Yoshimasa Tsuchiya

Yoshimasa Tsuchiya was born in 1977. He studied sculpture at Tokyo University of the Arts, completing his PhD in Sculpture Conservation at the graduate school in 2007. Drawing upon his experience with ancient sculptures during his graduate studies, Tsuchiya has challenged himself with traditional techniques and innovative expression. He has held solo exhibitions in Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, and Germany, and a solo exhibition “Yoshimasa Tsuchiya - Beyond the Tranquility” at Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design in 2025, growing popularity and acclaim both in Japan and abroad.

Tsuchiya is known for his symbolic sculptures, which embody thoughts with the forms of living creatures. He has established a unique painting method where pale colors emerge from beneath the surface of wood carvings. Furthermore, employing a technique similar to that for Buddhist statues, he inserts glass or crystal eyes from within the head, creating works with mystical expressions. Resin works are created in Tsuchiya’s studio based on his wood carvings, with the artist himself painting to each piece.

Biography

2018 9th Enku Prize

2007 PhD, Conservation Course, Tokyo University of the Arts, Japan

2003 MA, Conservation Course, Tokyo University of the Arts, Japan

2001 BA, Sculpture course, Tokyo University of the Arts, Japan

1977 Born in Kanagawa, Japan

Solo Exhibition

2026 「Infant island」Jaski Gallery / Amsterdam

2025 「Cryptids Dream Twice」Harbourcity Gallery / Hong Kong

2025 Takashimaya Nihonbashi / Osaka / Yokohama

2025 「Yoshimasa Tsuchiya - Beyond the Tranquility」Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design 1F TAD Gallery / Toyama, Japan

2025 atelier shimura Kyoto / Tokyo, Japan

2024 「Animals and Humans」MEGUMI OGITA GALLERY / Tokyo, Japan

2023 「Myth in the Forest」AKI Gallery LEIPZIG PROSPECT / Leipzig, Germany

2022 「Phylogenesis」MEGUMI OGITA GALLERY / Tokyo, Japan

2022 「Yoshimasa Tsuchiya Exhibition」Matsuzakaya Nagoya / Aichi, Japan

2022 「Daydreaming Forest」Jaski Gallery / Amsterdam, Netherlands

2021 「Myth in the Forest」AKI Gallery/ Taipei, Taiwan

2021 「Yoshimasa Tsuchiya Myth in the Forest」Kumanokodo Nakahechi Museum of Art / Wakayama

2021 「Yoshimasa Tsuchiya Solo Exhibition “NUE”」Takashimaya Nihonbashi / Osaka / Kyoto / Nagoya / Yokohama / Shinjuku, Japan

2021 「Chimera」MEGUMI OGITA GALLERY / Tokyo, Japan

2019 「Sacred Eyes」YOKOSUKA MUSEUM OF ART / Kanagawa, Japan

2019 「Paradise」Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store / Tokyo, Japan

2019 「Festival」MEGUMI OGITA GALLERY / Tokyo, Japan

2018 「PRIVATE MYTH」Jaski Gallery / Amsterdam, Netherlands

2017 「Yoshimasa Tsuchiya New Sculpture」Takashimaya Nihonbashi / Osaka / Kyoto / Yokohama / Shinjuku / Nagoya, Japan

2016 「Tree of Life」MEGUMI OGITA GALLERY / Tokyo, Japan

2015 「New Works」Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store 6F gallery / Tokyo, Japan

2015 「Yoshimasa Tsuchiya New Sculpture」MEGUMI OGITA GALLERY / Tokyo, Japan

2015 「MEDITATION」Jaski Gallery / Amsterdam, Netherlands

2013 「Yoshimasa Tsuchiya New Sculpture」Karuizawa New Art Museum / Nagano, Japan

2013 「Yoshimasa Tsuchiya New Sculpture」Takashimaya Nihonbashi / Osaka / Shinjuku, Japan

