​RUNA KOSOGAWA

Bio

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KOSOGAWA  Runa is a Japanese artist and educator. She is active in beyond the boundaries of crafts and contemporary art and mainly using glass.

She addresses glass as “a material in which time is locked up forever,” recognizing that aging objects and fragile, likely to vanish objects also contain beauty.

From her "Flower Diary" series, expressed in thinly ground glass petals, she shifted, following the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 and moving to Hida-Takayama in 2012, to her "Profound Silence" series. In that series, she examines life, with questions arising from social problems, her questions entrusted to flowers that signify the repose of a soul.

In recent years, she has been engaged in her Weaving a Life series, in which she blows glass bubbles daily to record traces of her life, and her Weaving Landscapes series, in which she captures scenes from near her home in glass.

She graduated with a BA from Musashino Art University in 2002 and from Toyama Institute of Glass Art, the Advanced Research Studies Program in 2008 in Japan. She studied abroad at The Australian National University as an exchange student in 2007.

She worked as an artisan (blown glass) at Sugahara Glassworks Inc. from 2004 to 2006 and teaches glass and contemporary art at Nagoya University of the Arts from 2019 in Japan.

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She established a glass studio with her husband (Yoshiaki KOJIRO https://www.yoshiaki-kojiro.com/) in Hida-Takayama in 2012 and is a recognized artist with collections in several museums, hotels and airport worldwide. She has been invited to exhibitions, Frauenau Glass Museum, Lette Glass Museum in Germany, Museo Dei Fori Imperiali in Italy, Toyama Glass Art Museum and 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa in Japan.

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CV

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1978    Born in Aichi , Japan

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Education

2008     Completed the Advanced Research Studies Program, Toyama Institute of Glass Art

2007     Exchange Student, Canberra School of Art, The Australian National University                         

2006     Completed the Glass Certification Studies Program,Toyama Institute of Glass Art 

2002     B.A., with Best Honors, Craft and Industrial Design department,  Musashino Art University

Experience

2002-2004     Sugahara Glassworks Inc. ( designer and craftsman)

2020               Lecturer, Nagaoka Institute of Design, Niigata, Japan

2019- 2022     Part-time Lecturer, Nagoya University of the Arts, Aichi, Japan

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Grant

The Kanazawa Utatsuyama Craft Workshop from 2008 to 2011

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Major Solo Exhibitions

2021　 Nihonbashi Takashimaya Art Craft Salon, Tokyo, Japan

2020　KOSOGAWA Runa Online Pop-up-show, Keiko Art International's website

2019　 Hana asagi, Tokyo, Japan

2018　 Nihonbashi Takashimaya Art Craft Salon, Tokyo, Japan

​2017　 tmh.&L'INTERIEUR, Tokyo, Japan

2015     Gallery TEN, Ishikawa, Japan

2013     Ninonbashii Takashimaya, Tokyo, Japan

             Gallery ginza ARTONE, Tokyo, Japan

             Gallery TEN, Ishikawa, Japan

2011　  KEIKO Gallery, Boston, MA, USA

2010     Gallery TEN,Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan

2009    Gallery 58, Ginza,Tokyo, Japan

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Awards

2022   Honorable Mention, The International Exhibition of Glass Kanazawa 2022, Japan

2018    Second Prize, Art Fair Toyama 2018 Art Awards, Japan

2010    Grand Prize,Kanayamachi Rakuichi, Japan

　　　 Best of Category-Sculpture,  -5thTAGBOATAWARD,Tokyo, Japan

2007    Excellent Prize,Glass Craft Triennial 2007, Japan

             Merit Prize,Toyama City Art Competition 2007, Japan

             Third Prize ,Ecchu Art Festival, Japan

2002    Grand Prize, Musashino Art University, graduation works, Japan

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Public Collections

Glass Museum Lette, Germany ('18)

The Australian National University, Australia ('07)

Toyama Glass Art Museum,Toyama, Japan ('20, '15)

Kanazawa Utatsuyama Craft Workshop,Ishikawa, Japan ('08)

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Commission Works

ANA Suite Lounge, Haneda Airport International Terminal, Japan(‘20)

THE RITZ-CARLTON Nanjing, China(‘20)

Hotel Royal Classic OSAKA, Japan(‘19)

