Sculptor Shigao Taniya Passes Away at 78, Pursuing the Reconstruction of "Sculpture"
Sculptor Shigao Taniya died at 78 from pneumonia; recognized for pursuing sculpture reconstruction and gaining international acclaim.Summary
Sculptor Shigao Taniya (1947–2025) died on April 15 in a Tokyo hospital from pneumonia. Born in Nagano Prefecture, he specialized in sculpture at Aichi University of the Arts and began full-scale activities in the 1970s. Within contemporary art movements such as Post-Minimalism and Mono-ha, he pursued the reconstruction of "sculpture," critiquing and deconstructing it while exploring the principles and structure of human existence through sculpture. He gained high acclaim at home and abroad for his "Forest" series, which carves the surface of wood with a chainsaw. He exhibited at the Japanese Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (1988), the Asia Pacific Triennale (1993), and the Gwangju Biennale (2000). Major solo exhibitions were held at the Nagano Prefectural Art Museum and Saitama Prefectural Museum of Modern Art from 2022 to 2023. As an educator, he taught for many years in the Sculpture Department of Musashino Art University (emeritus professor). He received the Art Encouragement Prize (2004), the Purple Ribbon Medal (2009), and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays (2025).
(Source：Tokyo Art Beat)