Profile
Nobushige Akiyama is a Japanese artist whose work bridges Japan and Italy. He graduated in sculpture from the Tokyo University of Art and Design and moved to Italy in 1985 to study at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome. Over the years, he experimented with materials such as bronze and marble, though his main medium today is washi (Japanese paper), handcrafted by himself using traditional Japanese techniques.
Akiyama combines Japanese craftsmanship with contemporary forms, transforming washi into sculptures, installations, and experimental pieces that explore the relationship between material, human expression, and cultural heritage. He has shared his expertise through workshops at prominent Italian institutions, including the MAXXI Museum in Rome and the Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli in Turin.
By integrating his Japanese heritage with decades of experience in Italy and Europe, Akiyama creates contemporary art rooted in tradition yet open to innovation, demonstrating the expressive potential of Japanese paper as a modern sculptural medium.
Contact
Exhibition
- 2014: "Weight of Lightness," National Museum of Oriental Art "Giuseppe Tucci" (Rome, Italy)
- 2015: "Via Appia Eastward," Appian Way Regional Park - Latina Paper Mill Site (Rome, Italy)
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2018: "Bundles of Thought," Fuji Paper Art Museum (Fuji City, Shizuoka, Japan)
"Paper Boat," Municipal Museum of Oriental Art (Trieste, Italy)
"Paper Sky," Mino Washi Paper Museum (Mino City, Gifu, Japan) - 2019: Gallery Kou-bou 2 (Ginza, Tokyo, Japan)
- 2022: Atrium Installation "Shizuku," Mino Washi Paper Museum (Mino City, Gifu, Japan)
- 2023: Atrium Installation "May Rain," Sapienza University (Rome, Italy) Atrium Installation "GOCCE" (Droplets), Mino Washi Paper Museum (Mino City, Gifu, Japan)
- 2024: Installation "Niwaka Ame," "Sapienza" University of Rome Palazzo Marco Polo (Rome, Italy)
Credit
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Web Designer: Yoshino Akiyama
info[at]yoshinique.xyz
Front-end Developer: Tomoyuki Satake
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