Ta-Ke Japanese Restaurant , Hong Kong(‘18)

French Restaurant “Les Cailloux”,Tokyo, Japan(‘13)　

Private residence, Gifu, Japan(‘11)

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Professional Engagement

2021    Lecture, Tokyo University of the Arts, Tokyo, Japan

2020   Lecture, Nagaoka Institute of Design, Niigata, Japan

2019    Lecture and Crit, Kanazawa Utatsuyama Kogei Kobo, Ishikawa, Japan    

            Lecture/ Demonstration, Nagoya University of the Arts, Aichi, Japan

2016    Lecture, Kanazawa Utatsuyama Kogei Kobo, Ishikawa, Japan

2015    Artist Talk, Kurobe City Museum, Toyama, Japan

2014    Lecture, Toyama City Institute of Glass Art, Toyama, Japan

2013    Artist Talk,the Seto Ceramic and Glass Art Center, Aichi, Japan

2012   Symposium Guest, Japanese Contemporary Glass Exhibition,  Tokyo, Japan

2011    KUMA Kengo's Symposium Guest, Istituto Giapponese di Cultura (Institute of Japanese Culture), Roma, Italy

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Collaboration products

I designed the new incense and the package design with the incense shop ”list” (Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan).

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Major Selected Group Exhibitions

2021　Ueno Artist Project 2021: "Everyday Life I am Reborn", Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan

　　　"Thirty Years of Toyama Institute of Glass Art Forms the Future, Toyama Glass Art Museum, Toyama, Japan

            "Contemporary Japanese Glass", ESH Gallery, Milan, Italy

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2020   "Microcosmos", Toyama Glass Art Museum, Toyama, Japan
            "BIWAKO Biennale–International Art Festival", Shiga, Japan (‘18)
            "Fujinoyama Biennale Art Festival", Shizuoka, Japan
            "ART FAIR PHILIPPINES"(‘19), Manila, Philippines

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2019   "NEW ACQUISITIONS 2018", Glass Museum Lette, Germany

           "Toyama Art and Glass Exhibition in Singapore  -The Spirit of TOYAMA Glass",Japan Creative Centre (JCC) Embassy of JAPAN, Singapore 
           "Glass Art Toyama 2019", Toyama Glass Art Museum Gallery, Toyama, Japan
　　    "ART FAIR TOKYO" (‘15), Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo

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2018　"Japanisches Glas heute-kokoro-",Glasmuseum Lette, Germany

　　　"Glass Botanical Garden", Notojima Glass Art Museum,  Ishikawa, Japan

            "Abu Dhabi Exhibition", UAE, United Arab Emirates

            "Collection Exhibition 2018-1" -Permanent Exhibition, Toyama Glass Art Museum, Toyama, Japan

            "ART FAIR TOYAMA ART AWARD,Toyama Glass Art Museum, Toyama, Japan

            "Tobi Art Fair", Tokyo Bijutsu Club, Tokyo, Japan

            "ART CRAFTING TOWARDS THE FUTURE ANOTHER VOLUME", GINZA WAKO, Tokyo, Japan

2017　"Japanisches Glas heute-kokoro", Glasmuseum Frauenau, Germany

　　　"The International Hokuriku Kogei Summit",  Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design

2016    "felling in glass", Toyama Glass Art Museum, Toyama, Japan

2015   "Koisuru Kogei", Kurobe City Museum, Toyama, Japan

            "Japanese Contemporary Glass Exhibition", Notojima Glass Museum , Paramita Museum, Shiga, Japan

 　　   "Nature Creations –Flower-",aoyama Spiral, Tokyo, Japan

2014    "BI no Yokan" ,Takashimaya Art Gallery, Nihonbashi,Shinjuku,Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Japan

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2013    "KOSOGAWA Runa x YAMADA Teruo Exhibition", the Seto Ceramic and Glass Art Center, Aichi, Japan

        　"Duo Exhibition: KOSOGAWA Runa and KOJIRO Yoshiaki", Gallery Now, Toyama, Japan

             "From the Kiln", AOYAMA SPIRAL,Tokyo, Japan

             "KOKORONO HANA", Gallery SAKURANOKI,Karuizawa, Japan

             "MY STILE, MY LIFE" , Shinjyuku Takashimaya,Tokyo, Japan

2012     "Japanese Contemporary Glass Exhibition", daikanyama gallery,Tokyo / Koganezaki crystal park,Shizuoka, / Paramita Museum, Shiga, Japan