2012 「Sylvan Whispers」MEGUMI OGITA GALLERY / Tokyo, Japan

2011 「Private Myth」MEGUMI OGITA GALLERY / Tokyo, Japan

2009 「Sculpture // New age Vol.3 Yoshimasa Tsuchiya」Nihombashi Takashimaya Art Gallery X / Tokyo, Japan

2009 「Dreams a tapir eating dreams dreams of」MEGUMI OGITA GALLERY / Tokyo, Japan

2007 「Yoshimasa Tsuchiya」Gallery Eve / Tokyo, Japan

Group Exhibition

2025 「Welcome to the World of Living Beings!」Hokkaido Obihiro Museum of Art / Hokkaido, Japan

2025 「ART OSAKA 2025」Osaka City Central Public Hall 3F / Osaka, Japan

2025 「Shapes」MEGUMI OGITA GALLERY / Tokyo, Japan

2025 「Animal Who are we? Where are we going?」PLAY! MUSEUM / Tokyo, Japan

2025 「Art Central HongKong 2025」Central Harbourfront 9 Lung Wo Road Hong Kong / Hong Kong (Goyo Gallery)

2025 「ART MARKET 2025」Ginza Tsutaya Books / Tokyo, Japan

2025 「ONE ART Taipei 2025」Hotel Metropolitan Premier Taipei / Taipei, Taiwan (AKI Gallery)

2024 「artKYOTO 2024」Shōsei-en Garden / Kyoto

2024 「ART TAIPEI 2024」Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1 / Taipei, Taiwan

2024 Tobu Department Store Funabashi 6F / Chiba, Japan

2024 「ART SESSION by Ginza Tsutaya Books」Ginza Tsutaya Books / Tokyo, Japan

2024 「ART OSAKA 2024」Osaka City Central Public Hall / Osaka, Japan

2024 「ART FAIR TOKYO」Tokyo International Forum / Tokyo, Japan

2023 「artKYOTO 2023」Former Imperial Villa Nijo-jo Castle / Kyoto, Japan

2023 「ART OSAKA 2023」Osaka City Central Public Hall / Osaka, Japan

2023 Takashimaya Nihombashi / Osaka, Japan

2023 「Kyuryudo 100th Anniversary Fair」Shibuya Bunkamura Nadiff Modern / Tokyo, Japan

2023 「Meteo: A Poet's Story of Animals」Atelier Shimura Shop & Gallery / Kyoto / Tokyo,Japan

2023 「ONE ART TAIPEI」Hotel Metropolitan Premier Taipei / Taipei, Taiwan

2023 「The Last Unicorn 40th Anniversary Group Show」Corey Helford Gallery / LA

2022 「Kiaf SEOUL」Coex Hall A / Seoul, Korea

2022 「ART OSAKA 2022"Osaka City Central Public Hall / Osaka, Japan

2021 「ART OSAKA 2021」Osaka City Central Public Hall / Osaka, Japan

2021 「Kiinseido – A Genealogy of Sculpture, from Hirakushi Denchu to Kohei Nawa」Meiji Jingu Homotsuden / Tokyo, Japan

2020 「ART OSAKA WALL by APCA」/ Osaka, Japan

2020 「Tobu Art Market 2020」Tobu Department Store Funabashi / Chiba, Japan

2020 「Yosano Akiko gensō」Takashimaya Nihombashi / Osaka / Kyoto, Japan

2020 「Fantasy Galaxy - Motoi Yamamoto x Yoshimasa Tsuchiya」THE GINZA SPACE / Tokyo

2020 「ONE ART TAIPEI」The Sherwood TAIPEI / Taipei, Taiwan

2019 「ART OSAKA 2019」HOTEL GRANVIA OSAKA / Osaka, Japan

2019 「The Form of Life」AKI Gallery / Taipei, Taiwan

2019 「Collection」MEGUMI OGITA GALLERY / Tokyo, Japan

2018 「Sculpted in Time ‒ Narrative Existence ‒ 」The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts / Tokyo, Japan

2018 「Gothic White」Takashimaya Nihombashi Store Art Gallery / Tokyo, Takashimaya Osaka store / Osaka, Japan

