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
Solo Exhibitions
- 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
Group Exhibitions / Art fairs
- 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
Projects
- 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