下山直紀

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下山直紀（Naoki Shimoyama）｜藝術家簡介與創作理念

藝術家簡介（Biography）

下山直紀（Naoki Shimoyama）1972 年出生於日本群馬縣前橋市，2000 年畢業於多摩美術大學雕塑研究所（MFA）。二十多年來，他持續以木雕作為主要創作媒材，專注於動物雕塑的創作。

除了藝術創作之外，他亦長期投入藝術教育，曾任教於長岡造形大學及女子美術大學等藝術院校，培育新一代藝術創作者。

創作理念｜動物作為「自畫像」與「觀看世界的濾鏡」

下山直紀將自己的作品稱為**「Self Sculpture（自我雕塑／自畫像）」**。

對他而言，創作並非單純再現動物的外貌，而是將自己的思想、情感與內在精神投射到動物身上，並透過雕塑重新建構它們的存在。因此，作品中的動物既是真實的生命，也是一種象徵性的自我投影。

在他的創作中，動物更像是一種**「濾鏡（Filter）」**，幫助人們觀看不同維度的世界。牠們存在於可見與不可見、現實與想像之間，引領觀者重新思考那些人類平時無法察覺的存在。

下山直紀始終遵循三項創作原則：

創作主題必須是動物。
雕塑本身必須具有形式上的美感，並展現雕塑藝術獨有的魅力。
作品必須傳達對社會、歷史或自然觀的思考與訊息。

哲學思考｜《Atoma／Kenon（原子／虛空）》系列

近年來，下山直紀將創作視野延伸至更根本的生命命題，發展出《Atoma／Kenon（原子／虛空）》系列作品。

他以**Atoma（原子）象徵構成萬物最微小的基本單位，以Kenon（虛空）**象徵看似不存在、卻真實存在的空間與空無。

透過這個系列，他提出一個根本性的提問：

「我們如何認識那些沒有形體的存在？」

作品藉由雕塑將抽象的哲學概念具象化，引導觀者重新思考生命、存在與世界的本質。

近年創作

在數位化快速發展的時代，下山直紀始終堅持雕塑所帶來的真實材質、身體尺度與現場感。

他相信，只有透過木雕的重量、紋理與空間中的存在感，觀者才能真正感受到作品與身體之間所產生的共鳴，而這也是數位媒介無法取代的藝術經驗。

2025｜《LOOK BACK》

於 SHIKISAISHA 舉辦個展《LOOK BACK》，重新檢視並重構過去的創作記憶與生命經驗，以當代視角回望自身創作歷程。

2026｜《SHIN × Beast》

於 銀座蔦屋書店（Ginza Tsutaya Books） 舉辦個展《SHIN × Beast》。

展覽以「人類感知之外的未知存在」為主題，以陪伴人類演化至今的狗作為創作核心，將其塑造成彷彿行星、圖騰或信仰象徵般的生命體，探索人與未知世界之間的關係。

重要個展（Selected Solo Exhibitions）

2026｜《SHIN × Beast》｜銀座蔦屋書店（Ginza Tsutaya Books）
2025｜《LOOK BACK》｜SHIKISAISHA
2023｜《The Unicorn Beyond the Mist》｜gallery UG
2023｜《Naoki Shimoyama－Atoma/Kenon（原子／虛空）》特展｜高崎市美術館
2020｜《Dreamtime》｜西武池袋 Art Forum
2019｜《A Study in Instinct》｜高島屋（大阪、高崎、新宿、名古屋巡迴）

重要獎項（Major Awards）

羅馬獎（Rome Prize）
二科展特選獎（Nika Exhibition – Special Selection）
Sompo Japan 美術基金會鼓勵獎
上毛藝術文化獎（美術部門）
台灣三義國際木雕藝術節優秀獎（Merit Award）

Naoki Shimoyama | Artist Biography & Statement

Biography

Born in 1972 in Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture, Naoki Shimoyama completed his MFA in Sculpture at Tama Art University in 2000. Working primarily in wood carving, he has dedicated over 20 years to animal sculpture. Beyond his creative practice, he contributes to the education of future artists as a lecturer at institutions such as the Nagaoka Institute of Design and Joshibi University of Art and Design.

Artist Statement: Animals as "Self-Portraits" and "Filters"

Shimoyama refers to his works as "self-sculptures" (self-portraits). Rather than merely recreating nature, he projects his own inner world, thoughts, and emotions onto animal forms—sublimating them into the language of sculpture. For him, animals function as "filters" to glimpse different dimensions. These sculpted beings inhabit a boundary between the visible and the unseen, carrying a presence that eludes ordinary human perception.

He upholds three guiding principles in his practice:

The motif must be an animal.
The form must possess beauty (evoking the aesthetic emotion unique to sculpture).
The work must convey a clear message regarding society, history, or views of nature.

Philosophical Inquiry: Atoma and Kenon

In recent years, Shimoyama has expanded his focus toward universal and primordial concepts, notably in his "Atoma/Kenon" (Atoms/Void) series. Here, he visualizes the interplay between Atoma (the microscopic particles composing existence) and Kenon (the void that paradoxically exists as an absence). Through these works, he poses the fundamental question: "How do we recognize forms that have no shape?".

Recent Activities

In an era of increasing digitalization, Shimoyama remains committed to the tangible presence and physical scale of sculpture, believing in the resonant, bodily experience that only analog methods can provide.

2025: Held the solo exhibition "LOOK BACK" at SHIKISAISHA, which reconstructed past ideas and memories from a contemporary perspective.
2026: Presented the solo exhibition "SHIN × Beast" (SHIN × Jū) at Ginza Tsutaya Books. The exhibition explored the "unknown presence" outside human perception, featuring dogs—creatures that evolved alongside humans—reimagined as beings camouflaging as planets or objects of faith.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2026: SHIN × Beast, Ginza Tsutaya Books
2025: LOOK BACK, SHIKISAISHA
2023: The Unicorn Beyond the Mist, gallery UG
2023: Special Exhibition: Naoki Shimoyama - Atoma/Kenon (Atoms/Void), Takasaki Museum of Art
2020: Dreamtime, Seibu Ikebukuro Art Forum
2019: A Study in Instinct, Takashimaya (Osaka, Takasaki, Shinjuku, Nagoya)