              "Kanayamachi Rakuichi -produced by Jyunji Ito", Toyama (08-), Japan

2011      "We have things we’d like to drawⅡ "curator Ito Junji, H.A.C.Gallery,Tokyo, Japan

        　“La Luce” curator by Junji Ito , Museo Dei Fori Imperiali, Itly

　　　   ( -- KUMA Kengo, IMAIZUMI Imaemon, NAKAMURA Shinkyou and KOSOGAWA Runa )

            "Maison&Objet -Talents a le Carte”,  Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre, France

            "Toko Shinoda & Contemporary Glass",Rakusuitei Art Museum,,Toyama, Japan

         　"Contemporary Glass Triennial Toyama", City Plaza, Toyama 

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2010    " Kanazawa Kogei Triennial", curator Ito Junji  ,the 21th century Art Museum, Ishikawa, Japan

　　　 "The Form of New Glass", Matsuzakaya,Aichi, Japan

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2009     "Cheongju International Craft Biennale, Korea

              "Asago Art Village, Asago Biennale", Hyogo,Japan

              "Women’s Glass Artists", Matsuzakaya, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

              "Contemporary Glass Art in Sanyo-Onoda", Sanyo-Onoda City Cultural Hall, Yamaguchi, Japan

              "Meets Kanazawa-2009, Dreams of Craft", Matsumoto City Hall, Nagano, Japan

              "Exhibition for the Utatsuyama Craft Workshop Trainees", 21st Century Museum of Art, Kanazawa, Japan

2008     "Joint Exhibition by Glass Educational Network", Tokyo  Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan

2007      "International Competition 2007 in Kanazawa", Notojima Glass Museum, Ishikawa, Japan

               " Glass Craft Triennial 2007(2004)", Itami Hyogo, Japan

               " Canberra School of Art", The Australian National University" Canberra , Australia

2006     "Toyama City Institute of Glass Art graduation works exhibition" ,Toyama, Japan

2005     "LOVE THE MATERIAL ITEMS EXHIBITION ", Pepper’s Gallery ,Ginza ,Tokyo , JJapan

2002    "Musashino Art University , Graduation Works exhibition", Musashino Art University,Tokyo, Japan         

             "Plastic Exhibition" , Gallery le deco , Shibuya, Japan

             " Plastic Exhibition" , Aichi Art center gallery ,Nagoya, Japan

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Art Fairs

2021　“ART FAIR TOKYO “ Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo ( ‘19, ‘15),

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2020　 “ART FAIR PHILIPPINES" , Manila, Philippines (‘19)

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2018    “Tobi Art Fair”, Tokyo art club, Tokyo

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2017    “DAEGU ART FAIR”, Daegu EXPO, Korea

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2015　” ART FAIR TOKYO” /Takashimaya Art Gallery X,  International Forum, Tokyo

            " HOTEL THE ART FAIR" /NAGOYA (’11-)

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2014    " NEW CITY ART FAIR-Japanese Contemporary Art-", hpgrp Gallery,NY,USA

            "HOTEL ART FAIR" / Osaka, Japan

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2013    "NEW CITY ART FAIR-Japanese Contemporary Art-", hpgrp Gallery,NY,USA / Osaka, Japan

             " HOTEL THE ART FAIR" /OSAKA(’12-),/KOBE (’12-), Japan

             "AHAF HK 12 –Asia Top Gallery Hotel Art Fair Hong Kong"

　　　 "＋PLUS THE ART FAIR" (‘11-), SPIRAL Hall, Tokyo,Japan

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2012    "HOTEL THE ART FAIR" / Kyoto,Japan

　　　 "NEW CITY ART FAIR-Japanese Contemporary Art-" Taipei, Taiwan

　　　 "DAEGU ART FAIR", Daegu EXPO, Korea

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2011     "＋PLUS THE ART FAIR", Tobi Art Fprum [Tokyo Art Club], Tokyo, Japan

           " Lineart The International Fusion Art Fair", Flanders Expo, Gent, the Kingdom of Belgium