Project Description

Jun Kaneko

Born in Nagoya, Japan 1942

Jun Kaneko’s most recognized sculptural form is the boldly glazed, monumental dango (Japanese for “rounded form”). An enormous, rounded monolith, the dango presents visual pleasure and straightforward formal delight. As the distinguished philosopher and critic Arthur C. Danto has noted, “They communicate instantaneously their friendly and reconciling assurances, and wear the real world as well as the brilliant coverings that Kaneko has given them.”

When Kaneko first arrived in Los Angeles from Japan in 1963, he stayed at the home of legendary collector Fred Marer. An aspiring young painter, Kaneko was exposed to a comprehensive collection of revolutionary work by ceramic artists such as John Mason, Peter Voulkos, Jerry Rothman and Ken Price. The portentous encounter with those artists’ work, now four decades old, was a formative experience. “Once I saw all of this,” Kaneko has said, “it was impossible not to be interested in ceramics.”

Jun Kaneko, born in Nagoya, Japan in 1942, has consistently followed his own path and continually experimented with the technical aspects of the ceramic medium. His enormous dango forms, which range as high as eleven feet, challenge the physical limitations of the material and the firing process. Also, in his work at the European Ceramics Work Center, he has succeeded in applying extraordinary glaze color to ceramic tile and slabs, boldly painting in a direct and graphic manner.

Kaneko’s innate architectural abilities figure prominently throughout his work and his installations. Early in his career, the artist spent over three years building a compound of structures, including a studio, near Nagura, Japan. He still maintains an active interest in building, and is currently working on a large-scale project in Omaha, Nebraska. As Kaneko wrote in 1996, “Oftentimes I am asked why I make such large-scale work. In making any object, we cannot escape the problems of scale. I believe each form has one right scale. Whether I’m making a large or small object, in the end I hope it will make sense to have that particular scale and form together and that it will give off enough visual energy to shake the air around it.”

The artist’s sense of spatial organization has afforded him the opportunity to realize several public sculpture commissions, including the Phoenix Airport, a station for the Boston Subway, the Detroit People Mover, the Waikiki Aquarium and over a dozen others. These are in addition to his impressive list of works in major museum collections, such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The De Young Museum in San Francisco, the Shigaraki Museum, and thirty others.

EDUCATION
1971
Claremont Graduate School, Claremont, CA, studied under Paul Soldner
1966
University of California, Berkeley, CA, studied under Peter Voulkos
1964
Chouinard Art Institute, Los Angeles, CA, & California Institute of Art, Los Angeles, CA
1964
Studied ceramics at Jerry Rothman’s studio, Paramount, CA
 
AWARDS, GRANTS, AND HONORS
2017
Honorary Doctorate, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
2012
Governor’s Arts Award for Outstanding Artist, Nebraska
2012
ArtPalmBeach 2012 Visionary Award Recipient, Palm Beach, FL
2011
Master of the Media, James Renwick Alliance, Washington, DC
2010
Artist Advisory Board, The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia, PA
2008
Honorary Doctorate, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, Boston, MA
2006
Honorary Doctorate, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE
2006
Ak-Sar-Ben Service Award in the Arts
2005
Royal College of Art Honorary Doctorate
1996
Fellow of the American Craft Council
1994
Honorary Member, National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts
1994
Nebraska Arts Council Fellowship
1985
National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship
1979
National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship
1967
Archie Bray Foundation Fellowship
 
