Yoshio Furutani

• Category
  Wood and Bamboo
• Techniques
  Wood joinery, Hollow work, Wiped lacquer finish
• Born
  1974 -
• Membership
  Full member, Japan Kogei Association
  

About the Artist

Artwork with a Refined and Elegant Appearance

Woodwork artist Yoshio Furutani is highly evaluated and is popular for his modern works including cabinets and stools within Japan and overseas. After working at a custom furniture company etc. he established his own studio in Miyama, Kyoto in 2005. He combines the wood and then uses a technique which he calls "sasuri", which is shaving the wood as if it were flowing naturally. Furutani's artworks with beautiful wood grains rising to the smoothly curved surface, have received several awards at exhibitions where the woodwork artists representing Japan gather, and he received the Grand Award, the MEXT Award, at the 20th Wood and Bamboo Traditional Kōgei Exhibition in 2025.

Biography

• 1974
  Born in Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture
• 2001
  Graduated from the Furniture Crafts Course at the Fukuchiyama Polytechnic
• 2005
  Became independent in Miyama, Kyoto
• 2006
  Selected for the 5th Wooden Chairs for Living Exhibition
• 2010
  Selected for the 57th Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition
• 2011
  Selected for the 40th Japanese Traditional Art Crafts Kinki Exhibition
  Selected for the 13th Traditional Bamboo and Wood Exhibition
  “Designs of Living in Finland and Japan Exhibition” at the Koumi-machi Kougen Museum of Art
  “Wooden Chairs Exhibition” at the Art Gallery in Nagoya Matsuzakaya
• 2012
  Selected for the Kyoto Art Biennale 2012
  Submitted through the recommendation of the Japan Kogei Association to the “CRIA Exhibition”, hosted by the Kyoto Arts and Culture Foundation
  “6 Woodwork Artists Exhibition” at the Nagoya City Museum
  Solo exhibition at Kobe Daimaru
• 2015
  Solo exhibition at Hankyu Umeda Main Store Art Gallery
• 2021
  "Brilliant Kōgei Exhibition" at Ginza Wako Hall
• Held solo exhibitions nationwide

Awards

• 2011
  Received the Kokuga Award in the Crafts Category at the 85th Kokuten
• 2013
  Received the Osaka Arts and Crafts Grand Prize at the 55th Osaka Arts and Crafts Exhibition
• 2014
  Received the Konosuke Matsushita Memorial Award at the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Kinki Exhibition
• 2015
  Received the Honorable Mention Award at the 70th Shinshou Kogei Exhibition
• 2016
  Received an award at the 90th Kokuten (National Painting Society) Exhibition
• 2017
  Received the Shinshou Award at the 72nd Shinshou Kogei Exhibition
• 2018
  Received the Shinshou Award at the 73rd Shinshou Kogei Exhibition