C-Depot in 2002 and continues to play a central role in its activities. He has exhibited widely in Japan and abroad, including numerous solo and group exhibitions and international art fairs, maintaining an active and sustained practice.