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Inheritor of the Kamakura carving tradition, Kenyu Mitsuhashi

Mr. Kamayu Mitsuhashi is a contemporary artist and an inheritor of the 800-year-old tradition of Kamakura carving.
Born into a lineage of Buddhist priests of the Kamakura period, he received the name “Kenyu” from Master Shodo Yoshida, the chief abbot of Kencho-ji Temple. He is still responsible for the production of various Buddhist ritual utensils, and also produces tea ceremony utensils for various masters of the tea ceremony. At the same time, he is active both in Japan and abroad, holding solo exhibitions in Paris and other cities.

History

In 1980

Born in Kamakura

In 2002

Studied under his father, Kenrei Mitsuhashi

In 2010

Given the tile “Kenyu” by the Zen master Shodo Yoshida, the chief abbot of Kencho-ji Temple

In 2015

Yotsugashira Tea Ceremony Utensils of Kencho-ji Temple, Incense burner table production (made by 2018)

In 2016

Artist in Hotel “Samurai” room production at Park Hotel Tokyo

In 2017

Exhibited at Tobi Art Fair 2017 (Tokyo Art Club)

In 2018

Exhibited at CONDIZIONE (Paris, France)
Exhibited at MILANO SALONE”Meet my project Milan” (Italy)
Solo exhibition at Sway Gallery (Paris, France)
Solo exhibition at Yokohama Takashimaya
Supervised “zen, Tea Ceremony, and Kamakura Sculpture Exhibition” organized by Kencho-ji Temple
Selected for the LEXUS NEW TAKUMI PROJECT 2018―2019

In 2019

Engaku-ji Temple incense case production (Commemorationg the 100th memorial year of Shaku Soyen & the 200th memorial year of Daiyu Kokushi
Dedication of Kamakura shelf, Tokei-ji Temple (Commemoration the 100th memorial year of Shaku Soyen)

In 2020

Solo exhibition at JR Nagoya Takashimaya
Solo exhibition at Yokohama Takashimaya

In 2021

Artist sponsorship agreement signed with Proseed corporation

In 2022

Solo exhibition at Yokohama Takashimaya
Solo exhibition at Nihonbashi Takashimaya
Dedicated to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura a copy of an ancestral Kamakura carving Yoritomo incense container

KINTSUGI is a lacquerware restoration technique, the basic techniques of which are said to have been established in the Heian period. The technique of KINTSUGI has been also passed down from generation to generation in the Kamakura carving, a technique that includes lacquer art. In 2022, Kenyu Mitsuhashi established a techinique called “Aotsugi®” in addition to inheriting the traditional techniques. He is striving to promote the succession of traditional Japanese techniques as well as the training of successors, and to spread lacquer craft culture, a representative Japanese culture that should be preserved, both in Japan and abroad.

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