Photo by Benjamin lee at HAMARIKYU TEIENN
About Jun Ogata
For many, Jun Ogata's works embody the image of contemporary Japanese painting. They are expressed with such skill that they appear simple and even minimalist. However, the layers of color reveal complex structures. Upon closer inspection, one can see how Ogata carefully applies and removes paint, demonstrating his meticulous attention to detail. Jun has photographed many gardens across Japan. The colors in his works, influenced by continuous observation of these gardens, reflect traditional Japanese hues such as the colors of petals, the sky reflected in ponds, and the autumn leaves. He cites traditional European painting techniques and Japan's oldest gardening book, "Sakuteiki," as major influences on his art. His work blends the soft sensibility of Japanese tradition with the Western primer techniques seen in painters like Rembrandt and Rubens. Jun’s paintings bring peace, tranquility, and beauty into our daily lives. Viewers will feel their everyday stress dissipate, replaced by a quiet, introspective sensation.
Profile
Jun Ogata (KAZZAN) is a Tokyo-born painter and painting conservator born in 1962. His artist name is derived from "仮山" (kazan). Influenced by his grandfather, a traditional Japanese metal craftsman, he decided to pursue a career as an artist. After graduating from Tokyo University of the Arts, he was dispatched to New York as a Cultural Affairs trainee, where he interned at a local art conservation studio and contributed research and restoration work for museums and public collections. After returning to Japan, he held solo exhibitions such as "Flower Shadows," "Zen Gardens," and "KAZAN," showcasing abstract paintings with the themes of "Japanese gardens" and "tea ceremonies." His works, characterized by the soft colors of traditional Japanese hues, gained popularity as public art in hotels, residences, and restaurants. Eventually, he focused his energy on public art commissions, exhibiting in New York, London, and Southeast Asia, including a government-sponsored exhibition in Vietnam in 2019 as the only Japanese artist invited. Simultaneously, Ogata established "Tokyo Conservation," an art preservation studio, where he has been involved in the conservation and restoration of artworks for galleries, museums, and public institutions. Ogata also trained in traditional martial arts, which became a lifelong pursuit and a significant spiritual and philosophical foundation for his creative work.
Exhibition at ASPLUND CONTRACT
Statement
"Decorating the Room with a Garden" I have been creating works using abstract expression with the theme of Japanese "Zen Gardens." The nature depicted in my paintings and the nature within Japanese gardens are both not actual, but rather constructed, natural worlds. My creative process has drawn much inspiration from these artificial natural worlds. My work expands in harmony with the concept of the "Zen Garden." The gardens serve not only as a source of inspiration for me, but can also act as a significant keyword or tool for viewers to understand my paintings. In addition to "Zen Gardens," which represent concepts through stones, plants, ponds, and waterfalls, there are "Karesansui," Dry Gardens, that utilize only rocks and white sand. These worlds represented by the rocks and sand can be said to reflect "enlightenment" and "mystery." "Karesansui" expresses blank space through rocks. These blank spaces are the same as ones created after drawing a single line on a canvas. Both my paintings and Japanese gardens emphasize "the beauty of emptiness" in their constructions. I believe that minimal and simple forms of expression enhance the beauty and allure of the colors in my paintings. My works created based on the concepts of Japanese gardens and chanoyu (a type of Japanese tea ceremony), straightforwardly express Japan’s aesthetic sense and form by utilizing natural phenomena. When creating in my studio, half my work is formed by natural forces such as water, air, humidity, and gravity, and the other by my own will and technique. Sometimes, unknown shapes or colors can appear on my canvases. This approach is very Japanese, differing from the Western painting tradition characterized by the meticulous structure of its paintings. I continue to create pursuing the idea of the "most natural" that is within me. I believe that the flow of water and natural phenomena, much like calligraphy, effectively express the infinite "Zen colors" that change with the seasons and the passage of time. They allow me to approach natural colors and forms that are beyond description and expression in my paintings. Displaying such works, created with this aesthetic sensibility, in everyday living spaces is also part of my theme.
BIOGRAPHY
EDUCATION
1962 Born in Tokyo.
1991 Graduated from Musashino Art University.
1993 Graduated from department of art of Wako University.
1995 Completed the graduate school of Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and music.
1997～98 Study for Rustin Levenson Art Conservation Associates (New York, USA) by the internship system of the Agency for Cultural Affairs. Studied about technique of modern paintings and Art conservation technology.
