Aya Kawato
Born in 1988 in Nara, Japan
Lives and works in Kyoto, Japan
Education
2019
Ph.D, Intermedia Art, Graduate school of Tokyo University of the Arts
2015
MFA, Intermedia Art, Graduate School of Tokyo University of the Arts
2014
École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts de Paris, Student Exchange Program
2011
BFA, Textile Course, Faculty of Art, Kyoto Seika University
Solo Exhibitions
2024
Tsuzuru Minamo, Imura Art Gallery (Kyoto, Japan)
2023
Soft Window, Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store Art Contemporary Gallery (Tokyo, Japan)
project N 89 KAWATO Aya, Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery (Tokyo, Japan)
2022
Kawato Aya: Diagonal Dimension, The Triangle, Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art (Kyoto, Japan)
2021
My Grid Paintings: 2016-2021, Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store Art Contemporary Gallery (Tokyo, Japan)
織 (Ori) Scopic, Imura Art Gallery (Kyoto, Japan)
2020
Tell Me What You See, Pierre-Yves Caër Gallery (Paris, France)
2019
Aya Kawato Solo Exhibition, Aifa (Geneva, Switzerland)
Controlled / Uncontrolled, Pierre-Yves Caër Gallery (Paris, France)
2018
Aya Kawato Solo Exhibition, Imura Art Gallery (Kyoto, Japan)
2017
C/U_CCLXXX-CXC_(w)_I, Shonandai My Gallery (Tokyo, Japan)
Group Exhibitions
2024
The Secrets of Color from Impressionism to Contemporary Art, Pola Museum of Art (Kanagawa, Japan)
Micro Salon, CADAN Yurakucho (Tokyo, Japan)
Micro-Perception, Chini Gallery (Taipei, Taiwan)
Spring Show, Galerie Vazieux (Paris, France)
RE:FACTORY_2, WALL_
2023
Yuji Akimoto Selection -Break Zenya-, Aster (Ishikawa, Japan)
Art Collaboration Kyoto Public Program “Beyond Glitch -Remapping Reality in a Broken World-”, ICC Kyoto (Kyoto, Japan)
Akris × ARTnews JAPAN Reimagining the Values Vol. 2 “Everything weaving us”, Akris Salon (Tokyo, Japan)
Tell Me What You See, Osaka Takashimaya Art Gallery (Osaka, Japan)
Nippon Mania -Contemporary Art from Japan–, Kunsthaus Kaufbeuren (Kaufbeuren, Germany)
Tell Me What You See by Imura Art Gallery, Cadan Yurakucho (Tokyo, Japan)
2022
Perception, Aifa (Verbier, Switzerland)
When Tide Become a Form, Kagoo (Osaka, Japan)
2021
Aifa Gallery Opening, Aifa (Verbier, Switzerland)
Cadan Roppongi Presented by Audi | Hills café/Space, Roppongi Hills (Tokyo, Japan)
Color in Art, Shinjuku Takashimaya Art Gallery (Tokyo, Japan)
2020
Intermedia Art 2020 Apparation, The Chinretsukan Gallery, The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
Break Zenya in Daikanyama Hillside Terrace -Run through the Times! 38 Artists Selected by Tomio Koyama-, Daikanyama Hillside Terrace (Tokyo, Japan)
Crossing Paintings, Imura Art Gallery (Kyoto, Japan)
Sukikei / New View -Contemporary Art in Japan at a Time of Transition-, Nihombashi Mitsukoshi (Tokyo, Japan), Mitsubishi Estate Artium, Fukuoka Mitsukoshi (Fukuoka, Japan)
2019
Sukikei / New View -Contemporary Art in Japan at a Time of Transition-, Hankyu Umeda Main Store (Osaka, Japan)
Drawing: Manner, Takuro Someya Contemporary Art (Tokyo, Japan)
2018
Tokyo University of the Arts Doctoral Program Final Exhibition 2018, The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
Kyoto Nippon Festival 2018, Kitano Tenmangu, Jr Kyoto Isetan (Kyoto, Japan)
