Profile

Ken Yonetani was born in 1971 in Tokyo, Japan. He lives and works in Katoomba NSW, Australia. He received a Bachelor of Economics in Japan and worked in the Foreign Exchange Market in Tokyo for three years. Following this, he was an assistant for pottery master, Toshio Kinjo, oldest son of Jiro Kinjo, National Living Treasure of Japan. He completed his M.A. at The Australian National University School of Art in ‘05. He has held numerous solo and group exhibitions, including the 2008 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art. He was selected for the Australian contingent at The 53rd Venice Bienniale in 2009.

* Artist featured story in ABC Sudnay Art at the ABC Art post site: http://artpost.abc.net.au/_Ken-Yonetani/video/356969/50484.html

CV

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2010 Global Warming Is Over! (If you want it.), art performance with Julia Yonetani, Federation Square, Melbourne

2009 Sep 26 - 17th Oct Sweet Barrier Reef in Venice Dianne Tanzer Gallery, Melbourne

2009 Sweet Barrier Reef for the 21st Century - Play Struss's waltz granly, collaborated with Julia Yonetani The La Trobe University Musem of Arts, Melbourne

2005 Sweet Barrier Reef curated by Nicholas Tsoutas, Art Space, Sydney, Australia

2005 fumie-butterfly mandala West Space, Melbourne, Australia

2005 Sugar Project-Underwater Phatspace, Sydney, Australia

2003 fumie-tiles at CSIRO Discovery, Canberra, Australia

Selected Group Exhibitions

2009 Dec 2 - 23 Jan 2010 Satellite group exhibition of The 6th Asia Pacific Trinnial of Contemporary Art, JanManton Art, Brisbane

2009 The Whoollahra Small Sculpture Prize Fianalists Exhibition, Sydney

2009 58th Blake Prize Finalists exhibition, NAS Gallery, Sydney

2009 The 53rd Venice Bienale, Once Removed curated by Felicity Fenner, an official represent of Australia, Venezia Italy

2008 'Uncertain Landscapes' Dianne Tanzer Gallery Melbourne, Australia

2008 'Heat: Art and Climate Change' curated Sarah Morris, RMIT Gallery Melbourne, Australia

2008 2008 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Contemporary Art, curated by Felicity Fenner

2008 'East Wind' cuated Mitsuo Shoji, Cudgegong Gallery, NSW, Australia

2006 Verge 11th National Ceramics Conference and Exhibition, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Australia

2005 2005 Conrad Jupiters Art Prize ,selected as finalist, Gold Coast Arts Gallery, Australia

2005 The Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize 2005, selected as finalist

2005 The Art of Flowers a part of Sydney city event, Art & About, Government House, Sydney Australia

2005 Valency CSIRO Discovery, Canberra, Australia

2005 Dimensions Variable (A festival of contemporary sculpture presenting a series of sculpture exhibitions, educational activities and public events, coinciding with the National Sculpture Prise at NGA.) ANU School of Art Gallery, Canberra, Australia

2005 Present Tense, The ANU School of Art gallery, Australia

2004 “Asian Traffic” The official parallel event 2004 Sydney Biennale, Gallery 4a , Sydney, Australia (curated by Binghui Huangfu)

2002 Indépendant Exhibition, Yomitan Art Gallery, Okinawa, Japan

Artist Residency

2005 Gunnery Studio Residency Program in Sydney, Australia (supported by NSW Ministry for the Arts)

Education

2005 Master of Arts (Visual Arts), School of Art, The Australian National University

1992-96 Bachelor of Economics, Chiba University of Commerce, Chiba, Japan

Work Experience
2007 Contract ceramisist for Dinosaur Design, Australia

2005-07 Dinosaur Design, Mould Maker, Australia

2005-07 Barker College, Artist talk for student in year 12

2005 The Sydney Gallery School Meadowgank College TAFE, Artist talk

2003 Canberra Grammar School Artist Residency

2000-03 Toshio Kinjo Pottery, Okinawa, Japan, an assistant for Pottery Master Toshio Kinjo, oldest son and master of the kiln of Jiro Kinjo, a National Living Treasure of Japan.

