Born in Japan, raised in Canada and the USA, my journey blends diverse cultures, shaping my artistic path. I studied Humanities at Sophia University in Tokyo and pursued Art Photography in Karlsruhe. I currently live in Berlin.
Central to my artistic expression is the concept of exploration. Within the framework of my creative practice, I embark on a perpetual journey of discovery, navigating between abstraction and figurative expression within a broad framework. Photography serves as both my compass and canvas, enabling me to capture the essence of my daily encounters – those subtle yet profound fragments that weave the fabric of history, societal dynamics, and contemporary trends.
Amidst the tapestry of existence, certain moments emerge, adorned with an aura of peculiarity, singularity, or impermanence. These instances beckon to be preserved through the lens of my camera, a homage to their significance. My approach to creation combines methodical precision and instinctual spontaneity, allowing me to seamlessly shift between the abstract and the concrete. Each image results from meticulous aesthetic decisions, an exploration of the visual and sculptural dimensions of photography in its printed form.
Through these diverse projects, my aim is to engage viewers in dialogues that transcend time, culture, and artistic boundaries. My work communicates not only my personal journey of exploration but also investigates the intricacies that define our collective existence.
Education and residences:
2007 – 2016 studied Photography, Media Arts at Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design, Karlsruhe, Germany
2002 – 2006 BA in Humaties, Faculty of Comparative Culture at Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan
1996 – 2000 lived in South Pasadena, California, USA
1991 – 1996 lived in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
1983 – 1991 lived in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Grants and awards:
2024
Work Grant for Photography 2023, Haus am Kleistpark, Berlin, Germany
2022
NEUTSTART KULTUR Modul D: Digitale Vermittlungsformate, Germany
2021
INITIAL Sonderstipendium, Akademie der Künste, Berlin, Germany
Artist Grant (for artist-in-residence), Künstlerhaus Edenkoben, Germany
2018
Kunststiftung Baden-Württemberg, Germany
2016
Stipendium nach dem Landesgraduiertenförderungsgesetz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
NOMURA Art Foundation, Tokyo, Japan
2015
POLA Art Foundation (Grants for Overseas Study for Young Artists), Tokyo, Japan
2013
Stipendium der Fördergesellschaft, ZKM, Germany
2012
DAAD – Award for Outstanding International Students in Germany
Selected solo exhibitions:
2018
Fit In – In Between, Kunststiftung Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart, Germany
Still Life Tracing, TURBA Gallery, Hannover, Germany
2016
Blind Spot, Anna Klinkhammer Galerie, Düsseldorf, Germany
Still Life Clusters – Works Combined from 7 out of 13, Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design, Karlsruhe, Germany (Diploma)
2015
Installing Prints in Takeshi‘s Castle, Cafe á Casa (Tokyo Tender Table Co., Ltd.), Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
2011
Narra, at Alice Cavoukdjian dite Galli & Dr. Bernhard Serexhe, Hirschstr. 164, 1.OG, 76137 Karlsruhe, Germany
Selected group exhibitions:
2025
Photography – Until Now and Beyond, Museum of Art, Ehime, Matsuyama, Japan (upcoming)
2023
TRACES OF IMAGES: BETWEEN MEMORY AND REALITY, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum, Tokyo, Japan
2022
»Kunstfenster«, initiated by Kunststiftung Baden-Württemberg, Billboards in 10 cities of Baden-Württemberg, Germany
2019
Von Denen Die Ausgezogen, Kunstverein Villa Streccius e.V., Landau, Germany
2018
Image and Projection, POLA Museum Annex, Tokyo, Japan
2017
I Hope You Consider What I Arranged, But Be Skeptical Of It, Hauptstätterstrasse 106A, Stuttgart, Germany
Open Minded, Sammlung Alison und Peter W. Klein, Eberdingen-Nußdorf, Germany
2016
...and so it is reported, F/Stop Festival, Halle 14, Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei, Leipzig, Germany
The Objects In The Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear, curated by Philipp Ziegler, Parrotta Contemporary Art, Stuttgart, Germany
2015
The Given And The Made, Regionale 16, Kunstverein Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
The Walk – Visitors and Vesuvians, curated by Chiara Argentino, Wataru Murakami and Alexander Jackson Wyatt, Reale Osservatorio Vesuviano, Naples, Italy
Latsch Mir Nicht In Die Kiste, Da Ist Theodolit Drin!, Luis Leu – Experimentelle Kunst Plattform, Karlsruhe, Germany
2014
The Walk – Naples-Karlsruhe-Zürich-Karlsruhe, curated by Wataru Murakami, Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design, Karlsruhe, Germany
2013
Pretty Vacant, curated by Sophie Lapalu and Ann Stouvenel for Association Accélérateur de Particules, Regionale 14, Villa Renata, Basel, Switzerland
Übermalen, Darmstädter Sezession in Designhaus, Darmstadt, Germany
Commisional Work:
2012
ohne Titel and Réverie for the exhibition Camille Corot – Natur und Traum, Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany
Interviews:
2024
“Artist Interview with Wataru Murakami”, GINZA Magazine, Japan (in Japanese / link)
2023
“Bridging between figurative and abstract using Photography and Painting”, IMA Online, Japan (in Japanese / link)
2021
“Niemand hier scheint hinter den Spielen zu stehen”, Monopol Magazin, Germany (in German / link)
