Rinko Kawauchi

Born in Shiga, Japan, in 1972. Lives and works in Tokyo. In 2001 she simultaneously released a series of three photographic books – UTATANE, HANABI, HANAKO from Little More publisher, which created an overnight sensation in the photography world in Japan. In 2002, she was awarded prestigious 27th Annual Kimura Ihei Award for two of the books, UTATANE and HANABI. Further publications of Rinko Kawauchi, which should be mentioned, are AILA (FOIL 2004), the eyes, the ears, and Cui Cui (FOIL, 2005 / both) and Illuminance (Aperture / FOIL / Kehrer verlag / Editions Xavier Barral / POSTCART, 2011). Received the eminent Annual Infinity Award 2009 by International Center of Photography, USA, in Art Category. Kawauchi has joined and held many group and solo exhibitions both at home and abroad to date, among others, major solo exhibitions are: 2005 Foundation Cartier pour l’art Contemporain, Paris; 2006 The Photographers’ Gallery, London; 2007 AILA + the eyes, the ears, Hasselblad Centre, Göteborg; 2007 Semear Museu de Arte Moderna de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo; 2008 Cui Cui The Vangi Sculpture Garden Museum, Shizuoka; 2011 Illuminance Gallery at Hermès, New York. Major group exhibitions include: 2006 Collection of the Foundation Cartier pour l’art Contemporain Museum Contemporary Art, Tokyo; 2008 Blooming: Brazil-Japan Where You Are Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi; Brighton Photo Biennial 2010 New Documents Brighton; Bye Bye Kitty!!! Between Heaven and Hell in Contemporary Japanese Art Japan Society, New York; Le Mois de la Photo à Montréal. Her unique approach of “drawing senses” and consistent motif of every day details, as well as circulation of life and its transience has been admired from the art lovers all over the world. Her latest big solo exhibition Illuminance, Ametsuchi, Seeing Shadow (Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography) was great successful.

Awards:
2013:
The 29th Higashikawa Award, Domestic Photographer Award
Art Encourage Prize for New Artist from the Ministry of Education

2012
The Royal Photographic Society: Honorary Fellowship

2009
ICP 25th Annual Infinity Award, Art Category

2002
Winner of the 27th Kimura Ihei Award
The Photographic Society of Japan, the Rookie of the Year Award

1997
Grand Prix Prize, The Guardian Garden’s 9th Hitotsubo Award