ABOUT | Shun Sudo

SHUN SUDO is a cross-disciplinary contemporary artist based in Tokyo, who effortlessly moves between paintings, sculptures, and drawings.
Born and raised in Tokyo’s city centre, SUDO grew up immersed in traditional Japanese culture and art forms, as well as in Tokyo’s emerging street culture scene.
His works explore the delicate relationship between Art and Movement, as well as tackling timeless social themes such as the meaning of Connections, Peace, and Love.

1977年に東京で生まれたShun Sudoは、現在、東京を拠点に活動。Sudoは20代で渡米し、世界中を旅するなかでアートの技法を独学で身につけた。ペインティングを中心としたSudoの芸術実践はきわめて多岐にわたる複数の要素から構成され、そこにはスケボー・グラフィティ・マンガ・アニメといった彼自身が成長の過程で深く影響を被った日米のポップ・カルチャーやストリート・カルチャーから継承した要素、自己のルーツに関わる日本や東洋のなかで伝統的に発展してきた日本画や墨絵からインスピレーションを受けた要素、西洋を中心とした近現代美術の歴史を独自に学ぶことを通して過去の芸術運動や芸術潮流から取り入れてきた要素などが含まれる。Sudoの作品では、それらの要素が互いに異質さを保持したまま、しかし不思議と調和的な仕方で混在している。そのような意味で、彼の芸術作品は「ハイ・アート」と「ロー・アート」の二項対立を超克する新しい「ファイン・アート」の可能性を体現している。加えて、一見するとポップ・アートの系譜を受け継ぐSudoの絵画群には、従来の「ポップ・アート」では避けられがちであった社会・政治的状況に対する批評性が彼独特の目線を通して内包されている。

文化研究者　山本浩貴

Born in Tokyo in 1977, Shun Sudo currently lives and works in Tokyo, Japan. Sudo moved to the U.S. in his 20s and taught himself art techniques while traveling around the world. Sudo’s artistic practice, centered on painting, is composed of an extremely diverse range of multiple elements, including elements inherited from the Japanese and American pop and street cultures that deeply influenced him in the process of growing up, such as skateboarding, graffiti, manga, and anime, as well as elements inspired by Japanese painting and sumi-e (ink painting), traditionally developed in Japan and the Orient, which are related to his own roots, and elements taken from past art movements and art trends through independent study of the history of modern and contemporary art, particularly in the West. In Sudo’s work, these elements are intermingled in a harmonious way, while retaining their remarkable heterogeneity. In this sense, his works embody the possibility of a new type of “fine art” that transcends the conventional dichotomy between “high art” and “low art.” In addition, Sudo’spaintings, which at first glance appear to be descended from Pop Art, contain a criticality toward social and political situations, which has tended to be avoided in conventional “Pop Art,” through his unique perspective.

cultural studies scholar　 Hiroki Yamamoto

2023: “ART LAND” solo exhibition,Spiral Garden,Tokyo,Japan
2021: “ARTdemic” solo exhibition,MU GALLERY,Tokyo,Japan
2021: The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon x SHUN SUDO Solo Exhibition ‘Patio’
2020: “2020” solo exhibition, ANB Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
2019: “SOLITUDE” solo exhibition, Seibu Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
2018: “INNOCENT FOREST” solo exhibition, NY, USA
2017: “Paint Over” solo exhibition, Tokyo, Japan
2016: “Paint Over” solo exhibition, NY, USA
2015: “Paint Over” solo exhibition, NY, USA

2022: “Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary” GR Gallery,Miami, FL, USA
2021: “PRIDE ART 2021” Clifford Chance, Tokyo, Japan
“Art Fair Tokyo” Seibu Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
2020: “SUMMER GATHERING” group exhibition, GR Gallery, NY, USA
2019: “ARCUS PRIDE ART 2019” Clifford Chance, Tokyo, Japan
2018: “Art Miami” Miami, FL, USA
“pop & street” Seibu Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
2017: “Art New York” NY, USA
“pop & street” Seibu Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
2016: “Aqua Art Miami” Miami, FL, USA
2015: “SCOPE Miami Beach” Miami, FL, USA
2015: “Bushwick Open Studios” Brooklyn, NY, USA

2023: “ tao × SHUN SUDO “ 2023 Spring & Summer collection
2022: ”Taycan Soul Canvas”Porsche - Art car project,Tokyo,Japan
2022: “GINZA SONY PARK PROJECT” Mural,Tokyo,Japan
2021: “Olympic - TOKYO 2020” Mural, Tokyo, Japan
2021: “The mural project - Let’s Spring” Seibu Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
2020: “GINZA SONY PARK PROJECT” Mural, Tokyo, Japan
2019: “Live session” STARBUCKS RESERVE®ROASTERY TOKYO, Tokyo, Japan
2019: “TOKYO CREATIVE GUILD - Key visual” Apple Marunouchi store, Tokyo, Japan
2018: “Miami Design District” Mural, FL, USA
2017: “NIKE AIR FORCE 1: 35 Anniversary - Jump Around” NIKE KICKS LOUNGE, Tokyo, Japan