1996-99 Meitan Tradition Co, Ltd. Tokyo Office. Financial broker in Tokyo Foreign Exchange Market. US dollar and Japanese Yen trading (Tokyo Spot Dealing Desk 96-97) Japanese Yen-Yen interest swap trading (Tokyo Derivative Dealing Desk 97-99)

Selected Bibliography

2009 VOGUE (Italian), L'UONO/ ART 53rd Venice Biennale Special issue by James Fisher No.401

2009 "Deft in Venice written by Gabriella Coslovich, THE AGE, June 8 2009

2009 "Ken Yonetani" written by Ncholas Tsoutas, Broad Sheet for the Venice Biennale 2009 special issue

2009 "Sweet success" written by Colin Martin, Craft Australia

2008 "Sanday Arts" ABC TV, Heat: Art and Climate change, ABC1, 5:30pm 12 October 2008

2008 “Sunday Arts” ABC TV, feature story of Ken Yonetani, ABC1, 5pm 16 March 2008

2008 “Sugar point sugar-coated” written by Tim Lloyd, The Advertiser March 5 2008

2007 “The nature of art” written by Felicity Fenner, Art and Australia Autumn issue

2005 “Sweet revenge” written by Julia Yonetani, Artlink Vol 25 No 4

2005 “Art competition attracts the cream…and sugar” written by Jenny Rogers, The Gold Coast Weekend Bulletin, December 3-4

2005 “Sweet tooth” written by Andrew Taylor, Sydney Weekly, October 26

2005 “The subject that’s not so sweet” written by Kim’ O’conner, Wentworth Carrier, October 19

2005 “Artist tasting sweet success” written by Kate Crawford, The Mosman Daily and The North Shore Times ctober 19

2005 “Dimensions Variable” written by Erica Seccomble, Un Magazine, issue 5

2005 “Sweet Barrier Reef” interview with David Jobling, 2SER FM Radio July 19

2005 “Critic’s picks” written by Tracey Clement, The Sydney Morning Herald, Metro May 6-12

2005 “Present Tense” written by John Stockdill, Artlook issue #08

2004 “shifting gears: asian traffic” written by Felicity Fenner, Artlink Vol 24

2004 “Ken Yonetani’s fumie-tiles, The Art of Destruction” written by Julia Humphry, Ceramics Art and Perception, issue 57

2004 “’fumie-tiles’ Ken Yonetani’s exhibition at CSIRO Discovery, ACT” written by Jeff Doyle The Australian Ceramics, issue 43

2003 “Exhibition highlights our fragile environment” written by Megan Doherty, The Canberra Times, November 21

Commission
2005 ‘fumie-butterfly mandala’ commissioned by Sculpture by the Sea, Government House, NSW

2005 Art Space ‘Sweet Barrier Reef’

2004 ANU School of Art, ‘fumie-tiles’

Collection
Art Bank (2009), Private collections, Balnaves Foundation

Grants, Sponsorship, and Awards
2010 NAVA Marketing Grant (Co-recipient)

2008 The University of Sydney Postgraduate Award

2007 New Work Grant for Established Artists from Australia Council for the Arts

2005 The Gunnery Studio Residency from NSW Ministry for the Arts/ NAVA Marketing Grant

2004 Arts ACT Quick Response Grant/ Walker Ceramics Company/ Hazelbrook nursery/ R.E.C. Landscape Supplies/ ANU School of Art Material Award

2003 The Pat Corrigan Artist’s Grant (managed by NAVA with financial assistance from the Australia Council)/ CSIRO Discovery/ ANU School of Art/ Japan Cultural Centre, Sydney (The Japan Foundation)/ Walker Ceramics Company/ Potters Needs-Clay & Pottery Equipment