Profile

Kan Yasuda
Kan Yasuda
Kan Yasuda

Kan Yasuda

Kan Yasuda was born in the City of Bibai on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido in 1945.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in art at the Hokkaido University of Education Iwamizawa Campus before obtaining a master’s degree in sculpture under the guidance of Yasutake Funakoshi at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. After moving to Italy in 1970 on a fellowship from the Italian Government and studying under Professor Pericle Fazzini at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, he set up a studio in the northern Italian town of Pietrasanta — a place world famous for its superior quality marble. There he continues to live and work on marble and bronze sculptures.
In 1992, Kan Yasuda Sculpture Museum – Arte Piazza was established in his hometown, and over the past 30 years, it has become a beloved “spiritual home” for people. Along with solo and group exhibitions in Japan and abroad, he created the stage design for Puccini’s opera “Madame Butterfly” in 2000. The production is still being performed in various locations.

Solo Exhibitions

1973
Gallery 88　Rome, Italy
1975
Time’s Gallery　Rome, Italy
1976
Daido Gallery　Sapporo, Japan
1978
Marui Imai Gallery　Sapporo, Japan
1984
Galleria Retina　Sapporo, Japan
1985
Gallery Ueda Warehouse　Tokyo, Japan
1987
Tokeidai Gallery　Sapporo, Japan
1991
“Sculpture Path”　Milano, Italy
1994
“Marble and Bronze”（held to 1995）　Yorkshire Sculpture Park　West Bretton, U.K.
1995
Berkeley Square Gallery　London, U.K.
The Economist Plaza　London, U.K.
“Open-Air”　Pietrasanta, Italy
1997
“Open-Air”　Pietrasanta, Italy
1999
“Open-Air”　Torre del Lago Puccini, Italy
2000
“Firenze, Sculptures in the City”　Firenze, Italy
2001
“Sculptures at the Teien”（held to 2002）　Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum　Tokyo, Japan
2003
“Sculptures of Kan Yasuda: Tie to the Sky, Link with the Earth”　Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Arte Piazza Bibai　Hokkaido, Japan
“Kan Yasuda materia eterea”　Villa La Versiliana, Pietrasanta, Italy
2004
“Sculpt the Opera, Madam Butterfly”（held to 2005） Pisa Airport　Pisa, Italy
2005
“Amare la vita e’ costruire la pace”　Assisi, Italy
2007
“Touching the Time”（held to 2008）　Roma, Italy
2011
“Touching the Time”　Torino, Italy
“Touching the City”　Sapporo, Japan
“The Contemporary Myth”（held to 2012） Taormina, Italy
2012
“Touching”　Gallery TOM　Tokyo, Japan
“Touching”　Arte Piazza Bibai　Hokkaido, Japan
2014
“Kan Yasuda”　Eykyn Maclean　New York, USA
2016
“Touching the Time” Christie’s　New York, USA
“Touching the Time”　Pisa, Italy
2017
“Between Sky and Water”　Aman Venice, Venice, Italy
“Kan Yasuda’s Bronze Exhibition – Connecting time and time”　Arte Piazza Bibai　Hokkaido, Japan
2022
“Touching the Time”　Arte Piazza Bibai　Hokkaido, Japan
2023
“FORMA SUONO ANIMA”（held to 2025） Viareggio, Italy