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2014
Jun Kaneko, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC
2014
Black and White, Bentley Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2012
Jun Kaneko: Sculpture, Elaine Baker Gallery, Boca Raton, FL
2012
Jun Kaneko, Imago Galleries, Palm Desert, CA
2012
Jun Kaneko, Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2012
Jun Kaneko, Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2011
Jun Kaneko in the Round, The Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC
2011
Jun Kaneko, Duane Reed Gallery, St. Louis, MO
2011
Jun Kaneko: Solo, Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO
2011
Kaneko On Stage: An Exhibition of Jun Kaneko’s Opera Designs for Madama Butterfly, The Kaneko, Omaha, NE
2011
Jun Kaneko Altered and Transposed: Drawings for Madama Butterfly, Sheldon Art Museum, Lincoln, NE
2011
Outside Kaneko, Lauritzen Gardens Botanical Center, Omaha, NE
2011
Jun Kaneko, Gardiner Museum, Toronto, ON, Canada
2011
Jun Kaneko Ceramics, Sonoma County Museum, Santa Rosa, CA
2011
Jun Kaneko, An Exhibition of Sculptures, Paintings and Drawings, Carl Solway Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
2010
Jun Kaneko, Reading Public Museum, Reading, PA
2010
Jun Kaneko, Museum of Arts and Sciences, Macon, GA
2010
Jun Kaneko, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL
2010
Jun Kaneko Bronze Heads, Elaine Baker Gallery, Boca Raton, FL
2010
Jun Kaneko, Rosemary Berkel and Harry L. Crisp II Museum, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO
2010
Jun Kaneko: Selected Work, Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, Biloxi, MS
2010
Jun Kaneko, Bentley Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
2010
Jun Kaneko – New Work, Imago Galleries, Palm Desert, CA
2010
Jun Kaneko, Gail Severn Gallery, Ketchum and Sun Valley, ID
2010
Jun Kaneko: Bronze Heads, Elaine Baker Gallery, Boca Raton, FL
2010
Jun Kaneko: Large Clay Works, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA
2010
Jun Kaneko: New Paintings and Sculpture, Gebert Contemporary, Santa Fe NM
2009
Jun Kaneko, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Perelman Building, Philadelphia PA
2009
Jun Kaneko, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Commonwealth Plaza, Philadelphia PA
2009
Jun Kaneko Paintings, Gebert Contemporary, Santa Fe NM
2009
Jun Kaneko Intimate Relationships, Locks Gallery, Philadelphia PA
2009
Jun Kaneko, Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile AL
2009
Kaneko in Tokyo, Gallery Kasahara, Middle Town Garden, Tokyo, Japan
2009
Kaneko in Tokyo, Gallery Kasahara, Shinwa Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
2009
Play’s the Thing: The Paintings and Objects of Jun Kaneko, Sheldon Art Museum, Lincoln, NE
2009
Jun Kaneko, The Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock AR
2009
Jun Kaneko, San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose CA
2009
Crosscurrents: Jun Kaneko & David Kuraoka, Maui Arts and Culture Center, Kahului, HI
2008
Jun Kaneko, Boise Art Museum, Boise, ID
2008
Jun Kaneko, Montgomery Musuem of Fine Arts, Montgomery, AL
2008
Jun Kaneko, Alden B. Musuem of Science & Art at the Midland Center for the Arts, Midland, MI
2008
Jun Kaneko: Sculpture and Painting, Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
2008
Jun Kaneko, The Art Center, St. Petersburg, FL
2008
Jun Kaneko, Imago Galleries, Palm Desert, CA
2008
Jun Kaneko, Gerald Peters Gallery, Dallas, TX
2007
Jun Kaneko, Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
2007
Jun Kaneko, Elaine Baker Gallery, Boca Raton, Fl
2007
Jun Kaneko: New Dangos, Bentley Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
2007
Jun Kaneko: Bronze, Canvas, Ceramic, Paper, Gerbert Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
2007
Jun Kaneko, Sherry Leady Gallery, Kansas City, MO
2007
Jun Kaneko, Knoxville Museum of ART, Knoxville, TN
2007
Jun Kaneko: New Glass, Bullseye Gallery, Portland, OR
2006
Jun Kaneko, Schuster Center for the Performing Arts, Dayton, OH
2006
Jun Kaneko: Madame Butterfly, Dayton Visual Art Center, Dayton, OH
2006
Jun Kaneko: Beyond Butterfly, Dayton Arts Institute, Dayton, OH
2006
Jun Kaneko: Drawings and Prints, Museum of Nebraska Art, Kearney, NE
2006
Jun Kaneko: Dangos and Glass, Chiaoscuro Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2006
Jun Kaneko, National Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan
2006
Jun Kaneko, Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu, Japan
2006
Jun Kaneko: Platters, Holter Museum of Art, Helena, MT
2006
Jun Kaneko, Maureen Littleton Gallery, Washington, DC
2006
Kaneko Jun Exhibition, Gallery Kasahara/Chuden Build, Nagoya, Japan
2006
Jun Kaneko, Stremmel Gallery, Reno, NV
2006
Jun Kaneko: Beyond Butterfly, Bemis Art Center for Contemporary Art, Omaha, NE
2006
Jun Kaneko: Madame Butterfly, Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE
2006
Jun Kaneko, Bentley Projects, Phoenix, AZ
2006
Tropical Reflections: Drawings, Paintings and Sculpture by Jun Kaneko, The Contemporary Museum at First Hawaiian Center, Honolulu, HI
2006
Jun Kaneko, Elaine Baker Gallery, Palm Beach, FL
2005
Jun Kaneko, Gerald Peters Gallery, Dallas, TX
2005
Jun Kaneko, Sherry Leedy Contemporary Arts, Kansas City, MO
2005
Grand Opening, Bentley Projects, Phoenix, AZ
2005
Jun Kaneko, Millenia Gallery, Orlando, FL
2005
The Issue of Scale is One Thing You Cannot Avoid…, Salt Lake Art Center, Salt Lake City, UT
2005
Jun Kaneko Sculpture, William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
2004
Heads, Imago Galleries, Palm Desert, CA
2004
Jun Kaneko, Braustein/Quay Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2004
Jun Kaneko, Chiaroscuro Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2004
Jun Kaneko, Fay Gold Gallery, Seattle, WA
2004
Jun Kaneko, Rochester Art Center, Rochester, MN
2004
Jun Kaneko, William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
2003
Jun Kaneko, Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Sedalia, MO