SOLO EXHIBITION
2000 “Reflective Burn” Solo Exhibition at Gallery SEIRA, Tokyo.
2001 “Reflective Burn” Solo Exhibition at Gallery KOJU, Kyoto.
2001 Solo Exhibition at Kaneko Art Gallery, Tokyo.
2002 Solo Exhibition at Ono Gallery(Kyobashi), Tokyo.
2002 “Carved Wave Motion” Solo Exhibition at Ono Gallery(Ginza), Tokyo.
2003 Drawing Exhibition “Works on paper” NC Art Gallery, Tokyo.
2003 3rd anniversary of NC Art Gallery, Tokyo.
2004 “Reflective Burn” Solo Exhibition NC Art Gallery, Tokyo.
2004 “Study for small works” Solo Exhibition at NC Art Gallery, Tokyo.
2005 Exhibition at Gallery21+Yo, Tokyo.
2006 Exhibition at Gallery21+Yo, Tokyo.
2007 Exhibition at Gallery21+Yo, Tokyo.
2008 “-Waon no Kushibi- Works of Jun Ogata 2003-2008” at Doka Contemporary Arts(Aoyama), Tokyo.
2009 “-Waon no Butai- Jun Ogata” at Gallery the Earth(Kamakura), Kanagawa.
2009 “YOIN-NO-KYOCHI” at Gallery L’atelier, Tokyo.
2010 “ZEN GARDEN” at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Tokyo.
2011 “KAEI” at Ginza Mitsukoshi, Tokyo.
2011 “usumoe sansui” at Gallery L’atelier, Tokyo.
2012 “RIKYU TEIEN” at Ginza Mitsukoshi, Tokyo.
2012 “ZEN GARDEN” at Frederick Harris Gallery of TOKYO AMERICAN CLUB.
2013 “INFINITY” at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Tokyo.
2014 “zen garden -garden for view-” at FEI ART MUSEUM YOKOHAMA
2014″ -ZEN GARDEN- SOLO SHOW OF JUN OGATA” at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Tokyo.
2015 “Quiet Beauty” at Hideharu Fukasaku Gallery Roppongi, Tokyo.
2016 Jun Ogata “Shadow of Flower” at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Tokyo.
2016 “Scenic Beauty” at Hideharu Fukasaku Gallery Roppongi, Tokyo.
2017 Art in Living – Jun Ogata -Garden In the Living- at ORIE ART GALLERY, Tokyo.
2018 “IMAGE DE FLEUR 花影” Jun Ogata solo exhibition at Y2ARTS, Singapore.
2018 “Fluidity” Jun Ogata Solo Exhibition at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Tokyo.
2019 Jun Ogata Exhibition “仮山·KAZAN” at Nagai Garou, Tokyo.
2020 Jun Ogata Exhibition “曲水 -GOKUSUI-” at ORIE ART GALLERY, Tokyo.
2020 “Flower Raft series” and “Garden series” are exhibited at Hakone Retreat fore in Sengokuhara, Hakone.
2021 Jun Ogata “Coral Garden” at WALLS TOKYO, Tokyo.
2021 OGATA KAZAN “-KARUIZAWA- Emerald Scene” at Kyu Karuizawa HOTEL OTOWA NO MORI, Karuizawa.
2021 OGATA KAZAN KARUIZAWA – GINZA- “Emerald Scene” at Nagai Garou, Tokyo.
2021 “GARDEN IN THE ROOM” at Shop ASPLUND, Tokyo.
2021 “ART/WORKATION by Jun Ogata” at ASPLUND CONTRACT, Tokyo.
2021 HOLIDAY SELECTIONS at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Okinawa.
2022 “Tea Ceremony” series are exhibited in Sushi Fujisei, Azabujuban, Tokyo.
2022 Jun Ogata “BLOOM IN GARDEN” -jun-ogata solo exhibition- at Walls Tokyo Art Gallery, Tokyo.
2023 Save the memorized color of Tokyo Air Raid “Montage of Flame and Ashes” Jun Ogata Exhibition at MARUKI GALLERY FOR THE HIROSHIMA PANELS.
2023 “Moon upon a Winter Garden” Jun Ogata Painting Exhibition at Nirasaki Omura Art Museum.
