BIO

Emi Wanibuchi (b. November 18, 1968, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan) is a contemporary painter based in Tokyo. Working primarily with pencil on washi paper, mineral pigments, sumi ink, gold and silver leaf, and acrylic, her practice is deeply rooted in traditional Japanese painting while drawing influence from Surrealism and abstract art. Wanibuchi is recognized for her innovative use of layered materials and particularly metals and mineral pigments.

Her work explores themes such as dignity, spirituality, social inequality, gender, fairness, and the human condition, often informed by ethical and philosophical inquiry.The inherent resistance of her materials to blending serves as a metaphor for human relationships: parallel paths that coexist in tension and harmony.

A turning point in her career occurred in 2025 when her work Pandora’s Box was longlisted for the Aesthetica Art Prize, with the award ceremony scheduled for fall of that year. In the same year, she received the Takahiro Komatsu Prize at The 10th SHIBUYA ART AWARDS 2024, held at Elephant Studio in Tokyo. The previous year, her 2024 series A New Planet marked a breakthrough in both artistic direction and professional recognition. Expanding her material vocabulary and thematic reach, the series signaled a bold new phase in her artistic evolution.

She was also selected for the inaugural Mr. & Mrs. Abe Arts & Culture Prize in 2024, organized by Mr. & Mrs. Abe Arts in Fukuoka. Her recent exhibitions include The 10th SHIBUYA ART AWARDS 2024 Prize Exhibition (Tokyo, 2025) and consecutive group shows in 2023 and 2024 with Takenoko-kai Japanese Art at the Nihon Bijutsuin (The Japan Art Institute) in Tokyo.

Her work was featured in the Jewelry maison Catalog (2024), highlighting the recipients of the 1st Mr. & Mrs. Abe Arts & Culture Prize.

CV

Born in 1968 in Yokosuka Kanagawa,Japan.

Resides and works in Tokyo, Japan

EDUCATION/TRAINING :

1974-1981, Jyun Furusawa Art School Kanagawa,Japan

2001-2017, Kyogen Izumi Style (similar to traditional Japanese Noh Theatre.

The master is Manzo Nomura Ⅸ ) Tokyo,Japan

2007-2009, Voice Studies Bill Pepper Head of Voice Studies, NIDA -National Institute of Dramatic Art ,Sydney, Australia

2022-2025, Takeshi Nagai Japanese Art School Tokyo,Japan

2024-2025, Yabuta Kashu , Yuri Nakabayashi Kyoto Hanging roll school, Tokyo ,Japan

AWARDS, RESIDENCIES, GRANTS :

2025,
･ Aesthetica Art Prize 2025 , Longlist, UK
･ Takahiro Komatsu Prize,The 10th SHIBUYA ART AWARDS2024
SHIBUYA ART AWARDS, Elephant Studio ,Tokyo, Japan

2024,
･ Mr. & Mrs. Abe Arts & Culture Prize 2024,Selected Artist, Japan

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS :

2025,
･ Aesthetica Art Prize 2025, Longlist Exhibition, York art gallery,UK
･ CHIYODA × SHIBUGEI SHIBUYA ART AWARDS, Le Ginglet, Tokyo,
Japan
･ The 10th SHIBUYA ART AWARDS 2024 Prize exhibition, Elephant Studio,
Tokyo, Japan

2023-2025,
･ Takenoko kai Group Exhibition The Japan Art Institute, Tokyo,Japan

SELECTED PRESS :

2025,
･ Aesthetica Art Magazine,UK
2024,
･ Mr. & Mrs. Abe Arts Culture Prize 2024 ” Maison Catalog ,Japan

SELECTED PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES :
Selected professional actives include international workshops and lecture I Noh and Kyogen performance in Portugal, Chile , and Australia.