2003
Jun Kaneko, Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
2003
Jun Kaneko, Gallery Bandstrup, Oslo, Norway
2003
Jun Kaneko, Oslo Museum of Applied Art, Oslo, Norway
2003
Jun Kaneko, Joslyn Museum of Art, Omaha, NE
2003
Jun Kaneko, Klein Artworks, Chicago, IL
2003
Jun Kaneko, Maureen Littleton Gallery, Washington, Dc
2003
Jun Kaneko, Pewabic Pottery, Detroit, M
2002
Ceramic Sculpture and Paintings, Carson-Masuoka Gallery, Denver, CO
2002
Glass, Bullseye Connection, Portland OR
2002
Jun Kaneko Solo, Sheery Leedy Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO
2002
Jun Kaneko, Holter Museum, Helena, MT
2002
Jun Kaneko, Kalamazoo Institute of Art, Kalamazoo, MI
2002
Jun Kaneko, LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
2002
Jun Kaneko, Nicolaysen Art Msueum, Casper, WY
2002
Jun Kaneko, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
2002
Jun Kaneko, Laura Russo Gallery, Seattle, WA
2002
Jun Kaneko, William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
2002
On the Edge and in the Round, Montalvo Gallery, Saratoga, CA
2001
Jun Kaneko, Bullseye Connection, Portland, OR
2001
Dangos and Slabs, Klein Artworks, Chicago, IL
2001
Jun Kaneko, Bentley Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
2001
Jun Kaneko, Frank Llyod Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2001
Jun Kaneko, Klein Artworks, Chicago, IL
2001
Jun Kaneko, Laura Russo Gallery, Portland, OR
2001
Jun Kaneko, Tyler Museum of Art, Tyler, TX
2001
Tropical Energy, Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu, HI
2001
Jun Kaneko, University of Wyoming Art Museum, Laramie, WY
2001
Jun Kaneko: Dangos in the Garden, Longhouse Reserve, East Hampton, NY
2000
William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA (solo show) Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
2000
Durango Arts Center, Durango, CO
2000
Klein Artworks, Chicago, IL
2000
Wonder and Discovery, Imago Gallery, Palm Desert, CA
1999
The Art Center in Hargate, St. Paul’s School, Concord, NH
1999
Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN
1999
Lew Allen Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
1999
Bentley Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
1999
Lewis & Clark College, Gallery of Contemporary Art, Portland, OR
1999
Stroke, Osaka, Japan
1999
Center of the Earth Gallery, Charlotte, NC
1999
Dorothy Weiss Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1997
Susanne Hilberry Gallery, Birmingham, MI
1997
Sculptors Drawing, Dorothy Weiss Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1996
Dorothy Weiss Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1996
Frans Halsmuseum, Haarlem, The Netherlands
1996
Horwich LewAllen Gallery, Santa Fe NM
1996
Klein Artworks, Chicago IL
1995
Gallery Takagi, Nagoya, Japan
1995
Kasahara Gallery, Osaka, Japan
1995
Klein Art Works, Chicago IL
1994
Bentley Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
1994
Dorothy Weiss Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1994
Horwitch LewAllen Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
1994
Indigo Gallery, Boca Raton, FL
1993
Gallery Takagi, Nagoya, Japan
1993
Leedy Voulkos Gallery, Kansas City, MO
1993
Susanne Hilberry Gallery, Birmingham, MI
1992
Dorothy Weiss Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1992
Helen Drutt Gallery, New York, NY
1992
Klein Art Works, Chicago, IL
1992
Mark Masouka Gallery, Las Vegas, NV
1992
Yokohama International Art Fair, Kasahara Gallery, Yokohama, Japan
1991
Brendan Walter Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
1991
Gallery Kasahara, Osaka, Japan
1991
Gallery Takagi, Nagoya, Japan
1990
Blue Star Space, San Antonio, TX
1990
Dorothy Weiss Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1990
Klein Art Works, Chicago, IL
1990
Leedy Voulkos Gallery, Kansas City, MO
1990
Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, Pittsburgh, PA
1990
Southwest Craft Center, San Antonio, TX
1990
Susanne Hilberry Gallery, Birmingham, MI
1989
Brendan Walter Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
1989
Galerie Barbara Silverberg, Toronto, Canada
1989
Gallery Takagi, Nagoya, Japan
1989
New Gallery, Omaha NE
1989
Sioux City Art Center, Sioux City, IA
1988
Paul Klein Gallery, Chicago, IL
1987
Arabia Gallery, Helsinki, Finland
1987
Dorothy Weiss Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1987
Gallery Kasahara, Osaka, Japan
1987
Gallery Takagi, Nagoya, Japan
1987
Heath Gallery, Atlanta GA
1987
Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, Lincoln, NE
1987
Susanne Hilberry Gallery, Birmingham, MI
1986
Klein Gallery, Chicago, IL
1986
Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi, TX
1986
Painting Project, Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi, TX
1985
Laumeier Sculpture Garden, St. Louis, MO
1985
Tweed Museum, Duluth, MN
1984
Fabric Workshop Gallery, New York, NY
1984
Helen Drutt Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1984
Morgan Gallery, Kansas City, MI
1984
Public Square, Belleville, LA
1983
Gallery Takagi, Nagoya, Japan
1983
Helen Drutt Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1983
Norman Fire House Art Center, Norman, OK
1983
Paul Klein Gallery, Chicago, IL
1983
Quay Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1983
Ree Schonlau Gallery, Omaha, NE
1983
Yaw Gallery, Birmingham, MI
1982
Betty Moody Gallery, Houston, TX
1982
Morgan Gallery, Shawnee Mission, KS
1982
New York State College of Ceramics, Alfred University, Alfred, NY
1981
Two shows, Gallery Takagi, Nagoya, Japan
1981
Jun Kaneko Parallel Sounds, Contemporary Art Museum, Houston, TX
1981
Banff Centre of Fine Art, Walter Phillips Gallery, Canada
1981
Helen Drutt Gallery, Philadelphia PA
1980
Gallery Toen, Shigaraki, Japan
1979
Clayworks Studio Workshop, New York, NY
1979
Gallery Takagi, Nagoya, Japan
1978
Gallery Takagi, Nagoya, Japan
1977
Coa Gallery, Kyoto, Japan
1975
Woods-Gerry Gallery, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence RI
1971
Mori’s Form, Osaka, Japan
1969
El Dorado Gallery, Nagoya, Japan
 