2024 “Save the memorized color Montage of Flame and Ashes -Jun Ogata draws the Tokyo Air Raid from Hanno-” at Hanno Municipal Museum “Kittosu”, Saitama.
2024 “BLOOM IN GARDEN II” Jun Ogata × KAZZAN at Walls Tokyo Art Gallery, Tokyo.
GROUP EXHIBITION
1991 Musashino Art University Exhibition of Excellence for graduation production.
2000 The 5th Contest for the Best Contemporary Art Work 2001″, SOKO Gallery, Tokyo.
2003 Japan Contemporary Art Exhibition at Art Gallery of Tokushima Sogo.
2004 Kumamoto Biennale-II at Kumamoto prefecture Museum.
2005 NAU 21 Century Art Coalition” Exhibition at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum.
2005 The 14th Pyeongtaek International Arts Festival at Pyeongtaek Museum in Korea.
2005 1st NC Art Contemporary Exhibition (Planed by Tadashi Akatsu) at NC Art Gallery, Tokyo.
2006 “Takehiko Kikuchi x Jun Ogata Exhibition” – DOKA Contemporary Arts.
2006 ARTEX New York 2006 WARD-NASSE Gallery New York.
2006 The 3rd Ansan International Art Festival at Namsong Art Museum, Korea.
2006 Exhibition of Contemporary Arts of Japan and Korea at Gallery Artist Space.
2006 “Modern Classic・Redonnee & Jun Ogata Exhibition” DOKA Contemporary Arts.
2007 Exhibition of Contemporary Arts of Japan and Korea at Gallery Pause, Tokyo.
2007 Sweden and Japan Art Exchange Program at Fuchu Art Museum, Tokyo.
2008 Exhibition “9350 Days of Gallery21+yo” at Gallery21+Yo, Tokyo.
2008 “Each Artist Each Moment” at Yokohama Sogo and Funabashi Seibu.
2008 Sweden and Japan Art Exchange Program at Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, Kyoto.
2008 “New Leap of Asia” at SILK Gallery(Seoul), Korea, by the embassy of Japan in Korea.
2009 Exhibition “Power of Red” Asian Collection Contemporary Art Gallery, Tokyo.
2009 Exhibition “Reality Gallery American Slide-All” at NY STUDIO GALLERY in New York, USA.
2010 ZEN GARDEN SHOW Jun Ogata & Mario Tauchi at ANA Inter Continental Tokyo.
2010 Contemporary Art Festival Yokohama 2010 at Yokohama Civic Art Gallery.
2010 “Soul of Color” Asian Collection Contemporary Art Gallery, Tokyo.
2010 “Hitoshi’s Eye” Asian Collection Contemporary Art Gallery, Tokyo.
2010 ART OSAKA 2010 at Dojima Hotel (906 Asian Collection Contemporary Art Gallery).
2010 “Contemporary Art from Japan” at Luna kulturhus, Södertölje, Sweden.
2010 “Anti Nuclear & Anti War of Today 2010” at Maruki Gallery.
2011 “Art Fair Kyoto” at Hotel Monterey Kyoto by Gallery L’atelier.
2011 “International Art Fair” at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Tokyo.
2011 “KOBE ART MARCHE 2011” at Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel.
2012 “JAPANATION” at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Tokyo.
2012 “ART in LIFE” at Ginza Mitsukoshi, Tokyo.
2012 “WORKS ON PAPER NYC” A International Juried Exhibition at Jeffrey Leder Gallery, New York.
2012 “Soft Launch – KAOMISE” at Nikei FINE ART (Raffles Hotel Arcade, Singapore)
2012 “Art Expo Malaysia 2012” at MATRADE Exhibition and Convention Center(MECC).
2013 Exhibition “ASIAN BREEZE” at GINZA MITSUKOSHI 8F GALLERY
2013 “TRUE COLOR” at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Tokyo.
2013 “UCHIWA 2013” at FEI ART MUSEUM YOKOHAMA, Yokohama.
2013 “TOBIN OHASHI HOME GALLERY IN ROPPONGI OPENING” at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Tokyo.
2013 “The 52nd Mignon Exhibition” at Galerie Nichido, Tokyo.
2014 “SEE & DRAW” at The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts.
2014 “The 53rd Mignon Exhibition” at Galerie Nichido, Tokyo.
