Born in Shiga, Japan, in 1972. Lives and works in Tokyo. In 2001 she simultaneously released a series of three photographic books – UTATANE, HANABI, HANAKO from Little More publisher, which created an overnight sensation in the photography world in Japan.
In 2002, she was awarded prestigious 27th Annual Kimura Ihei Award for two of the books, UTATANE and HANABI.
Further publications of Rinko Kawauchi, which should be mentioned, are AILA (FOIL 2004), the eyes, the ears, and Cui Cui (FOIL, 2005 / both) and Semear (FOIL, 2007).
Received the eminent Annual Infinity Award 2009 by International Center of Photography, USA, in Art Category.
Kawauchi has joined and held many group and solo exhibitions both at home and abroad to date, among others, major solo exhibitions are: 2005 Foundation Cartier pour l’art Contemporain, Paris;
2006 The Photographers’ Gallery, London; 2007 AILA + the eyes, the ears, Hasselblad Centre, Göteborg; 2007 Semear Museu de Arte Moderna de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo; 2008 Cui Cui The Vangi Sculpture Garden Museum, Shizuoka: 2010 Rinko Kawauchi: Transient Wonders, Everyday Bliss – Photography, Video & Slides 2001-2009 ARGOS Center for Art & Media, Brussels.
Major group exhibitions include: 2006 Collection of the Foundation Cartier pour l’art Contemporain Museum Contemporary Art, Tokyo; 2008 Blooming: Brazil-Japan Where You Are Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi; Brighton Photo Biennial 2010 New Documents Brighton.
Her unique approach of “drawing senses” and consistent motif of every day details, as well as circulation of life and its transience has been admired from the art lovers all over the world.