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2012
Crafting Modernism: Midcentury American Art and Design, The Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY
2011
Crafting Modernism: Midcentury American Art and Design, The Museum of Arts and Design, NY
2011
2011: Artists from the Center, Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, Helena, MT
2011
Big Ass Sculpture Show, Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2011
Handmade in Japan, Online Benefit for Japan Auction
2011
20th Century Ceramics: From Kenkichi Tomimoto to Kazuo Yagi, The Museum of Ceramic Art, Hyogo, Sasayama, Japan
2011
The Soldner Society, The Heights Waterfront, Tampa, FL
2011
Creating the New Century: Contemporary Art from the Dicke Collection, Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, OH
2010
Collection 2: Focus on Recent Acquisitions, The National Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan
2010
eXentrica, LongHouse Reserve, East Hampton, NY
2010
Innovations and Change: Great Ceramics from the Arizona State University Art Museum, Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC
2010
Sculpture, Intimate to Monumental, Gail Severn Gallery, Ketchum, ID
2010
Drawing on Sculpture, Beatrice M. Haggerty Gallery, University of Dallas, Irving, TX
2010
Dallas Art Fair, Gebert Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
2009
Crosscurrents: Jun Kaneko & David Kuraoka, Maui Arts and Culture Center, Kahului, HI
2009
Inspiration, William Travers Gallery, Tacoma, WA
2009
Clay Canvases: The Fine Art of Painted Ceramics, Gardiner Museum Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2008
Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational, University of Wyoming Art Museum, Laramie, WY
2008
Jun Kaneko-Therman Statom, Gail Severn Gallery, Ketchum, ID
2008
Generations: Works by Jun Kaneko & Toshiko Takaezu, Lamont Gallery, Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH
2008
Recent Work by Gallery Artists, Laura Russo Gallery, Portland, OR
2008
Hot Works, Cool Glass, Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR
2008
On Existence, The Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu, Japan
2007
Uncommon Objects, Hawaii State Art Museum, Honolulu, HI
2007
All the Difference: Works in Clay, the University of Akron, Akron, OH
2007
Innovation and Change: Great Ceramics from the University Art Collection, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN
2007
Bold Expressions in Modern Art: The Buddy Greenburg Collection, Wichita Art Museum, Wichita, KS
2007
Grand Opening 07/07/07, Gerbert Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
2007
She Boy, She Devil and Isis: The Art of Conceptual Craft, Selections form the Wornick Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
2007
Sculptors on Paper, Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, Lincoln, NE
2007
Actor! Actor! The intersection of Art and Theater, Palo Alto Art Center, Palo Alto, CA
2006
Contemporary American Crafts, Art in Embassies Exhibition, American Embassy, Seoul, South Korea
2006
A Ceramic Legacy-Selections from the Stephane Janssen and R. Michael Johns Collection, Arizona State University Museum, Tempe, AZ
2006
Bentley Projects, Phoenix AZ (3 person)
2006
10th Anniversary Exhibition, The Contemporary Museum at First Hawaiian Center, Honolulu, HI
2006
Jun Kaneko and Michael Sarich, Stremmel Gallery, Reno, NV
2006
Clayarch Int’l Architecture/Ceramic Exhibition, Gimhae Museum, South Korea
2006
ClayFusion: Ceramists Work in Glass, Jun Kaneko Sushi Plates, Bullseye Connection Gallery, Portland, OR
2006
Recent Ceramics, Laura Russo Gallery, Portland, OR
2005
Jun Kaneko & Douglas Freed, Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO
2005
25th Anniversary Exhibition, Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
2005
Japan/USA: A Cross Cultural Exchange, Santa Fe Clay, Santa Fe, NM
2005
Laura Russo Gallery, Portland, OR (3 person)
2005
Chiaroscuro, Santa Fe, NM (2 person)
2005
Transformations: The Language of Craft, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Australia
2004
Inaugural Exhibition, Bentley Projects, Scottsdale, AZ
2004
Sculpture Garden, Gail Severn Gallery, Ketchum, ID
2004
Studio Glass International, Concordia University, Seward, NE
2004
Summer Group Show of Gallery Artists, Laura Russo Gallery, Portland OR
2004
The Secret History of Clay, Tate, Liverpool, United Kingdom
2004
All Fired Up: A Contemporary Ceramics Experience, Reed Whipple Cultural Center, Las Vegas, NV
2003
The Character of Clay: Jun Kaneko & Bean Finneran, Gail Severn Gallery, Ketchum, ID
2003
100 Treasure of Cranbrook Art Museum, Cranbrook Art Museum, Detroit, MI
2003
Clay, The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, Atlanta, GA
2003
Concentus, National Museum of Decorative Arts, Oslo, Norway
2003
Group Exhibition, William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
2003
Shared Passion: Sara and David Lieberman Collection, Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, AZ
2003
W. Wegman, J. Bartlett, J. Kaneko, Imago Galleries, Palm Desert, CA
2002
25th Anniversary Exhibit, William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
2002
Accent on Ceramics, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix, AZ
2002
Coming of Age, Mint Museum of Craft and Design, Charlotte, NC
2002
Contemporary American Ceramics 1950-1990, Aichi Ceramics Museum Nagoya, Japan National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto, Japan; Tochigi Ceramic Museum in Tochigi, Japan
2002
Evidence: Invitational, Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO
2002
J. Kaneko, T. Fawkes, M. Bauer, M. Kosuge, Laura Russo Gallery, Portland, OR
2002
Poetics of Clay: An International Perspective, Philadelphia Art Alliance, Philadelphia PA, touring to the Museum of Art and Design / Taideteollisuusmuseo, Helsinki, Finland
2002
Sculptural Clay Invitational, Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Sedalia, MO
2002
Setagaya Museum, Tokyo, Japan
2002
T. Statom, J. Kaneko, L. González Palma. R. Goethals, Gail Severn Gallery, Ketchum, ID
2002
Untitled, Imago Galleries, Pam Desert, CA
2001
Generations in Clay, Center of the Earth Gallery, Charlotte, NC
2001
Elizabeth Stone Harper Gallery, Clinton, SC (2 person)
2001
Museum of Nebraska Art, Kearney NE
2001
Poetics of Clay, Philadelphia Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA
2001
Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO
2001
World Ceramic Exposition 2001, Seoul, South Korea
2000
Shigaraki Sculpture Park, Shigaraki, Japan
2000
Everson Ceramic National, Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY
2000
LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
2000
2000Contemporary Clay: Master Teachers/Master Students, Bowling Green State, University, Bowling Green, OH
2000
Color and Fire, L.A County Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2000
Gallery Kasahara, Tokyo, Japan
2000
Judy Ann Goldman Fine Art, Boston, MA
1999
Rare Earth, Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Cedar Rapids, IA
1999
1999 Biennial Exhibition of Public Art, Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase, NY
1999
Contemporary Clay, Bowling Green University, Bowling Green, OH
1999
Imago Gallery, Palm Desert, CA
1998
Le Geste et la Couleur, Musée Magnelli, Vallauris, France
1998
Klein Art Works, Chicago, IL
1997
Invitational Ceramic Exhibition, University of Wisconsin, White Water, WI
1997
Society of Arts and Crafts Centennial, Clay Exhibition, Boston, MA
1997
Sculptors Drawing, Dorothy Weiss Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1997
Academy of Art, Leuven, Belgium
1996
