Pray for Japan Sculpture

HIDEYUKI SHOJI Born in Japan on the 28th of June 1978. Currently living and working in London. Works are regularly presented at "Debut Contemporary" Gallery, Notting Hill, London. Education 2009 Chelsea College of Art and Design, BA Fine Art　(Hon), UAL, UK 2004 Yamagata University, MA Education of Art and Design, JAPAN 2002 Yamagata University, Education of Art and Design, JAPAN Award 2011 Signature Art Award Finalist and People's Choice Award Winner, London, UK 2002 Yoshiwara Jiryo Award shortlist. Osaka,Japan GROUP EXHIBITION Signature Art Award 2011, DegreeArt.com, Vyner street, London, UK GROß BERLIN 2011, Marzia Frozen, Berlin, GERMANY 2011 Japanese Contemporary Art Exhibition, Crypt gallery, London, UK 2010 Dreams Exhibition 2010, Shoreditch Townhall, London, UK 2009 Universtiy of the Arts London,Chelsea College degree show, London, UK 2005 Session 2005, Shinjo Community Centre, SHINJO, JAPAN 2005 Session 2005, Art Centre Cube, IWATE, JAPAN 2003 Group Show, Alternative space "Sango", Yamagata, JAPAN 2003 Contemporary Art week, Sendai, JAPAN 2003 PRINTS21, Tokyo, JAPAN 2002 Environment and City Art Exhibition, Nigata, JAPAN 2002 Cultural life Exhibition, Kumamoto, JAPAN 2002 YOSHIWARA JIRYO AWARD Exhibition,　Osaka, JAPAN "If the everyday is the realm of the unnoticed and overlooked, however, it might be asked just how we can attend to it? How do we drag the everyday into view?" (Stephen Johnstone, The Everyday) A recurring theme in my work involves curiosity in and observation of everyday life. To make the everyday apparent, my work makes an absurd alteration to an object before putting it back into an everyday life situation. My early works dealt with sculpture: using commonplace materials and suggesting alternative points of view within a social situation. This involved materials such as apples/ chewing gum/ suit jacket, using trivial objects as materials to create surprises, shocks or simply imply narrative. To further exploit the realm of the unnoticed and overlooked within the complexities of everyday life, my work has become more performative. The works are no longer purely sculptural. Influenced by Fluxus artists such as Yoko Ono and John Cage the materials I use now enter into exchanges, moving between places and people.