Profile and practice
Chiharu Kihara paints living beings and the vitality within them. Through vivid color and strokes made with her body, she pursues Vitalism, the enduring theme of her practice.
Profile
Born in Yamaguchi in 1979. A self-taught painter, she held her first solo exhibition at Gallery Den in 1999. She has presented work in solo and group exhibitions and art fairs in Japan and abroad. Her subjects include animals, plants, insects and people.
Vitalism — painting the life within
Her subjects draw on animals, plants and insects encountered in the mountains, rivers and sea of Yamaguchi, where she grew up. Painting familiar living beings becomes a way to engage with their vitality as well as their appearance.
Alongside brushes and palette knives, she uses her palms and fists. The momentum of lines recalling calligraphy and her use of color express the energy of living beings.
In the artist’s words
In a 2022 interview, she described pursuing fewer colors and simpler compositions to bring out the possibilities of materials and expression. When painting cats, she uses strokes to animate their form, eyes, whiskers and tails, placing importance on their wildness.
The interview offers a way to explore her dynamic paintings through choices of color, movement of line and details of each subject.Read the ARToVILLA interview on artistic identity (2022) ↗
The account of her practice and comments is summarized and edited by roidworksgallery from the linked sources and interview.
With roidworksgallery
Her Vitalism solo exhibitions began in 2012. In 2024, Vitalism Ⅻ presented new work at both roidworksgallery and FOAM CONTEMPORARY at Ginza Tsutaya Books. Her first monograph, Vitalism, was published that December.
This page introduces paintings, prints, neo-silkscreen works and a monograph. Please see each artwork page for its medium, year, edition, framing and current availability.
Selected exhibitions
- 2026 | 「Vitalism STIR」 (Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store)
- 2025–2026 | 「Vitalism ZERO」PART 1・PART 2 (roidworksgallery)
- 2025 | 「BOND」 (Suomei M50 Gallery, Shanghai) / 「Emanation」 (Ogaki Books, Azabudai Hills)
- 2024 | 「Vitalism 新生」 (Suomei M50 Gallery, Shanghai) / 「Vitalism Ⅻ」 (roidworksgallery, Ginza Tsutaya Books FOAM CONTEMPORARY)
- 2023 | 「Vitalism FLASH」 (Ginza Tsutaya Books) / 「Vitalism Ⅺ」 (roidworksgallery)
Vitalism monograph
Her first monograph brings together approximately 120 works, from early paintings to the Vitalism series. It also includes five-minute drawings, essays and a conversation with Shizuyo Yamasaki.
- Publisher: Geijutsu Shimbunsha
- Published: December 20, 2024
- Format: B5, paperback, 160 pages
- ISBN：978-4-87586-721-0
View the monograph’s product details / Publisher’s book page ↗
Career milestones and awards
- 2006 | Exhibited in VOCA2006 at the Ueno Royal Museum.
- 2007 | 木原千春展 — ANA MEETS ARTS at Haneda Airport.
- 2009 | Grand Prix, 13th Maebashi Art Competition Live 2009; honorable mention, 64th Yamaguchi Prefectural Art Exhibition.
- 2022 | Participated in ANA’s OFF TO ART project, producing four print designs for sale.
Read the full career history on her official gallery profile (Japanese) ↗
Collections
Arts Maebashi; Hoshino Resorts KAI Nagato. Her work was also featured in Arts Maebashi’s 2015 exhibition of new acquisitions.
Arts Maebashi | New acquisitions exhibition (2015, Japanese) ↗
Profile, exhibition records and sources
- roidworksgallery | Full biography and exhibitions ↗
- Ginza Tsutaya Books | Vitalism Ⅻ exhibition and monograph (2024–2025) ↗
- ARToVILLA | Profile ↗
Artwork and purchase inquiries
We can advise individually on condition, shipping, framing and other details for your consideration.Inquire about works by Chiharu Kihara
Works in Break Zenya Archive
Search this artist’s archive works by title or technique. Please see each work’s page for its year, dimensions, condition and accompanying items.
