Yuji Kanamaru

Born in 1978 in Kanagawa.

Established artist group C-DEPOT in 2002.

Awarded MFA from The Graduate School of Tokyo University of the Arts in 2003.

Solo exhibitions: 2021 “Animal’s session” Obuse Museum Chinami Nakajima Kan (Nagano); 2024 “Splendid Waltz” Whitestone Gallery Taipei (Taiwan) and more.

Group exhibitions: 2019 “mori kara mori e” Takato Museum of Arts (Nagano); 2021 “byoga zukan” Sato Museum (Tokyo); 2022 “gendai nihonga no kirameki” Niimi Museum of Art (Okayama) and more.

Awarded Shisei Prize at the 8th Shinsei Exhibition.

Selected as the 40th artist for Park Hotel Tokyo's artist room and completed "jugai tyoju zu" in 2024.

I draw animals as my self-expression.

However, I do not portray the animals as it is, but rather attempt to extract their unique
forms and portray their inner nature biased by my own filter.

Since ancient times, animals have rooted in our lives, sometimes as family and friends and sometimes as objects of awe, filling the gaps in our hearts as vessels for projecting our thoughts.

Through my works, I would like to express the invisible “gentle distance” between the two, which is neither too close nor too far. By connecting with the viewer's unconscious, the animals I depict become carriers of dialogue and empathy.