Born in 1956 in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture—a region renowned for its centuries-old bronze-casting tradition—Hatakeyama Kōji has spent over four decades refining his practice. After graduating from the Department of Metalwork at nearby Kanazawa College of Arts and Crafts in 1980, he returned to his hometown to establish a studio where he continues to live and work. From 2017 to 2022, he also served as Professor of Metal Casting at Kanazawa College of Art, mentoring the next generation of Japanese metal artists.
Hatakeyama’s work is deeply rooted in history, drawing inspiration from ancient Mesopotamian bronze techniques while remaining unmistakably contemporary. He refers to bronze as “a material with memories of a thousand years,” and his reverence for its transformative power is evident in every piece. His signature creations, lidded bronze boxes ranging in size from about four to eleven inches, are minimalist and geometric in form yet rich in meaning. Although Japanese connoisseurs sometimes use them to store incense wood or powdered matcha tea for the tea ceremony, for Hatakeyama these vessels transcend function: “Every article I make should live,” he says, underscoring his belief in the spiritual vitality of objects.
Each of his creations begins by pouring molten bronze (an alloy of copper and tin) into a mold. Hatakeyama then uses modified versions of traditional Japanese patination techniques, applying miso paste and vinegar to spark chemical reactions that result in earthy tones and abstract textures. These patterned and faceted surfaces evoke stylized landscapes—quiet meditations on time, place, and memory. Inside, the vessels are lined with meticulously applied gold or silver foil, symbolizing a radiant inner world untouched by darkness.
Selected solo exhibitions:
1990 Maronie Gallery, Kyoto
1991 Matsuya Gallery, Tokyo
1998 Galerie Pousse, Tokyo; Living Design Center Ozone, Tokyo
1999 Gallery Naufu, Gifu
2000 Miharudo Gallery, Tokyo ; Gallery Plannet, Nagoya
2003 Gallery Sano, Shizuoka
2004 Seikado Gallery, Kyoto
2005 Takashimaya, Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka ; Nanohana, Odawara
2006 Gallery Kai, Tokyo; Kogen, Nagoya; Arai Atelier Gallery, Tokyo
2007 Gallery Totaku, Nagoya; Gallery Now, Toyama
2008 Takashimaya Gallery X, Tokyo; Kandori, Tokyo
2009 Kochukyo, Tokyo; Gallery Nishikawa, Kyoto
2012 Galerie Petit Bois, Osaka / Gallery Kochukyo, Tokyo
2013 Exhibition Space, Tokyo; Gallery Shibunkaku, Kyoto; Ippodo Gallery, Tokyo
2014 The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh; Aso Bijutu, Tokyo
2015 Erskine, Hall & Coe, London
2016 Shibunkaku, Kyoto and Tokyo; Leslie Kehoe, Melbourne
2017 Aso Bijutsu, Tokyo
2018 The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
2020 Takashimaya Gallery X, Tokyo
2022 Musée Tomo, Tokyo
2023 Gallery Kochukyo, Tokyo
2024 Nakacho Konishi, Tokyo
2025 Thomsen Gallery, New York
Selected group exhibitions:
1988 ”Jugend Gestaltet”, Sonderschau der Internationalen Handwerksmesse,
Munich, Germany
1989 ”Salon Grand Public de l’Objet d’Art Contemporaine”, SAAF, Paris
1995 ”Japanese Studio Crafts”, Victoria & Albert Museum, London;
“Guests of Japan”, Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, Germany
1998 ”Contemporary Japanese Crafts”, National museum, Copenhagen, Denmark
2000 ”Utsuwa-Thoughts on Contemporary Vessels”, The National Museum of
Modern Art, Tokyo;
“Contemporary Japanese Crafts”, The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu
2001 ”Contemporary Japanese Crafts”, National Museum, Lima, Peru;
“Philadelphia Craft Show”, Convention Center, Philadelphia
2002 ”A History of Japanese Modern Craft”, The National Museum of Modern
Art, Tokyo;
“Hands On, Philadelphia Museum of Art”, Philadelphia;
“New Movements in Crafts I”, Takashimaya, Tokyo, Kyoto
2003 ”Crafts Now – 21 Artists Each from America, Europe, and Asia”, Kanazawa;
“Twist in Japan, Musee des Beaux-arts de Nancy”, France
2004 ”New Movements in Crafts II”, Takashimaya, Yokohama, Osaka and
Nagoya
2005 ”Alternative Paradise”, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art,
Kanazawa
2006 ”Japanese Crafts”, Galerie Besson, London
2007 ”Japanese Sppleness”, Gjethuset, Frederiksvaerk, Denmark
2008 ”A Japanese Dialogue”, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh;
“Collect”, Victoria & Albert Museum, London
2009 ”Raising the Bar: Influential Voices in Metal”, Museum of Modern Art
Middlesbrough, UK
2010 ”A Viewpoint on Contemporary Kogei”, The National Museum of Modern
Art, Tokyo
2011 ”SOFA NY”, Park Avenue Armory, New York;
“Utakata”, Galerie Rosemarie Jager, Hochheim, Germany;
“Heavy Metal”, Lesley Kehoe Galleries, Melbourne
2012 ”New Footing”, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo;
“Japan-The Land of Enchantment”, The Palazzo Pittie Museums, Firenze,
Italy
“Japanese Craft”, Erskine Hall & Coe, London
2013 ”Contemporary KOGEI Styles in Japan”, Morikami Museum, Miami
2014 ”SOFA CHICAGO”, Navy Pier, Chicago;
“Collect”, Saatchi Gallery, London;
“PAD”, London, UK
Awards include:
2000 11th Takashimaya Art Award, Takashimaya Cultural Foundation
2007 Grand prix Sano Renaissance
2012 MOA Museum Award
2023 Inaugural Modern & Contemporary Asian Art Award, Asian Art Fair, London
Public collections include
Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK
British Museum, London, UK
National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museum, Aberdeen, UK
Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, Birmingham, UK
The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK
Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France
Musée Guimet, Paris, France
Denmark Royal Family, Copenhagen, Denmark
Museo de Arte Moderno, Buenos Aires, Argentina
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, USA
National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Japan
The Japan Foundatoin, Tokyo, Japan
Takaoka City Museum, Toyama, Japan
Musée Tomo, Tokyo, Japan
Rakusui-tei Museum of Art, Toyama, Japan
MOA Museum of Art, Atami, Japan
Shiseido Art House, Kakegawa, Japan
Yakushi-ji Temple, Nara, Japan
MIHO Museum, Shigaraki, Japan