Group Exhibitions

1975
“The Second Biennial Dantesca”　Ravenna, Italy
1977
“The Fifth Quadrennial”　Rome, Italy
“Sculptors and Artisans in a Historical Center”　Pietrasanta, Italy
1979
“14 Japanese Artists in Italy”　Rome, Italy
1980
“Japanese Contemporary Artists”　La Triennale di Milano　Milano, Italy
1983
“Art in Hokkaido”　Arbata, Canada
“Sculpture Yesterday and Today”　Pietrasanta, Italy
1984
“International Open-Air Sculpture Exhibition”　Les-Gets, France
1985
“Sculpture in Transit”　Montignoso, Italy
1986
“Japanese Artists in Italy”　Firenze and Parma, Italy
“Massa International Sculpture, Malaspina Castle”　Massa, Italy
1988
“Sculptures from Carrara, Massa and Pietrasanta”　Yorkshire Sculpture Park　West Bretton, U.K.
1989
“Idioms of Contemporary Sculpture”　Verona, Italy
“Sculpting between Carrara and Pietrasanta”　Marina di Carrara, Italy
1990
“Sculptors”　Bernay, France
“Sculpture Path for the World Cup ’90″　Milano, Italy
1991
“Art and Architecture: Proposals for the Urban Environment”　La Triennale di Milano　Milano, Italy
1993
“The Appearance of Void”　Pietrasanta, Italy
1995
“Time Machine: ancient Egypt and contemporary art”　Egyptian Museum Turin 　Turin, Italy
1996
“G’96 International Open-Air Sculpture Exhibition”　Lake Maggiore, Switzerland
1997
“The Fertile Stone Three Sculptors in Zola Predosa”　Zola Predosa, Italy
1998
“Omaggio a Nivola”　Nuoro, Italy
“Open-Air Exhibition”　Pisa, Italy
1999
“Illumination”　Firenze, Padua, Turin and Palermo, Italy
“CUMA 4000 Sculpture and Architecture of Nineties”　Cuma, Italy
“Les Champs de la Sculpture 2″　Paris, France
2000
“Bad Ragartz”　Bad Ragaz, Switzerland
2001
“Vibration: United Senses”　Utsunomiya Museum of Art　Utsunomiya, Japan
2002
“Pietrasanta, Sculptor and Sculpture”　Pietrasanta, Italy
2005
“Vetro e Scultura, 20 artisti interpretano Venini”　Chiesa di Sant’Agostino　Pietrasanta, Italy
“Nostalgy of Future”　Chiesa di Sant’Angelo　Pietrasanta, Italy
2006
“Sculture en Plein Air”　Limone Piemonte and Cortile d’Onore della Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi　Turin, Italy
“Homage to the Earth: Busan Biennale”　Busan, South Korea
“Bad Ragartz”　Bad Ragaz, Switzerland
“Marble of Work”　Seravezza, Italy
“Springs of Life”　San Giuliano Terme, Italy
2009
“Bad Ragartz”　Bad Ragaz, Switzerland
2012
“Bad Ragartz”　Bad Ragaz, Switzerland
“Sculpture Promenade 2012″（held to 2013） Fitzwilliam Museum　Cambridge, U.K.
2015
“Bad Ragartz”　Bad Ragaz, Switzerland
2017
“Kan Yasuda- A Grateful Glance Exhibition”　Arte Piazza Bibai　Hokkaido, Japan
2018
“Kan Yasuda’- A Grateful Glance Exhibition – with Samiro Yunoki”　Gallery TOM　Tokyo, Japan
“Bad Ragartz”　Bad Ragaz, Switzerland
2019
“A Birthday – Yunoki Samiro and his companies”　Galerie Etienne de Causans　Paris, France
2020
“Sculptors gathering in the Jingu Forest”　Meiji Shrine　Tokyo, Japan
2021
“Three-person exhibition”　Gallery Shirokane　Tokyo, Japan
“Bad Ragartz”　Bad Ragaz, Switzerland
2024
“Bad Ragartz”　Bad Ragaz, Switzerland

Awards

1992
The 42nd Minister of Education and Culture Award for New Artist　Japan
1994
International Award for Sculpture　Italy
1995
Award of Pietrasanta of the World　Italy
2001
Special Award of Puccini Foundation　Italy
2002
The 9th Inoue Yasushi Cultural Award　Japan
The 15th Murano Togo Award for the Arte Piazza Bibai project　Japan
Award for Poem of Alpi Apuane　Italy
2003
Special Award of Tuscany　Italy
2006
Order of the Star of the Italian Solidarity (The honor of the Italian Republic)
2009
Japan Awards, Italia Japan Foundation
2010
Hokkaido Shinbun Cultural Award　Japan
Giacomo Puccini Award, Puccini Foundation　Italy
Award of Commiccioner for Cultural Affairs　Japan
2013
Hokkaido Culture Award　Japan
2015
Lifetime Achivement Award of Hokkaido　Japan
2020
Architectural Institute of Japan Culture Award

Public Collection

SEIKOO　APEC Naru Park　Busan, South Korea

TOUCHSTONE　Bridgewater Hall　Manchester, U.K.

SEITAN　Yorkshire Sculpture Park　U.K.