2014 “LIVING WITH ART” at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Tokyo.
2015 “Winter Open House Gallery / Sunday Art Event” at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Tokyo.
2015 “Open House Gallery / Sunday Art Event” at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Tokyo.
2015 “February Show” at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Tokyo.
2015 “Faces + Figures Show” at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Tokyo.
2015 “10th Anniversary Exhibition” at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Tokyo.
2015 Selected Exhibition “Griffin Gallery Open” at Griffin Gallery, London. (Selected as a finalist of the Winsor & Newton Painting Prize.)
2015 Hommage Exhibition of Shigeru Aoki “Fruits of the Sea” at Nagai Garou, Tokyo.
2015 “Director’s Choice: From Virtual To Actual 4” at Viridian Artists, New York.
2015 The 13th “Hommage Exhibition of Shigeru Aoki” Charity Saitama at Gallery Saikousha, Saitama.
2015 “The 54th Mignon Exhibition” at Galerie Nichido, Tokyo.
2016 “ORIE 30x30xm Art – Rich Seasons II” at ORIE ART GALLERY, Tokyo.
2016 “The 55th Mignon Exhibition” at Galerie Nichido, Tokyo.
2017 “Structure of Interval -Read the Emptiness-” at Iwasaki Museum, Yokohama.
2017 “Japanation Exhibition” at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Tokyo.
2017 “Affordable Art fair Singapore” at F1 Pit Building, Singapore.
2018 “Affordable Art Fair Singapore” at Y2ARTS Booth in F1 Pit Building, Singapore.
2019 VOICES OF THE FUTURE at Y2ARTS, Singapore.
2019 “Black and White Exhibition” at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Tokyo.
2019 The Exhibition of Finest Art Works From Representative Asian Artist in Hanoi – Vietnam 2019 at Vincom center for Contemporary Art, Vietnam.
2020 SINGAPORE ART WEEK “ART TAKES OVER” at Y2ARTS, Singapore.
2021 Tranquility OnLine Exhibition at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Okinawa.
2021 “SUMMER” at CHANGTING GALLERY, Tokyo.
2021 HOLIDAY SELECTIONS at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Okinawa.
2022 TEMPTATIONS at Tobin Ohashi Gallery, Okinawa.
2023 ZENSCAPE at Y2ARTS, Singapore.
2023 Walls Tokyo Art Collection / Genealogy of Modernist Painting at Walls Tokyo, Tokyo.
2023 Art Fair “art:gwangju:23” at Kimdaejung Convention Center, South Korea.
2024 “The 63th Mignon Exhibition” at Galerie Nichido, Tokyo.
PRIZE
1991 Awarded the Excellence for graduation production-Musashino Art University.
2004 Received “Award of the Mayor of Kumamoto” at Kumamoto Biennale.
2006 Awarded the encouragement prize of ‘ARTEX New York’ 2006 in New York.
2015 Selected Exhibition “Griffin Gallery Open” at Griffin Gallery, London. (Selected as a finalist of the Winsor & Newton Painting Prize.)
MEDIA
2023 NHK “Haruko and Setsuko – Beyond the ‘Female’ Painter”
PUBLICATION
2021 The Art Book of Jun Ogata “Tsunashi no Niwa – 10 Inspirations from the Garden”
2022 The Art Book of Kazan Ogata “GOKUSUI 「曲水」”
Public Art & Public Collection
Nirasaki Omura Art Museum
PILLAR Corporation
PROUD Sangubashi Apartment
Ziyun Lake Resort Hotel (Changzhou, Jiangsu, China)
RYUKU HOTEL & RESORT NASHIRO BEACH
Kyu Karuizawa HOTEL OTOWA NO MORI
Hakone Retreat fore
HOTEL METROPOLITAN KAMAKURA
Richmond Hotel Himeji
SOTETSU FRESA INN Roppongi
Reikasai Ginza
Sheraton Miyako Hotel Tokyo
GRAND FRONT OSAKA Owners Tower pics
ANA INTER CONTINENTAL HOTEL
The Parkhouse Gran Sanbancho (Showroom)
Villa of Mr.S
Nansei Hospital
MEMBERSHIPS
JAA : Japan Artists Association.
JSCCP : The Japan Society for the Conservation of Cultural Property.
IIC : The International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works.
AIC : American Institute for Conservation.
