Born in Aichi in 1971.
Completed the graduate school of Tokyo University of the Arts.
Held numerous solo exhibitions including "Flowers×Bridollies" at Takashimaya Yokohama / Kanagawa in 2011.
Participated in various group exhibitions and Art Fair including "Art Fair Tokyo" in 2013, "Young Art Taipei" in Taiwan in 2013, "DYNAMIC GO!50!GO!－NAGAI 50th ANNIVERSARY" at Seibu Ikebukuro / Tokyo in 2017, "Tin Toy Bird BRIDOLLY" at Ginza Mitsukoshi / Tokyo in 2018, "ART TAIPEI" in Taiwan in 2019.

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Works

Cherry blossoms and Mt.
Fuji, which are frequent motifs in traditional Japanese paintings, often appear in Kenji Shimizu’s paintings.
What makes Shimizu’s paintings unique and different from others is a principal character called Bridolly.
This original character is created based on an old tin toy bird which flaps its rusted wings with all its might when a spiral spring is wound.
Watching this toy recalls the artist the passage of time or memory, and it becomes a "symbol of time" in his paintings.
It appears not only as an adorable toy figure, but also in various figures such as Hoo-o, a phoenix venerated as an auspicious bird in the ancient China, or Yatagarasu, a three-legged crow appeared as a messenger of god in Japanese mythology.
Shimizu is indeed the true artist who creates the one and only world of Bridolly. ― Maie Tsukuda

PROFILE

1971　Born in Aichi in 1971.
Completed the graduate school of Tokyo University of the Arts

Solo Exhibition
2001　Solo Exhibition (Kawaramachi Gallery / Kyoto)
2001　Solo Exhibition (Numashin Street Gallery / Shizuoka)
2001　Solo Exhibition (Gallery Wada / Ginza)
2002　Solo Exhibition (Maruei / Aichi)
2003　Solo Exhibition (Gallery Wada / Ginza)
2003　～華～ (Gallery Tamamiseum / Aichi)
2003　Solo Exhibition (Gallery Gobangai / Miyagi)
2004　Solo Exhibition (Tokyu Department Store Tamaplaza / Kanagawa)
2005　Solo Exhibition (Toyohashi Maruei / Aichi)
2005　Solo Exhibition (Gallery Wada / Ginza)
2006　～懐～ (Gallery Tamamiseum / Aichi)
2007　～吾～ (Gallery Wada / Ginza)
2007　～遊～ (Kyobashi Gallery / Tokyo)
2008　「月・月彩り」 (Toyohashi Maruei / Aichi)
2009　～時～ (Gallery Tamamiseum / Aichi)
2009　～語～ (Gallery Wada / Ginza)
2009　Solo Exhibition (Matsuzakaya Nagoya / Aichi)
2010　KENJI SHIMIZU EXHIBITION "BRIDOLLIES" (Kyobashi Gallery / Tokyo)
2011　春の大絵画展 志水堅二 "BRIDOLLIES" 特集 (Ube Izutsuya / Yamaguchi)
2011　-Flapping- (Gallery Tamamiseum / Aichi)
2011　BRIDOLLIES (Yamaguchi Izutsuya / Yamaguchi)
2011　BRIDOLLY (Kurosaki Izutsuya / Fukuoka)
2011　-PRAY- (Gallery Wada / Ginza)
2011　KENJI SHIMIZU EXHIBITION 2011 ‘Flowers×Bridollies’ 花鳥 (Takashimaya Yokohama / Kanagawa)
2012　春の大絵画展「志水堅二ドローイング特集」 (Ube Izutsuya / Yamaguchi)
2012　BRIDOLLY 現代花鳥図展 (Yamaguchi Izutsuya / Yamaguchi)
2012　KENJI SHIMIZU EXHIBITION 2012 -3 DIMENTIONAL WORKS - (Kyobashi Gallery / Tokyo)
2013　現代花鳥図 (Daimaru Kobe / Hyogo)
2013　現代花鳥図 (Daimaru shinsaibashi / Osaka)
2013　現代花鳥図 (Tenmaya Okayama)
2013　BRIDOLLY (Isetan Shinjuku Store / Tokyo)
2013　Merry Bristmas (Kyobashi Gallery / Tokyo)
2014　SEASONS (Kyobashi Gallery / Tokyo)
2015　Solo Exhibition (Tobu Department Store Ikebukuro / Tokyo)
2015　志水堅二の夏 Bridolly見参 (Tenmanya Fukuyama / Hiroshima)
2016　BRIDOLLIES (Tobu Department Store Ikebukuro / Tokyo)
2016　BRIDOLLY artbook&miniature (Kyobashi Gallery / Tokyo)
2017　DRAGON (Kyobashi Gallery / Tokyo)
2017　All-Star Bridolly (Kyobashi Gallery / Tokyo)

