Akira Murayama

Japan Kōgei Association

Wood & Bamboo

1970
Received the Asahi Shimbun Award at the 17th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
1972
1st Traditional Crafts – Wood & Bamboo New Works Exhibition – Tokyo Board of Education Award
1973
2nd Traditional Crafts Kinki Branch Exhibition – Matsushita Award
1975
3rd Traditional Crafts Kinki Branch Exhibition – Kyoto Prefecture Board of Education Award
1980
Kyoto Prefecture Crafts & Art Exhibition – Excellence Award
1982
Kyoto Prefecture Crafts & Art Exhibition – Encouragement Award
1992
21st Japan Traditional Crafts Kinki Exhibition – Japan Traditional Crafts Kinki Award
2004
Awarded the 22nd Kyoto Prefecture Cultural award Distinguished Service Medal
2005
Received the Medal with Purple Ribbon
2014
Awarded The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette
2018
Kyoto City Arts and Culture Association Award

I myself am a certified holder in the woodwork technique of kurimono (hollow work). I would like to express what is a three-dimensional form in my kōgei work. Japan has long been a garden of woodwork. We do not know how many wooden products are within our original life. We have spent so much time with them that we are hardly aware of because they are too familiar. Nowadays, wood artworks are almost treated as something special, but I would like to express what form they take in the present day, as something we are not conscious of.

経歴

1944
Born in Hyogo Prefecture
1966
Graduated from Kyoto City University of Arts, studied under Tatsuaki Kuroda
1971
Became a regular member of the Japan Kōgei Association
1996
Recognized as a Holder of Intangible Cultural Property “Wood Work” designated by Kyoto Prefecture
2003
Recognized as a Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property “Wood Work”