Shota Suzuki Japan, 1987

Shota Suzuki (b. 1987) studied metalsmithing at Tohoku University of the Arts, where he mastered skills that enable him to model that which he sees in the world. Drawing upon rich natural colors, Suzuki imagines plant life from brass alloy and other metals such as gold, silver, copper, and nickel. Hammering flat sheets and long fibers, Suzuki manipulates the hot metal with forging, soldering, and hand-sculpting techniques until the plant structure is a perfect mimicry of its living counterpart. Applying chemical reactions, Suzuki preserves the original and true color of the metal, challenging him to select and pair different varieties that capture the character of the living organism—for instance, the dandelion’s fluffy pappus is an ensemble of brass and nickel. 

Selected Biography

1987 Born in Shiogama City in Miyagi Prefecture　

2010  Graduated from Tohoku University of Art and Design in metal crafts concentration, BFA　

2017  Featured in “Amazing Sublime Techniques-From Meiji Crafts to Contemporary Art at Mitsui Memorial Museum

2017  Solo Exhibition at Ippodo Gallery New York, USA

2019  Participated in the ART FAIR TOKYO 

2020  Selected for the Mitsukoshi Art Exhibition　

2023  Solo Exhibition at Ippodo Gallery New York, USA

Awards:
2011 Excellent prize at Itami International Contemporary Craft

Solo exhibitions:
2015 Secret garden (Pragmata, Tokyo)
2016 Junkan (Circulation) (Seikado, Kyoto)
2017 Shota Suzuki Metal Work Exhibition (Ippodo Gallery Tokyo)
Selected group exhibitions:
2010 Binabi Exhibition (Roppongi Hills Mori Arts Center Gallery, Tokyo) 2012 - Omoi o tsunagu - (Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum)
2013 A Forest Dream, Memories of the Summer (Yamazaki Mazak Museum,

Aichi, Japan)

- Omoi meguru - (Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum)
2014 JAPANNED!! (Gallery Ten, Edinburgh, UK)
2016 Tobu tori (Great Vigor), Group Exhibition of Works by Contemporary

Japanese Artists (Ippodo Gallery Tokyo)
OHAKO (Micheko Galerie, Munich, Germany)
Nichinichi kore kounichi (Every day is a good day) (Shiogama Sugimura Jun Museum of Art, Miyagi, Japan)

2017 Tobu tori (Great Vigor), 2nd Group Exhibition of Works by Contemporary Japanese Artists (Ippodo Gallery Tokyo)
Revive (Chungmu Arts Center, Seoul, Korea)
Amazing Craftsmanship! From Meiji Kogei to Contemporary Art (Mitsui Memorial Museum, Tokyo)

"I get inspiration from "nature's display". For example, when you walking on the road, you see a single flower blooming on road. The way wind blows petals or leaves, a water drop falling from a tree into a paddle on the ground causing ripple. I would like you to feel the strong vitality of nature from my works. What I always keep in my mind when I create these pieces is to pursue the real expression of metal material, which is real and not real. I would like to combine the energy and softness that both metal and plants have and put them into my works.”