The 40th Mitsubishi Corporation Art Gate Program, Marunouchi Building, Mitsubishi Shoji Building (Tokyo, Japan)
The 39th Mitsubishi Corporation Art Gate Program, Mc Forest (Tokyo, Japan)
2017
Collect 2, Micheko Galerie (Munich, Germany)
Rêver 2074, FIAC 2017 / Grand Palais (Paris, France), The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
Small Works -Selected by Masaharu Makuuchi / Ex-chamber Museum, Art Space Morgenrot (Tokyo, Japan)
The 13th Gunma Biennale for Young Artists, The Museum of Modern Art, Gunma (Gunma, Japan)
2016
Shonandai Project Will, Shonandai My Gallery (Tokyo, Japan)
The 33th Mitsubishi Corporation Art Gate Program, Eye of Gyre (Tokyo, Japan)
Atlas 2016, Tokyo University of the Arts, Toride Campus (Ibaraki, Japan)
Independent 2016, Tagboat Art Fes, Hulic Hall (Tokyo, Japan)
The 11th Tagboat Award, Iid Gallery, Institute of Design (Tokyo, Japan)
The 30th Mitsubishi Corporation Art Gate Program, Eye of Gyre (Tokyo, Japan)
2015
The 10th Geidai Art Plaza Awards Exhibition, Geidai Art Plaza, Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
Tokyo Design Week 2015, 100 Creators Exhibition, In front of the Meijijingu Gaien Memorial Picture Gallery (Tokyo, Japan)
Sicf16, Spiral Hall (Tokyo, Japan)
Tokyo University of the Arts the 63rd Graduation Works Exhibitions, Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
2014
Wip 2014, Tokyo University of the Arts, Toride Campus (Ibaraki, Japan)
You’ve Gone Too Far, Atelier Vilmouth, École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts de Paris (Paris, France)
2012
Preliminary Review Exhibition 2012, Tokyo University of the Arts, Toride Campus (Ibaraki, Japan)
The 16th Flag-art Exhibition in Gifu, Kanda-machi street (Gifu, Japan)
2011
Atlas 2011, Tokyo University of the Arts, Toride Campus (Ibaraki, Japan)
Kyoto Seika University Graduation Works Exhibition 2011, Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art (Kyoto, Japan)
Ensemble of Yuko Hasegawa + 16 Students, Kyoto Seika University Gallery Fleur (Kyoto, Japan)
2010
Wakuwaku Kyoto Project, Former Rissei Elementary School (Kyoto, Japan)
9, Shin-bi (Kyoto, Japan)
2008
1968+40 Mode Make-up, Kenninji (Kyoto, Japan)
Collections
2023
Warehouse TERRADA (Tokyo, Japan)
UESHIMA COLLECTION (Tokyo, Japan)
2022
Chishima Real Estate Co., Ltd. (Osaka, Japan)
2018
The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
2017
CHANEL K.K. (Tokyo, Japan)
Commission Works
2024
Sounkyo (Kyoto, Japan)
2022
Auberge Tebiro 1732 (Amami Oshima, Japan)
2021
LONGCHAMP / Vienna (Vienna, Austria)
2020
Meta Open Arts Commission / Facebook (Tokyo, Japan)
The Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu (Kyoto, Japan)
2019
LONGCHAMP / La Maison Ginza (Tokyo, Japan)
Kyoto Yura Hotel Mgallery by Sofitel (Kyoto, Japan)
Awards
2018
Nomura Art Prize 2018, Nomura Foundation (Tokyo, Japan)
2017
Mitsubishi Corporation Art Gate Program Scholarship 2017, Mitsubishi Corporation (Tokyo, Japan)
Rêver 2074, Grand Prix, Comité Colbert (Paris, France), Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
The 13th Gunma Biennale for Young Artists, Finalist, The Museum of Modern Art, Gunma (Gunma, Japan)
2016
Japan Arts Foundation Scholarship 2016, Japan Arts Foundation (Tokyo, Japan)
Independent 2016 Tagboat Art Fes, Shonandai My Gallery Prize, Katsumi Yamato Gallery Prize, Tagboat (Tokyo, Japan)