Voulkos/Kaneko, Kenji Taki Gallery, Nogoya Japan (2-person)
1996
Chico State University, Chico CA
1996
Fine Art of Craft and Sculpture, Horwich LewAllen Gallery, Santa Fe NM
1996
Salt Lake Art Center, Salt Lake City UT (6 person)
1996
South Carellan Art Museum, Lappeenranta, Finland (5 person)
1995
Anne Reed Gallery, Sun Valley ID
1995
Maruei, Nagoya, Japan (3 person)
1994
International Contemporary Ceramic Exhibition, Aichi Prefecture Ceramic Museum, Seto, Japan
1994
KPMG: Peat Marwick Collection, Renwick Gallery, Washington, DC
1994
New Craft Forms, Exhibition for Winter Olympics, Lillehammer, Norway
1994
Revolution in Clay: The Marer Collection of Contemporary Ceramics, Scripps College, Claremont CA
1993
Contemporary Ceramics 1950-1990, Aichi Prefecture Museum of Art, Nagoya, Japan
1993
Weaves of the Cloth, Painted Bride Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1993
William Traver Gallery, Seattle WA
1991
International Ceramic Invitational Show, Shigaraki Ceramic Park, Shigaraki, Japan
1991
5-person show, Otsuka Ceramic Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
1990
Jun and Fumi Kaneko, Mark Masuoka Gallery, Las Vegas, NV (2-person)
1990
Gallery Maronie, Kyoto, Japan
1990
Hovikodden Art Center, Oslo, Norway
1990
Midland Invitational, Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE
1990
Otsuka Ceramic Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
1989
Two Modern Masters, the Society for the Art in Craft, Pittsburgh, PA (2-person)
1989
Natasha Nicholson Works of Art, Madison, WI
1988
A Fine Place to Work: Legacy of the Archie Bray Foundation, AR
1988
East Meets West, International Ceramic Show at the 1988 Olympics, Seoul, Korea
1988
Expression in Color Ceramics, New Jersey Center for Visual Art at Summit, NJ
1987
Clay Revision, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA
1987
Contemporary American Ceramic Show, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea
1987
Contemporary Ceramics, Yamaguchi Museum, Syracuse, NY (4 person)
1987
Japanese/American Craft Invitational, Morikami Museum, Del Lay Beach, FL
1987
The Eloquent Object, Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK
1986
Contemporary American Ceramic Show, Arabia Museum, Helsinki, Finland
1986
Contemporary Japanese Ceramic Show, Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY
1986
Contemporary Japanese Ceramics, Seibu Museum, Otsu, Shiga-Ken and Tokyo, Japan
1986
Craft Today, American Craft Museum, New York, NY
1985
Claremont Influences, Susan Cumming Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
1984
7 Ceramic, Hope College, Hope, MI
1984
A Ha Hana Lima ’84 Invitational, East West Center, Honolulu, HI
1984
Corpus Christi Invitational, Corpus Christi State University, Corpus Christi, TX
1984
Directions in Contemporary American Ceramics, Museum of Fine Art, Boston, MA
1984
Forms That Function, Katonah Gallery, Katonah, NY
1984
Scripps Clay Connection, Scripps College, Claremont, CA
1984
Vision of Cranbrook Today, Grand Rapids Museum, Grand Rapids, MI
1984
Visiting Artists Exhibition, Meyerhoff Gallery, Maryland Institute, College of Art MD
1984
A Contemporary Cranbrook Vision, CDS Gallery, New York, NY
1984
Hadler/Rodriguez Gallery, New York, NY
1984
Platters and Related Forms, University Gallery, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, IL
1983
American Art, Inc., Atlanta, GA
1983
American Clay Artists, Philadelphia, PA
1983
Anagama Show, Pewabic Pottery, MI
1983
Contemporary Japanese Ceramics, Traveling Show, organized by the Japan Foundation, Canada
1983
Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI
1983
Cranbrook Today, Robert Kidd Gallery, Birmingham, MI
1983
Japanese Dynasty ’83, Sande Webster Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1983
Ree Schonlau Gallery, Omaha, NE
1983
Rhode Island School of Design, Craftsman’s Gallery, NY
1983
Student Choice, Yale University, New Haven, CT
1982
Artwear Exhibition, Virginia Beach Art Center, VA
1982
Bennington College, Bennington, VT (3 person)
1982
Michigan Ceramic ’82, Eastern Michigan University, Ann Arbor, MI
1982
Painted Surface, Ceramic Invitational, Birmingham Art Association, Birmingham, MI
1982
Walter Phillips Gallery, Banff Centre of Fine Art, Canada (3 person)
1981
Gallery Shiro, Osaka, Japan
1981
Maronie Gallery, Kyoto, Japan
1980
Art for Use at Winter Olympics, Lake Placid and Contemporary Craft Museum, Lake Placid, NY
1980
Ceramic Invitational Homage to Josiah Wedgwood Ceramic Invitational, Hampton, NY
1980
Ceramic Invitational, Muskegon Community College, Muskegon, MI
1980
Ceramic Invitational, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
1980
Eighth Biennial Craft Invitation, Illinois State University, IL
1980
Fabric Invitational, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL
1979
A Century of American Ceramics, organized by Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY
1978
Art Now ’78, Invitational Exhibition, Hyogo Modern Art Museum, Japan
1977
Bird’s Eye View of Contemporary Art, Invitational Exhibition, National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, Japan
1974
Woods-Gerry Gallery, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence RI (2 person)
1974
San Diego Museum Ceramic Invitational, San Diego, CA
1973
First Ceramic Invitational, University of Kentucky, KY
1972
27th Ceramic National, Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY Invitational Exhibition, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
1971
Clay Plus: 10 ceramic sculptors, State University of New York, NY
1971
College of Arts and Science, Genesee, NY
1971
Contemporary Ceramic Art of America, Canada, Mexico and Japan, Invitational Exhibition, National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan
1970
Cerritos College, Cerritos Ceramic Annual, Norwalk, CA
1970
Collegiate Show, San Bernardino, California, San Bernardino, CA (First Prize)
1970
Invitational Exhibition, Art in Other Media, Burper Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY
1970
Invitational Exhibition, Ceramic ’70, Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY
1969
Object U.S.A., Johnson Wax Collection, Contemporary Crafts Museum, New York, NY
1969
Selector, six Japanese artists for Scripps College Invitational Ceramic Show, Claremont, CA
1968
Peter Voulkos & Jun Kaneko, David Stuart Galleries, Los Angeles, CA
1968
Downey Museum Annual Art Exhibition, Downey CA (First prize in Crafts)
1968
National Invitational Crafts Exhibition, University of New Mexico, NM
1968
Third Ceramic Invitational, Santa Ana College, Santa Ana, CA
1968
California Design X, Collection of Sacramento State College, Pasadena Museum, Pasadena, CA
1967
25th Ceramic National Exhibition, Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY (Arcadian Landscaping Prize)
1967
5th Annual Southern California Exhibition, Long Beach Museum, Long Beach, CA
1967
Invitational Exhibition, Media Explored 1967 show, Laguna Beach, CA Kiyo Gallery, Gardena, CA
1966
24th Ceramic National Exhibition, Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY (Arcadian Landscaping Prize)
1966
Annual Scripps College Ceramic Invitational Exhibition, Scripps, CA
1966
Craftsman U.S.A. ’66, Museum of Contemporary Crafts, National Merit Award New York, NY
1965
7th Miami National Ceramic Exhibition, University of Miami, FL
1964
23rd Ceramic National Exhibition, Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY
1963
Zaiya Invitational Painting Show, Japan
1963
16th Chubu Niki Exhibition, Nagoya, Japan (First Prize)
1962
15th Chubu Niki Exhibition, Tokyo, Japan
1962
16th Niki Exhibition, Nagoya, Japan (Nagoya Times Prize)
1961
14th Chubu Niki Exhibition
 