2018 「Enku Grand Award Exhibition」The Museum of Fine Arts Gifu / Gifu, Japan

2018 「with Cats」MEGUMI OGITA GALLERY / Tokyo, Japan

2017 「Tobu Art Market 2017」Tobu Department Store Funabashi / Chiba, Japan

2017 「Asian Art Exhibition of Youth Contemporary Wood Sculpture in Taiwan」Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum / Miaoli, Taiwan

2017 「Forest of Images : Wood Works」Hokkaido Asahikawa Museum of Art / Hokkaido, Japan

2017 「Shinjuku Takashimaya Art Gallery 10th Anniversary」Takashimaya Shinjuku Store / Tokyo, Japan

2017 「microcosmic spirits」Takashimaya Nihombashi Store Art Gallery / Tokyo, Japan

2017 「FORM & ESSENCE」AKI Gallery / Taipei, Taiwan

2016 「GROUP SHOW CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS」Jaski Gallery / Amsterdam, Netherlands

2016 「Artistic Christmas vol.Ⅹ‐MIRAI‐」Takashimaya Shinjuku Store 10F gallery / Tokyo, Japan

2016 「Present exhibition of the sculpture」Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi store 6F gallery / Tokyo, Japan

2016 「Art Taipei 2016」/ Taipei, Taiwan

2016 「Dialogue with Trees ―Five Stories of Rebirth and Renewal」Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum / Tokyo, Japan

2016 「showcase」Showcase MEGUMI OGITA GALLERY / Tokyo, Japan

2016 「sympathy」Matsuzakaya Nagoya / Nagoya, Japan

2016 「Living Things」LIXIL Gallery / Tokyo, Japan

2016 「Takashi Murakami’s Superflat Collection -From Shōhaku and Rosanjin to Anselm Kiefer-」Yokohama Museum of Art / Kanagawa, Japan

2015 「Shozui zu」Takashimaya Nihombashi Store Art Gallery X / Tokyo, Japan

2015 「The Takamatsu City Museum of Art Collection Ⅱ」Takamatsu Historical Museum / Kagawa, Japan

2014 「Artisic Christmas vol.Ⅷ」Takashimaya Shinjuku Store 10F gallery / Tokyo, Japan

2014 「Colors of the Shimuras meets Yoshimasa Tsuchiya」GALLERY FUKUMI SHIMURA / Kyoto, Japan

2014 「Japanese Contemporary Art」The James Christie Room / Hong Kong

2014 「Crafting a Continuum: Rethinking Contemporary Craft」Bellevue Arts Museum / Washington DC, USA

2013 「PAINTED SOUND」Flower Pepper Gallery & Bookstore / California, USA

2013 「FUKAI TAKASHI presents Sculpture of the 21st century」Matsuzakaya Nagoya / Aichi, Japan

2012 「The Power of Japanese Contemporary Sculpture」AKI Gallery / Taipei, Taiwan

2012 「XYZ」MEGUMI OGITA GALLERY / Tokyo, Japan

2011 「Yokosuka museum of art」/ Kanagawa, Japan

2010 「Currents in Japanese Contemporary Wood Sculpture」Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art / Hokkaido, Japan

2008 「Animals in contemporary art, Many Animals!! What? Art?」Towada Arts Center / Aomori, Japan

2008 「September Show ’08」Nishimura Gallery / Tokyo, Japan

2008 「Animal Fantasy: Animals in Inuit Art and Modern Imagery」Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art / Hokkaido, Japan

Public Collection

The Miniature Museum of Contemporary Art, the Netherlands

Musashino Reiwa Shrine, Japan

Tenzuisan Daishoji temple, Japan

Sawadasan Daichuji temple, Japan

Hokkaido Asahikawa Museum of Art, Japan

Takamatsu Art Museum, Japan

Arizona State University Art Museum, U.S.A

University of Tsukuba, Japan

Toyama Prefectural Museum

Ankokuzan Souneiji temple, Japan