The 11th Tagboat Award, Tomio Koyama Prize, Tagboat (Tokyo, Japan)
The 33th Mitsubishi Corporation Art Gate Program, Finalist, Mitsubishi Corporation (Tokyo, Japan)
The 30th Mitsubishi Corporation Art Gate Program, Finalist, Mitsubishi Corporation (Tokyo, Japan)
2015
The 10th Geidai Art Plaza Awards Exhibition, Finalist, Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
2012
The 16th Flag-art Exhibition in Gifu, Finalist, Flag-art Exhibition in Gifu Executive Committee (Gifu, Japan)
Media
2025
[Magazine]
Pen (Tokyo, Japan), March
[Newspaper]
The Mainichi Shimbun (Tokyo, Japan), January 4, Morning Edition
[Calendar]
Shimizu Corporation’s 2025 corporate calendar
2024
[Magazine]
Kyoto Visitor’s Guide (Kyoto, Japan), September
Art Collectors’ (Tokyo, Japan), September
MEN’S EX (Tokyo, Japan), Spring
[Newspaper]
The Kyoto Shimbun (Kyoto, Japan), September 28, Morning Edition
[Website]
Art Preview Tokyo (Tokyo, Japan), September 25
2023
[Exhibition Catalog]
Nippon Mania -Contemporary Art from Japan–, Kunsthaus Kaufbeuren (Kaufbeuren, Germany)
Kawato Aya: Diagonal Dimension, The Triangle, Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art (Kyoto, Japan)
[Book]
Queer Cinema, Film Art (Tokyo, Japan), Cover
[Magazine]
IEICE Communications Society B-plus (Tokyo, Japan), Spring
[Website]
MODERNLIVING (Tokyo, Japan), December 5
ARTnews Japan (Tokyo, Japan), August 3
Herper’s BAZAAR (Tokyo, Japan), March 17
Meet Your Art “Pick Up Artist Aya Kawato” (Tokyo, Japan), February 26
2022
[Magazine]
Kateigaho (Tokyo, Japan), December
Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art Membership Members News (Kyoto, Japan), January
Gendaishi Techo (Tokyo, Japan), January, Cover
[TV]
Core Kyoto “Art Frontier: Creators Forge New Paths into the Future”, NHK World-Japan (Tokyo, Japan), May 12
[Website]
The New York Times Style Magazine: Japan, February 25
2021
[TV]
Kyoto Chishin, Mainichi Broadcasting System (Osaka Japan), April 4
[Website]
Fujingaho (Tokyo, Japan), November 5
Bijutsutecho (Tokyo, Japan), June 29
2019
[Exhibition Catalog]
Sukikei / New View -Contemporary Art in Japan at a Time of Transition-, Sukikei / New View Executive Committee (Japan)
[Magazine]
The Window of Arts (Tokyo, Japan), May
Gekkanbijutsu (Aichi, Japan), March
[TV]
Nichiyo-Bijutsukan, NHK Educational (Tokyo Japan), May 19
2018
[Magazine]
I’m home. (Tokyo, Japan), July
FIGARO Japon (Tokyo, Japan), March
ELLE Japon (Tokyo, Japan), February
Art Collectors’ (Tokyo, Japan), January
Soen (Tokyo, Japan), January
[Website]
“Contemporary Japanese Art Looks to Historical Craftsmanship for Inspiration”, CNN Style, November 5
2017
[Exhibition Catalog]
Rêver 2074, Comité Colbert (Paris, France), Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
The 13th Gunma Biennale for Young Artists, The Museum of Modern Art, Gunma (Gunma, Japan)
[Magazine]
CHANEL News, CHANEL K.K. (Tokyo, Japan), Hiver
Artpress Rêver 2074, (Paris, France), December
Art Collectors’ (Tokyo, Japan), August
CHANEL News, CHANEL K.K. (Tokyo, Japan), Été
The Window of Arts (Tokyo, Japan), June
Bijutsuya Hyakube (Osaka, Japan), Spring
[TV]
International News Report, NHK BS1 (Tokyo Japan), November 2
The Next Generation Artists “#47 Aya Kawato”, BS Fuji (Tokyo, Japan), February 21