OPERA PRODUCTION DESIGN
2013
The Magic Flute, Opera Omaha, Omaha, NE
2012
The Magic Flute, San Francisco Opera, San Francisco, CA
2012
Madama Butterfly, Opera Carolina, Charlotte, NC
2011
Madama Butterfly, Opera Omaha, Omaha, NE
2010
Madama Butterfly, Opera Memphis, Memphis, TN
2010
Madama Butterfly, Vancouver Opera, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
2009
Madama Butterfly, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
2008
Madama Butterfly, Madison Opera, Madison, WI
2008
Madama Butterfly, Atlanta Opera, Atlanta, GA
2008
Fidelio, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
2007
Madama Butterfly, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Maui, HI
2007
Madama Butterfly, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Honolulu, HI
2006
Madama Butterfly, Dayton Opera Theatre, Dayton, OH
2006
Madama Butterfly, Opera Omaha, Omaha, NE
 
COLLECTIONS
Aichi-Prefecture Museum of Ceramics, Nagoya, Japan
American Crafts Museum, New York, NY
Arabia Museum, Helsinki, Finland
Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, AZ
Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AZ
Banff Centre of Fine Arts, Banff, Alberta, Canada
Boise Art Museum, Boise, ID
California State University, Sacramento, CA
Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY
Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Detroit Institute of Art, Detroit, MI
European Ceramic Work Center, s’Hertongenbosch, Netherlands
Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY
Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco (De Young), San Francisco, CA
Flint Institute of Arts, Flint, MU
Gardiner Museum, Toronto, Canada
Gifu-Ken Museum, Gifu, Japan
Hawaii State Foundation on Culture & the ARTS, Honolulu, HI
Ichon World Ceramic Center, Seoul, Korea
Japan Foundation, Tokyo, Japan
Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE
Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha, NE
Longhouse Reserve, East Hampton, NY
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA
Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, AL
Museum Het Kruithis, s’Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
Museum of Ceramic Art, Hyogo, Japan
Museum of Nebraska Art, Kearney, NE
Nagoya City Musuem, Nagoya, Japan
Nelson-Atkins Musuem of Art, Kansas City, MO
Northern Arizona State University, Flagstaff, AZ
Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA
Olympic Museum of Ceramic Sculpture, Athens, Greece
Palm Sprigs Museum of Art, Palm Springs, CA
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
Phoenix Arts Museum, Phoenix, AZ
Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR
Queensland Art Gallery, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Scripps College, Claremont, CA
Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
Smithsonian National Museum of American Art, Washington, DC
Takamatsu City of Art, Takamatsu, Japan
The Contemporary Museum at First Hawaiian Center, Honolulu, HI
The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu, HI
The Marer Collection at Scripps College, Claremont, CA
The Museum of Modern Art, Wakayama, Japan
The National Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan
Tweed National Museum of Art, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN
Tyler Museum of Art, Tyler, TX
University of Florida, Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, Gainsville, FL
University of Iowa Museum of Art, Iowa City, IA
University of Wyoming Art Museum, Laramie, WY
Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England
Weber State University, Ogden, UT
Yamaguchi Museum, Yamaguchi, Japan
 
