Kenjirō Azuma
b. 12 March 1926 in Yamagata (J); Japanese sculptor, lives and works in Milan, Italy.
Azuma is among the foremost exponents of Japanese sculpture after the Second World War.
| 1949-1954 | Studied sculpture at the Tokyo University of the Arts. Azuma was given the opportunity to take a two-year master's course during which he studied Italian sculptors such as Emilio Greco, Pericle Fazzini, Luciano Minguzzi, Giacomo Manzù and especially Marino Marini. |
| 1956 | Assistant professor at the University. However, he soon decided to move to Italy. He was awarded a state scholarship and began studies at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan. There, he studied under Marino Marini, who held the post of professor of sculpture, ultimately becoming his assistant. |
| 1958 | First solo exhibition near Marukyū in Yamagata |
| 1961 | First solo exhibition in Europe at the Minima Galleria in Milan |
| 1961 | Participation in the exhibition "Arte e Contemplazione" in the Palazzo Grassi in Venice |
| 1963 | Tōkyō-Kokuritsu-Bijutsukan Award (National Museum of Modern Art Award) |
| 1960s | Several solo exhibitions in Italy, Germany and Switzerland. He also took part in annual exhibitions of the work of Japanese artists in Tokyo |
| 1964 | Invitation to documenta III in Kassel |
| 1970s | Numerous solo exhibitions in Japan (Tokyo, Yamagata and Ōsaka in 1974), the Netherlands and Italy (Milan: Galleria Stendhal in 1975 and 1979), in Yugoslavia (Aranđelovac and Belgrade in 1976), and in the Villa Reale in Monza in 1979 |
| 1970 | Participation in Expo 70 in Ōsaka and in "Art japonaise d'Aujourd'hui" at the Musée Cernuschi in Paris |
| 1971-1973 | Participation in numerous exhibitions in Japan and in the late 70s and 80s in many European countries |
| 1971 | St. Margarethen Sculpture Symposium |
| 1980-1990 | Professorship at the Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti in Milan |
| 1986-1991 | Teaching post at the Salzburg International Summer Academy |
| 1989 | Retrospective in five Japanese museums - Kamakura, Kōfu, Sendai, Tokyo and Ōsaka |
| 1993 | Appointment to the Accademia di San Luca in Rome |
| 1995 | Awarded the "Medal on a Purple Ribbon" for culture, received a second award from the Tennō in 2001 |
| 1999 | Visiting professor at the University of Art, Tokyo |