Kawano Shoko

Kawano Shoko was born in Oita City, Japan in 1957. He studied art at Midorigaoka High School. After graduation, he applied to the Tokyo University of Arts, the most prestigious and competitive art school in Japan. Driven to become a sculptor, Kawano stood for the entrance exam several times but was unable to gain admission.

After Kawano returned to Oita, a friend introduced him to local artist Morigami Jin, who had recently made waves with his modern and sculptural interpretations of the bamboo flower basket. Intrigued and excited, Kawano entered the Oita Prefectural Bamboo Craft Training and Support Center in 1989. After graduating, he studied under Morigami and was later mentored by Watanabe Chikusei II, a respected master of ajiro (twill) plaiting.

By 1996, Kawano was showing his works at regional and national exhibitions and taking orders from local wholesalers. In 2002, he won the Cotsen Bamboo Prize. His works are in the permanent collections of the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco and the Mint Museum of Craft + Design in Charlotte, NC, as well as many prominent private collections.

ARTIST STATEMENT

It has been 38 years since I, having once aspired to be a sculptor, discovered “bamboo art” and chose bamboo as my medium of expression. These years, combined with the fact that I am now 68 and am increasingly looking back as I plan future work, fill me with deep emotion.

The works I strive to create take bamboo, a natural material, turn it into strips and weave these strips into three-dimensional forms using various traditional techniques. Throughout this process, I aim for organic, simple shapes with a sense of airiness that make full use of bamboo’s inherent flexibility. This approach has remained largely unchanged since I first encountered bamboo, and I believe it forms the foundation of my artistic practice.

If there has been any change at this stage of my life, it might be the increased interaction I have with young people aspiring to become artists. I feel a sense of responsibility to pass on the skills I have cultivated over many years, and I am gradually creating opportunities to do so, hoping to be of some help, however small. I am touched by their pure passion and sensibility toward craftsmanship, and they offer me fresh, valuable inspiration that technical skill alone cannot provide.

Ten years have passed since my first exhibition at TAI Modern, and I am honored to have been given the opportunity to hold my second exhibition there. I would be delighted if many of you could come and view my work.

Kawano Shoko
2026