KAIGADO Gallery is pleased to present Isao Uemae Solo Glass Exhibition, on view from April 2 (Tue.) through April 29 (Mon.), 2024.

Glass sculptor Isao Uemae has established a distinctive artistic practice through cast glass works that capture the elegant lines and organic forms found in nature. His sculptures celebrate not only the beauty of their external forms but also the complex internal textures and patterns that emerge naturally within the glass during the casting process. Through the interaction of light, reflection, and refraction, the works reveal constantly changing visual expressions, creating sculptural forms that appear both solid and ethereal.

A defining aspect of Uemae’s work is his use of recycled cathode-ray tube (CRT) television glass as his primary material. Once discarded as industrial waste, the glass is transformed through the artist’s hands into artworks of remarkable beauty and value, breathing new life into materials that have completed their original function. Through this process of transformation, Uemae’s works offer a thoughtful reflection on sustainability, renewal, and the enduring potential of materials.

This exhibition features a selection of sculptures and framed works personally chosen by the artist, including the work illustrated here, which received the Grand Prize at the 61st Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition. We invite you to experience the unique beauty of Uemae’s glass works and the ever-changing expressions created through their interaction with light.

Biography

Isao Uemae

Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1985.

• 2003 Withdrew from the Product Design Program, Department of Design, Kanazawa College of Art
• 2008 Graduated from the Glass Crafts Course, Department of Crafts, Osaka University of Arts (Class Representative)
• 2008 Part-time Instructor, Glassblowing Studio, Osaka Municipal Craft Park
• 2010 Part-time Assistant, Glass Crafts Course, Osaka University of Arts
• 2013 Part-time Lecturer, Department of Crafts, Osaka University of Arts; Part-time Lecturer, Art Department, Shukugawa Gakuin High School
• 2016 Technical Specialist, Kanazawa Utatsuyama Kogei Kobo
• 2021–Present Full-time Art Instructor, Osaka Seikei Girls’ High School

Professional Affiliations

• Full Member, Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Association
• Member, Kinki Branch, Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Association
• Member, Hyogo Crafts Artists Association

Selected Awards

• President’s Award, Osaka University of Arts Graduation Exhibition (2008)
• Nishinomiya City Exhibition Award, 58th Nishinomiya City Exhibition (2008)
• Osaka Prefectural Board of Education Award, Osaka Crafts Exhibition (2014, 2017)
• Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art Award, Hyogo Prefectural Exhibition (2011)
• Grand Prize, Hyogo Crafts Exhibition (2022)
• Grand Prize, Ishikawa Contemporary Crafts Exhibition (2019)
• Contemporary Arts and Crafts Grand Prize, 61st Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition (2023)
• Contemporary Arts and Crafts Award, Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition (2021)
• Kyoto Mayor’s Award, Kinki Exhibition (2022)
• Kanazawa Energy Award, 1st EGK Craft Award

Selected Exhibitions and Competitions

• New Glass Review 32, Corning Museum of Glass, New York (2010)
• Glass Craft Triennale (2010)
• Japan Craft Exhibition (2012)
• Contemporary Glass Exhibition in Sanyo-Onoda (2015, 2018, 2020, 2023)
• Takaoka Craft Competition (2017)
• Nitten (2018, 2020–)
• KOBE ART MARCHE (2018)
• Japan Glass Exhibition (2018)
• Kanazawa World Craft Competition (2019, 2022)
• International Craft Award Toyama (2020)
• International Glass Exhibition Kanazawa (2022)

Selected Commissions

Uemae’s works have been commissioned by a wide range of hotels, corporate facilities, residential developments, and public spaces, including Four Seasons Hotel Otemachi Tokyo, Fauchon Hotel Kyoto, Hotel Toranomon Hills, The Westin Tokyo, Yokohama Baycourt Club Hotel & Spa Resort, MUWA NISEKO, Six Senses Castello di Antognolla (Italy), Fairfield by Marriott Hyogo Yabu, Tokyu Harvest Club VIALA Kinugawa Keisui, Royal Park Hotel Ginza Showa-dori, and numerous luxury residential and hospitality projects throughout Japan.