TENSEI, TENMOKU　Garachico　Tenerife, Spain

KIMON　Don Luigi Giussani Park　Miano, Italy

ISHINKI　Torre del Lago Puccini　Viareggio, Italy

ISHINKI　Trajan Market, Imperial Forum Museum　Roma, Italy

MYOMU　Pietrasata Station　Pietrasanta, Italy

TENPI　Boboli Garden　Firenze, Italy

TENPI　1251 Avenue of the Americas　New York, U.S.A.

KIMON　Citygarden　St.Louis, U.S.A.

TOUCHSTONE　Aurora Place　Sydney, Australia


Kan Yasuda Sculpture Museum Arte Piazza Bibai　Hokkaido

One is Two　Sapporo Dome　Hokkaido

GEN　Sapporo Art Park　Hokkaido

ISHINKI　Hokkaido Governor’s Official Residence　Sappro, Hokkaido

MUKAYU, TENPI　Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art　Sappro, Hokkaido

SOKYO　Sapporo Concert Hall KITARA　Hokkaido

MYOMU　Sapporo Station　Hokkaido

SEITAN, SEIBO, TENPI, TENPI　Sapporo Soseigawa Park　Hokkaido

SEITAN　Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art　Sappro, Hokkaido

KAZE, MYOMU, ISHINKI　Hakodate Goryoukaku Hospital　Hokkaido

TENPI　Asahikawa Station　Hokkaido

SHINSEI　Kitahiroshima Ryokuyo Park　Hokkaido

TENPI　Iwamizawa Higashiyama Park　Hokkaido

ISHINKI　Iwamizawa City Hall　Hokkaido

Deep Impact Gate　Northern Horse Park　Tomakomai, Hokkaido

YAMA no HI　Garo Family Park　Bibai, Hokkaido

SHOSEI　Bibai Station　Hokkaido

FUBUKI　Naie City Park　Hokkaido

TENKOSAN　Arai Memorial Museum of Art　Iwanai, Hokkaido

KIMON, ISHINKI　Higashikawa Elementary School　Hokkaido

TENPI　Higashikawa Bunka Gallery　Hokkaido

TENPI　Higashikawa Sattelite Office　Hokkaido

SEITAN　Higashikawa KITORON　Hokkaido

KAISEI, ISHINKI, MUEN no HI　Lake Toya　Hokkaido

TENPI　Aiina Center　Iwate

SHOSEI　Sakata City Museum of Art　Yamagata

KAZE　Hitachi City Public Plaza　Ibaraki

TENYU　Kawaguchi City West Public Hall　Saitama

TENSEN　Teganuma Hydro Plaza　Chiba

TENSEN　Chiba Prefectural Museum of Art　Chiba

KAZE　Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Museum　Tokyo

SEISHI YUKAN　Tokyo Shigoto Center　Tokyo

SHOSEI　Tornare Nihonbashi Hamacho　Tokyo

TENKU　Mitsubishi Corporation Headquarters　Tokyo

TENPI, SOKYO　Ishibashi Foundation Art Research Center　Tokyo

ISHINKI, MYOMU　Tokyo Midtown　Tokyo

SEITAN　Tokyo Midtown Hibiya　Tokyo

ISHINKI, MYOMU　Tokyo Internatinal Forum　Tokyo

KIMON, TENPI　Shibuya Cultural Center OOWADA　Tokyo

ISHINKI　JINDAIJI Temple　Tokyo

ISHINKI　Tama Center　Tokyo

KIMON, MUKIYU, SHINSEI　CHOENJI Temple　Kanagawa

TENSEN　Nisseki Yokohama Building　Kanagawa

TENPI　Yokohama International Swimming Pool　Kanagawa

KIMON, KAISEI, MUKAYU, TENSEN　Yokohama Museum of Art　Kanagawa

TENPI　Niigata Toki Messe　Niigata

KIMON　Takaoka OTOGI NO MORI Park　Toyama

TENSEI, TENMOKU, CHIJIN　Sezon Museum of Contemporary Art　Nagano

ISHINKI, TENSHO　Nakatsugawashi Tsukechi Community Center　Gifu

TENKOSAN　Okazaki Central Park　Aichi

One is Two　Okazaki Mindscape Museum　Aichi

TENPI　Hyogo Performing Arts Center　Hyogo

TENPI　Benesse Art Site Naoshima　Kagawa

TENSEN　Miyazaki Prefectural Art Museum　Miyazaki