​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 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 the lives, 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 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 a glass blower and a designer at Sugahara Glassworks Inc. from 2002 to 2004 and she was a lecturer in glass art and contemporary art at Nagoya University of the Arts from 2019 to 2023 in Japan. From 2023 she is a lecturer in flameworking at Toyama Institute of Glass Art 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 in Japan.

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CV

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Major Solo Exhibitions

2023    Yu Harada, Tokyo, Japan

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 ('13,'10)

2013    Ninonbashii Takashimaya, Tokyo, Japan

           Gallery ginza ARTONE, Tokyo, Japan

2011　  KEIKO Gallery, Boston, MA, USA

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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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Grant

The Kanazawa Utatsuyama Kogei Kobo from 2008 to 2011

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Public Collections

Glass Museum Lette, , Alter Hof Herding, 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

SANCTUARY COURT TAKAYAMA ART GALLERY RESORT, Gifu ('24)

Hotel TIAD, Aichi ('23) / ANA Suite Lounge, Haneda Airport International Terminal, Tokyo ('20)

THE RITZ-CARLTON Nanjing, China('20)

Hotel Royal Classic OSAKA, Japan('19)

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

Professional Experience

2023.4-            Lecturer, Toyama Institute of Glass Art

2023.3-2019.9   Lecturer, Nagoya University of the Arts, Aichi, Japan

2022.7.16-18      Workshop : "GO FOR KOGEI 2022" ,Toyama Glass Studio

2020.9.28-10.2  Workshop : Toyama Institute of Glass Art (KOJIRO Yoshiaki & KOSOGAWA Runa)

2020,2024        Lecturer, Nagaoka Institute of Design, Niigata, Japan

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

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Professional Engagement

2024   Lecture, Nagaoka Institute of Design, Niigata, Japan

2023   Crit, Kanazawa Utatsuyama Kogei Kobo, Ishikawa, Japan   

           Crit, , Toyama Institute of Glass Art, Toyama, Japan

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 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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Major Selected Group Exhibitions

2023    “R.ALAGAN 2023 Spring & Summer collection”, collaboration jewelry : R.ALAGAN × Runa, ROKU SHIBUYA CAT STREET(Tokyo), ROKU OSAKA(osaka)

            “the exhibition of KIKOH MATSUURA & PR of BIWAKO BIENNALE” , Shanghai TSUTAYA, China

            “The scenery of Hida seen with glass”, Takayama, Gifu, Japan

            “以美為用”, Kyoto Takashimaya Art Gallery, Kyoto, Japan

            “Overview vol.4”, Yu Harada, Tokyo, Japan

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2022   “The International Exhibition of Glass Kanazawa 2022”, Notojima Glass Museum etc., Ishikawa, Japan

　　    “The 10th International Art Festival BIWAKO BIENNALE”, Shiga, Japan ('20 ,‘18)

　　     Two-Person Exhibition: “KOSOGAWA Runa and TAKUBO Kyoji”, Gallery Hana asagi, Tokyo

          “Collection Exhibition Glass Art: Flora Times Three”, Toyama Glass Art Museum, Toyama, Japan
          “GO FOR KOGEI 2022”, Shokoji Temple, Takaoka, Toyama, Japan

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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
           "Fujinoyama Biennale Art Festival", Shizuoka, Japan
 

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 

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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

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

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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

 　　   "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

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

2011     “La Luce” curator by ITO Junji , 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

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

Major Art Fairs

2022    “collect”, London, UK

            "Tobi Art Fair", Tokyo Bijyutsu Club, Tokyo, Japan ('18)

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

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

2017      “DAEGU ART FAIR”, Daegu EXPO, Korea

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

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Collaboration products

2023          R.ALAGAN 2023 Spring & Summer collection, collaboration jewelry

2013-2014   I designed the new incense and the package design with the incense shop ”lisn” (Kyoto and Tokyo,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