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COMMISSIONS
2014
Glass Tower, Lincoln Civic Plaza, Lincoln, NE
2013
Glass Wall, Pump House, Des Moines, IA
2013
School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
2013
San Diego County Operations Center, San Diego, CA
2013
Legends, Myths, and Truths, Millennium Park, Chicago, IL
2012
City of Omaha, Hilton Omaha (Project 3), Omaha, NE
2011
Shanghai International Finance Center, Pudong, Shanghai, China
2011
City of Omaha, Hilton Omaha (Project 3), Omaha, NE
2011
Principal Riverwalk Hubbell Pavilion, Des Moines, IA
2010
Great Path Academy, Manchester, CT
2009
Philadelphia City Hall, Philadelphia, PA
2009
Mammel Hall, College of Business Administration, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE
2009
Twelfth & Washington Apartments, Portland, OR
2008
Kaneko on Park Avenue (6/08-11/08), New York, NY
2008
City Parks Public Art Program, New York, NY
2007
Temple Ha Shalom, Park City, UT
2007
Mid-America Center, Council Bluffs, IA
2007
Four Seasons Resort Maui, Wailea, HI
2006
Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ
2006
University of Nebraska Foundation, Dr. CC & Mabel Criss Library, University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE
2006
Battle Hall/Convention Center, Kansas City, MO
2006
University of Connecticut, Burton Family Complex, Starrs, CT
2005
City of Omaha, Hilton Omaha (Project 2), Omaha, NE
2005
Grand Hyatt Hotel, Rippongi Tower (Project 2), Tokyo, Japan
2004
City of Omaha, Hilton Omaha (Project 2), Omaha, NE
2003
San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco, CA
2003
San Jose Reparatory Theatre Plaza, San Jose, CA
2003
Western Asset Plaza, Pasadena, CA
2002
Grand Hyatt Hotel, Rippongi Tower (Project 1), Tokyo, Japan
2001
University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA
2000
Beaverton City Library, Beaverton, OR
2000
Manchester Community Technical College, Manchester, CT
1999
Mount Mercy College, Busse Center, Cedar Rapids, IA
1998
Waikiki Aquarium, Honolulu, HI
1997
University of Connecticut, Biology and Physics Building, Starrs, CT
1997
New McCormick Center, Chicago, IL
1996
Aichi-Prefecture, Sannomaru Multiple Use Building, Nagoya, Japan
1995
North Carolina State University, Graduate Engineering Center, Raleigh, NC
1995
Yamashita Hospital (Project 2), Ichinomiya, Japan
1995
University of Texas San Antonio, College of Business, San Antonio, TX
1994
Maishima Sports Arena, Osaka, Japan
1994
Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT
1993
Yamashita Hospital (Project 1), Ichinomiya, Japan
1993
Auarium Station, Massachusetts Transportation Bureau, Boston, MA
1993
University of Akron, Polsky Building, Akron, OH
1991
Doubletree Alana Hotel, Honolulu, HI
1990
Arizona State University Palza-West Campus, Phoenix, AZ
1990
Phoenix Airport, Terminal Four, Phoenix, AZ
1985
Detroit People Mover, Detroit, MI
 