Group Exhibition
1995～2000　Sprouting from a Microcosm Exhibition (Kyobashi Gallery / Tokyo)
1996～1998　独芽会展 (Ginza Gallery House / Tokyo)
1998　4th Premonitions of Beauty (Nihombashi Takashimaya, Takashimaya Yokoham, Takashimaya Kyoto, Takashimaya Osaka)
1998～2000　4th Kandai Maeda Prize Exhibition (Nihombashi Takashimaya, Kurayoshi Art Museum)
1999～2000　第12回独歩展 (Maruei / Aichi)
1999　New Generation'99（Nagoya Gallery / Aichi)
1999～2003　不易流行・5 (Kyobashi Gallery / Tokyo)
1999　エ・ポイ (Formes Gallery / Tokyo)
2000　35th Showa-kai Exhibition (Galerie Nichido / Tokyo)
2000　新世代へのまなざし (Gallery Tamamiseum / Aichi)
2000　波の会展 (Gallery Wada / Ginza)
2000～2003　新鋭作家四人展 (Seibu Shibuya / Tokyo)
2001　新世紀をひらく美 (Nihombashi Takashimaya, Takashimaya Yokoham, Takashimaya Kyoto, Takashimaya Osaka)
2001～2002　第5回京都絵画まつり (Miyakomesse / Kyoto)
2001　洋画3人展 (Gallery Tamamiseum / Aichi)
2003～2007　栴壇会展 (Gallery Tamamiseum / Aichi)
2004～2005　我流点睛展 (Kyobashi Gallery / Tokyo)
2005～2011　M Award Exhibition (Gallery Wada / Ginza)
2006～2010　森の会 (Gallery Wada / Ginza)
2007　開廊7周年記念展「道標」 (Gallery Tamamiseum / Aichi)
2007　洋画・日本画その未来展 (Toyohashi Maruei / Aichi)
2008　Rose fest by 40 popular artists (Seibu Shibuya / Tokyo)
2008～2009　時を超えた表現者たち洋画秀選展 (Matsuzakaya Nagoya / Aichi)
2008　小品絵画の魅力展 (Gallery Tamamiseum / Aichi)
2008～2009　KAMINOGE (Matsuya Ginza / Tokyo)
2009　現代洋画日本画その未来展 (Toyohashi Maruei / Aichi)
2009　Rose Exhibition (Gallery Wada / Ginza)
2009　Jewel Box Exhibition (Gallery Wada / Ginza)
2010　時代に翔く～日本画・洋画～ (Maruei / Aichi)
2010～2011　気鋭若手作家たち展 (Kouchi Daimaru)
2010　KENJI SHIMIZU EXHIBITION "BRIDOLLIES" (Kyobashi Gallery / Tokyo)
2011　New artists (Nishioka Gallery / Yamaguchi)
2011　「龍・どうぶつたちの絵画」展 (Maruei / Aichi)
2011　Original Calendar Exhibition-2012- (Gallery Wada / Ginza)
2012　DORAGON (Takashimaya Shinjuku / Tokyo)
2013　NamikenⅦ (Shinseido Hatanaka / Tokyo)
2013　Hatounokai (Matsuzakaya Ueno, Matsuzakaya Nagoya, Izutsuya Okura)
2013　Christmas Group Show 2013 -Story of one by one- (Shinseido Hatanaka / Tokyo)
2014　○＋Exhibition (Shinseido Hatanaka / Tokyo)
2014　次代を担う作家五人展 (Kintetsu Department Store Main Store Abeno Harukas / Osaka)
2014　Bar BRIDOLLY (Kyobashi Gallery / Tokyo)
2015　Art Wonderland (Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store / Tokyo)
2015　次代を担う作家五人展 (Fukuya / Hiroshima)
2015　BRIDOLLY CAFE (Kyobashi Gallery / Tokyo)
2016　UROKOKAI (Kyobashi Gallery / Tokyo)
2017　UROKOKAI (Kyobashi Gallery / Tokyo)

Art Fair
2013　Art Fair Tokyo (Tokyo International Forum / Kyobashi Gallery Booth)
2014　Art Fair Tokyo (Tokyo International Forum / Kyobashi Gallery Booth)

Media
2016　BS Fuji "Breakzenya-the next generation artists"

ONBEAT vol.12 features Kenji Shimizu