Born in Fukuoka, Japan, I studied photography at Kansai School of Photography prior to studying drawing and painting under Sogenkai academicians.
During 1989-92, while in Houston, I studied art history and received a scholarship for drawing and sculpture at Glassell School of Art, the Museum of Fine Art. I became a board member for the Houston Women’s Caucus for Art and received an Honourable Mention Award (juried by Graham gallery) at the Art League of Houston in 1992.
I moved to Scotland in 1993 and lived there until 2007. While in Scotland I worked with bronze and other metal abstract sculptures at Scottish Sculpture Workshop (SSW).
After receiving Aberdeen Visual Arts Scheme Award in 2003, I branched out into short films at Peacock Visual Art. These films were shown at various places in the UK and Japan (2006-09), and one was selected as a part of Pure Screen “Making Love to my Ego” at Castlefield Gallery in Manchester in 2006 and shown at Roxy Screen London, Valencia Digital Media Festival and the Philippines in 2008.
I am interested in human behaviour. Often, I even surprise myself at what I am doing and thinking of, which is not necessarily logical. However, these thoughts come from within me - (Yang Yin). So, I have been developing this theme with my work.
My participatory works have various endings; left in a field near the North Sea, or burnt at the end of harvest in a field in Scotland, or buried in secret places in Japan; returning them to nature, of which we are part.
I seek to listen to and enable quiet voices - the forgotten artist in all of us.
I currently live in London.
Short films
Ritual
This film portrays life: when we are often hit with problems, Mother Nature’s and of our own making. It is how we deal with problems that define us as people.
A reflection that in our lives, at points of crisis, it is easy to sweep issues in the corner, to dispose of them, rather than confront them, however, it is often the case that with determination and self-belief, we can often deal with them capably and with less pain than first imagined; these traits, essential traits in our character, nourishing us as human beings.
“Nishi Hoshikuma 2009, SSA on Screen” 2005-06, Film
Theatre Glasgow, Cameo Cinema Edinburgh, Threshold Artspace Perth,
Peacock Visual Arts 360 tv, Aberdeen Artists 2005, “XXIV” Limousine Bull 2004
Humming
A woman returns home after a night out, and we see her removing her adornments, slowly stripping away the facets of conventional beauty and adopting her true state, whilst humming a tune.
Aberdeen Artists 2009, Castle field Gallery Manchester, The Philippines Film festival 2007, Valencia Digital Media Festival 2007, Roxy Bar & Screen London 2008.
Newcomers
We buy time and space, and food to enjoy ourselves in a restaurant, but sometimes we become very greedy and impatient towards other’s commodities.
Tension between the people occupying “THEIR’ table and those waiting for “THEIR” turn, gave me the idea for this short film.
More importantly, this parallels the world-occupying other regions and countries…
Nishi Hoshikuma 2009, SSA Edinburgh 2008
Aberdeen Artists & The Land of the Samurai Aberdeen Art Gallery 20077
Videos
Feeding thoughts and Thoughts- Fed (Coracle)
The visitors were asked to write down what they consider to be the most significant moment in their lives and fold the paper then deposit it in the wooden box.
These thoughts on paper have remained unopened and have now been used to make this coracle-like vessel (a traditional vessel of travelling between islands within the British Isles)
This coracle was burnt, with the ashes being returned to the earth, as part of nature’s cycle and to secure the contents written.
Nishi Hoshikuma Japan 2009
Outside In
A part of a performance art festival in collaboration into the SSA at Royal Scottish Academy and National Gallery of Scotland. 16-19-year olds were asked to dress in their cloths inside out. They put all the contents into transparent bags and pinned down on their outside of their clothes then walked around the exhibition space without shoes and documented their experiences.