LECTURES, PUBLIC SPEAKING, AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2000
Founder, KANEKO: Open Space for Your Mind, Omaha, NE
1979-86
Cranbrook Academy of Art
1985
Co-Founder, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, NE
1973-75
Rhode Island School of Design
1974
Scripps College
1972-73
University of New Hampshire

CBS Sunday Morning | The giant, fanciful art of Jun Kaneko
Our summer Art Fair takes us to the heart of the country — where our Mo Rocca has the story of an artist whose remarkable work is literally larger than life. READ MORE + VIDEO>

The New York Times | Arts
Narrated Slideshow MORE>

Art & Antiques: The Space Between
Now famed for his monumental ceramic works, Jun Kaneko was once a young painter. At the age of 21, Kaneko moved to Los Angeles during the outset of the American contemporary ceramics movement. Before learning to converse in English, he committed himself to a newfound medium and left painting behind. 

The Washington Post: How the Abstract Turns Into ‘Magic’
“Actually, I am not an opera fan. I had never been to an opera before I designed Madame Butterfly” Jun Kaneko candidly states in an interview with Anne Midgette from The Washington Post. Though Kaneko’s foray into opera design is a blip on his extensive career, the artist brings revered elements of his sculpture and painting to his newest creation: Magic Flute at the Kennedy Center Opera House. 

American Craft: Medium Man
Jun Kaneko is an artist who has never let medium restrict his approach. He started as a painter, became celeberated as a ceramicist, and eventually added practices like glass casting and opera design to his repertoire. Kaneko continues to experiment, emphasizing that mastery of new materials is at the heart of his practice.