Katsura Funakoshi was born in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, Japan and lives and works in Tokyo. Known for his marble and camphor wood figurative carvings, Funakoshi’s work engages the past, fantasy and reality, and invites a loaded dialogue between East and West. His work expresses a mystery and spirituality rarely seen in contemporary sculpture. His subtly painted and polished figures are contemplative and contemporary, grounded by history while at the same time forging towards an imaginary future. Funakoshi has exhibited internationally for over forty years and has been included in prestigious exhibitions such as Documenta, The Venice Biennale, and the Sao Paolo Biennale. His work is included in numerous public collections including the Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, Nagoya, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the Stadtische Museen Heilbronn, Germany.
