Profile and practice
From netsuke to sculpture and figures, Shinya Nagashima makes works that cross the boundaries of sculpture and craft, beginning with small forms that fit in the palm of a hand.
Profile
Born in Shimane in 1986. He graduated from Matsue National College of Technology in 2006 and the sculpture course at Kyoto University of Art and Design in 2010. Making fishing lures in junior high school sparked his interest in small forms. After university, he began teaching himself to carve netsuke.
Approach to making
Nagashima moves between netsuke, sculpture and figures as connected forms of expression. Retaining an interest in palm-sized objects, he explores the possibilities of sculpture across craft and contemporary character culture.
The gallery profile also places his use of the beautiful-girl motif in relation to Japanese culture, subculture and contemporary art. His small forms can be approached through both their details and these cultural contexts.
Read the primary source on this practice ↗
Selected exhibitions
- 2025 | 「守破離」 (Hanakagesho)
- 2024 | 「ナイトパレード」 (Hanakagesho)
- 2023 | 「ハッピーエンド」 (Hanakagesho) / 「掌上の宇宙」 (Roppongi Hills A/D Gallery)
- 2022 | 「掌上の偶像」 (Hanakagesho)
- 2021 | 「神生みの臥所」 (Hanakagesho)
Selected museum and curated exhibitions
- 2019 | 「美少女の美術史」 (MoNTUE, National Taipei University of Education)
- 2016–2017 | 「再発見！ニッポンの立体」 (Gunma Museum of Art, Tatebayashi, Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, Mie Prefectural Art Museum)
- 2014–2015 | 「美少女の美術史」 (Aomori Museum of Art, Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, Iwami Art Museum)
Mythology and characters — from the artist’s writings
In his statement for the 2023 exhibition ハッピーエンド, Nagashima discussed turning mythological deities and yokai into netsuke characters.
He reconsidered the White Hare of Inaba story through a different ending. This is a summary of his thinking at that time.
Hanakagesho | 2023 exhibition and artist statement ↗
Sources and further information
Biographical and exhibition information has been summarized and edited by roidworksgallery from the linked sources. Exhibitions are selected highlights.
