TOYOHIKO NISHIJIMA

Born in Kohoku Town, Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture in 1966. He was brought up near Lake Biwa, an area alive with nature, in close proximity to trees, water, flowers, insects and birds. This was the basis for his animistic beliefs.
After graduating from high school, he found work and paid his own way to enter art college. There he met the painter, Hirohiko Nakano, who taught him about the philosophy and spirituality of painting and the creation of forms. He made his debut as a solo artist at an exhibition in 1993. He has been a painter for over 20 years. His creative passion is continually evolving as he explores new possibilities and ways of artistic expression in the world of Japanese art.


Solo exhibitions

2024"Evolving Kyo-Rimpa and Semiconductors" (Nihombashi Mitsukoshi, Tokyo), Solo exhibition (Keio Shinjuku)
2023Change of the Future Exhibition (Ryomon Ossuary in Hiroo, Tokyo), Solo Exhibition (Tobu Ikebukuro, Matsuzakaya Ueno)
2022Matsuzakaya Nagoya Hilton Exhibition (Nagoya), Osaka Daimaru New Otani Exhibition (Osaka), Solo Exhibition (Nagoya Matsuzakaya,Keio Shinjuku)
2021"A Day with Flowers" special collaboration with Shogo Kariyazaki, Japanese Flower Arrangement Maestro (Nihombashi Mitsukoshi, Tokyo), "Color is light, Water is blessing" (Nihombashi Mitsukoshi, Tokyo)
2020"Black, White, Vermilion, Gold, Silver" Contemporary Painting Exhibition (Takashimaya in Osaka)
2019"So no Shitsurai -Nihonga x Ewashi-" (Takashimaya in Kyoto and Yokohama)
2018"Liberation -Challenge to Nihonga-" (Nihombashi Mitsukoshi, Tokyo)
2017(Kanazawa)
2016Brand New Japanese Fusion Art (Kyoto Daimaru), Solo exhibiton (Shinjuku Isetan, Tokyo), Washi, Urushi and Nihonga (Nihombashi Mitsukoshi, Tokyo)
2015Faces of the gods of Japan (Tokyo), Toobi Art Fair (Tokyo), New York solo exhibition (NY), Hotel New Otani Solo Exhibiton,
2014"Morning –Between Light and Water" (Nihombashi Mitsukoshi, Tokyo)
2013France Solo exhibitions (as a guest of honor)
2012"Hanae You" (Nihombashi Mitsukoshi, Osaka Mitsukoshi)
2011Solo exhibitions (Tokyo, Nagoya, Shiga), Toyohiko Nishijima and Coco (Carrousel du Louvre in Paris)
2010"Inner Light: Brilliance in silhouette" (Takashimaya in Kyoto, Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya)
2008"Impermanence, Nature teaches me" (Tokyo)
2007"Floating flowers in the sky" (Takashimaya Tokyo)
2006"Light - Flowers of Flame" (Takashimaya in Yokohama, Osaka)
2005"Flowering Flame of his Mind" (Takashimaya Kyoto)
2002"Floating Soul" (Kyoto)
2001"Nagare –the Stream–" (Kyoto)
1997"Return to Nature: Water" (Kyoto)
1995(Kyoto)
1993(Kyoto)

Group exhibitions, prizes, etc.

2024Affordable Art fair (Hong Kong), Seattle Art Fair (Seattle)
2023Battersea, London – AUTUMN (London)
2021Cover of Magazine "Sado-Zasshi" (for Omote Senke -school of tea ceremony-), Established "Nishijima Toyohiko Fund" (a donation activity for children with dyslexia)
2020Art on paper New York (NY)
2019Installation at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Entrance hall (Tokyo), Seattle Art Fair (Seattle), "From Japanese Painting to NIHONGA -Poetry of Aki-" (Nihombashi Mitsukoshi, Tokyo), Fundnation of Dyslexia Children Art Group
2018Scope NY (NY), If so, what (San Francisco), Context Art Miami (Miami), Ewashi Lighting Project for Kyoto Teramachi Street
2017Scope NY (NY), Context NY (NY), Art Miami (Miami), Dedicated Ewashi art work for Senyu-ji and Shosei-en, Higashi Hongan-ji
2016Set up Kamiza -Hand-made paper picture art Laboratory, Tsukurukoto Tsukurukoto 2016, Next Japan (NY), Context NY (NY), Basel Scope (Basel), Olympic new work exhibition of Tokyo Bijutsu Club, AAF London (London), Scope Miami (Miami)
2011Fascination of Ohama Washi (Daimaru in Kochi, Osaka, etc.)
2010Exhibition « Kachô-ga -Bird and flower painting- Today », (Tenshin Memorial Museum of Art, Ibaraki)
2009Exhibition Nihonga-Kyo (Takashimaya in Tokyo, Kyoto, etc.) Since, annual participations in the exhibition
« Kan-Hikari Art Expo» at Nijô Castle and at Kiyomizu-dera (temple)
(both are UNESCO World Heritage site) and at Sennyû-ji temple.
Since, annual participations in the exhibition
Since 2015 Exhibitions in Kodaiji and Higashi Honganji Temples
2007Illustrated covers of books and reports of « Women writers’ Association: Documents »
2006Received the Prize of the new talented artists of Kyoto city
Exhibition of Grand prix of Nihonga of the newspaper Nikkei (The New Otani Art Museum)
2004Exhibition « Kyoto Today » (Museum of Kyoto)
Acquisition of one of his works by Kyoto city
2003Exhibition of the Nihonga artists’ association in Kyoto
Received the prize of the newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun (Museum of Kyoto)
2002Exhibition of Young talented artists of Arts and Crafts of Kyoto city (Museum of Kyoto)
Exhibition of Young talented artists of Kyoto city (The Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art)
1999Exhibition of the Grand prize of Tatehiko Suga, (Osaka, Okayama). Also in 2005 and in 2008
1998 - 2007Collaboration with the Nihonga artists group « NEXT » (Takashimaya in Kyoto, Tokyo, etc.)
1995Exhibition of Young talented Nihonga artists of Kyoto (Hiroshima, etc.)
1994Participated in the Exhibition of Nihonga prize of the newspaper Kyoto Shimbun (Daimaru Kyoto)

Job History

2007 - PresentLecturer at the Kyoto Saga University of Arts
2000 - 2011Lecturer at the Kyoto University of Art and Design
1995 - 2000Lecturer at the Kyoto College of Art