Nishi Hoshikuma Japan 2009
Exhibitions
2023 Kunitachi Art Exhibition/Tokyo
2021 Nagare / Burgh House & Museum London
2021 Japan Water / Grandwork Gallery Norfolk
2020 Hunters’ Sky - Celts / Braemar Scotland
2019 CAFoN (invited artist)
Saitama Contemporary Art Museum /
Saitama Japan
2019 Farewell to Our Pine Trees / Burgh House & Museum London
2019 The Second Before / Burgh House & Museum London
2019 Kyoto Art Exhibition / Miyako Messe Kyoto
2018 Art Project / Gallery Kaku Kyoto
2018 Kessaku Kai / Burgh House & Museum London
2017 Three Times Two / Shipton Gallery London
2017 Athene Projects Libomirov / Angus London
2016 Summer Salon Libomirov / Angus London
2016 Studio Hato / Beams Harvey Nichols London
2015 Kessaku Kai / Peggy Jay London
2014 Kessaku Kai / Peggy Jay London
2011 Postcards to Japan / Iwate Japan
2011 CD Show / Aberdeen Infirmary Aberdeen
2011 A-5 Exhibition / Budapest Hungary
2011 Kibou (participatory) / Swiss Cottage Community London
2010 Mizu Utsuwa (Participatory) / Hoshikuma. Japan
2009 Miizuu Ki Ishi (Participatory) / Moss & Co Gallery London
2009 Mizu (Participatory) / SSA & Swiss Cottage London
2009 Thoughts Fed (Installation) / Mr. Esson’s Field Aberdeen
2009 Thoughts Fed / Hoshikuma Japan
2007 Under Our Feet (Participatory) / SSA Edinburgh
2007 Aberdeen Artists / Aberdeen Art Gallery Aberdeen (2003-09)
2007 A-6 Exhibition / Peacock Visual Arts Aberdeen (2005-07)
2006 Feeding Thoughts (Participatory) / Aberdeen Artists Aberdeen
2005 Soul Figures (Participatory) / Limousine Bull Aberdeen
2005 Soul Hunters / Parriothall Gallery Edinburgh
2005 Passport to Tory / Limousine Bull Aberdeen
2005 Outside In (Participatory) / SSA Edinburgh
2004 Affordable Art Fair / Battersea London
2004 Figure It Out / Gallery Heinzel Aberdeen
2004 Aberdeen Artists (Participatory) / Aberdeen Art Gallery Aberdeen
2003 Moving Solution (Participatory) / Bonhaga Gallery Shetland
2004 A-5 Exhibition / Peacock Visual Arts Aberdeen
2004 Soul Hunting (Participatory) / Century Gallery London
2004 Feeding Thoughts (Participatory) / Shetland, Edinburgh, Tokyo Japan
2002 New English Art Club / Mall Galleries London
2002 Summer Exhibition / Royal Academy London
2002 Summer Show / Gallery Heinzel Aberdeen
2002 Estaminet Limousine Bull / Aberdeen
2002 Candlemas ( Installation ) / Mr Glennie’s Field Fife
2002 Candlemas (Participatory) / Newton Dee Aberdeen
2002 Spring & Summer Exhibitions / Enterprice Oil Aberdeen
2002 One Step from the Womb (Participatory) / Diorama Arts London
2001 Summer Exhibition Royal Academy / London
2001 Reflection From the Floating World / Manchester, Darlington, Edinburgh & Fraserburgh
2001 College Art Competition / Angus College Arbroath
2001 Virtual Summer Show Scottish Gallery / Edinburgh
2000 Visual Art of Scotland (VAS) Royal Scottish Academy / Edinburgh
2000 Riverside Gallery at Edinburgh Festival / Edinburgh
2000 Cheltenham Open Drawing / Cheltenham & Hull & Berlin Germany
2000 Glasgow Art Fair (Riverside Gallery) / Glasgow
2000 One Step from the Womb Bread / Diorama Arts
2000 10th year Exhibition Gallery Heinzel /Aberdeen
2000 One Step from the Womb (participatory) / Aberdeen Art centre Aberdeen
2000 One Step from the Womb Field (installation) / Mr. Esson’s field Aberdeen
2000 Sculptures and work on paper / Conoco Ltd Aberdeen
Exhibitions
Houston Women’s Caucus, Art League of Houston, K-21 Open, Nagano City Folk Art Museum, Gallery Centre Point and Awajicho Gallery in Tokyo, Derwent Drawing Open in Cheltenham, Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, Horton Place Gallery, Walton Gallery, Affordable Art Fair in London,
Collective Galley, Nexus Gallery in Edinburgh, Duff House in Banff, Seagate Gallery in Dundee, the Lost Gallery and Royal Infirmary in Aberdeen
WORKSHOPS
2011-16 Art Class at Nippon Club / London
2007-10 ‘Japan Day’ Workshop / Aberdeen
2009 ‘Mizu’ (Japan-UK 150) / Swiss Cottage Community Centre London
2008 Co-organiser for ‘Art Class’ / Nippon Club London
2004-07 ‘Japanese and Japanese culture’ / Robert Gordon’s College Aberdeen
2004-05 Co-organiser for ‘Life Drawing Class’ / Limousine Bull Aberdeen
2002-04 ‘Workshop’ / Newton Dee Bieldside
2001 ‘Candlemas’ / Newton Dee (Rudolf Steiner) Bieldside
2001 ‘Japanese culture and craft’ / Aberdeen Arts Centre
2001 Light House Museum (Japan 2001 Event )
Awards
2003 Aberdeen Visual Artists Award & Scheme
2001 Japan Foundation (Japan 2001 event)
2001 Sasakawa Foundation (Japan 2001 event)
1992 Honourable Mention Award Art League of Houston
1991-92 Glassell School Sculpture Scholarship
1991-92 Glassell School Drawing Scholarship
Professional Members and Societies
2007 The SSA Selection Committee
2007 Aberdeen Artists Professional Member
2007 Council Member for The SSA
2002-05 The Society of Scottish Artists Professional Member
2004 Selection Member for Intercultural Film Showcase
2004 Co-founder for Studio 251997
1996 U-Form K-21 Tokyo 1996
1986 SAAC, Visual Arts Scotland , professional member
1991 The board member for the Houston Women’s Caucus
Collections
Conoco Oil Company Ltd (drawing)
Enterprise Oil Company Ltd (sculptures)
Riverside Gallery (drawings)
The Lost Gallery (sculpture)
Also, my works are in many private collections in USA, Japan, UK, Holland & Spain.