ARTISTS
Goro KAKEI
Born in Shizuoka in 1930 and passed away in 2021. Studied under Yoshi Kinouchi and aimed to become a sculptor at 15 years old. Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1953 with a major in sculpture. Received the New Artist Award for his work “The Annunciation” at the 21st Exhibition of the Shinseisaku Art Society. Afterwards, started working with the Shinseisaku Art Society. While teaching as a visiting professor at the University of Veracruz (Mexico) and as a professor at the Department of Art at Aoyama Gakuin Women’s Junior College, he resided in and created works in various countries around the world. Without remaining limited to only three-dimensional works, he utilized a wide range of mediums and techniques, including oil paintings, drawings, etchings, and lithographs. Kakei has left behind many works which show his remarkable free spirit and his deep love for human beings and nature in their frequent themes. They also attest to his status as one of the most beloved of Japan’s sculptors.
Kakei’s main solo exhibitions include “The World of Goro Kakei’s Sculpture,” Contemporary Sculpture Center, Tokyo (1984); “Kita Ni, Higashi Ni,” Asahikawa Museum of Sculpture in Honor of Teijiro Nakahara, Hokkaido (1999); and “Goro Kakei: Natsu no Mori,” Okawa Museum of Art, Gunma (2011); “Goro Kakei,” Taka Ishii Gallery, Tokyo (2023). He participated in such group exhibitions as “History of Modern Sculpture of Japan,” The Museum of Modern Art, Ibaraki (1991) which traveled to the Tokushima Modern Art Museum (1991); “New Generation of Japanese Sculptors,” National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (1963); “STORIES,” Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, Shizuoka (2021). The recipient of many awards, Kakei received the Excellence Award at the 7th Teijiro Nakahara Sculpture Prize in 1976 and the Kobe Suma Rikyu Park Award at the 7th Exhibition of Contemporary Japanese Sculpture in 1977. In 1981 he received the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo Award and the Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura & Hayama Award at the 9th Exhibition of Contemporary Japanese Sculpture, as well as the Kotaro Takamura Prize in 1981. Kakei was also the recipient of the 23rd Nakahara Teijiro Award in 1992.
