art artist museum
石の彫刻　浅賀正治
Stone Sculptor　Masaji Asaga

Masaji Asaga

Message

　"A monument represents the spirit of dedication."

1) He creates and exhibits sculptures mainly using Japanese granite in his studio near the stone mining area.

(2) He works daily “for peace” and “for the realization of peace.

(3) There are more than 700 stone sculptures created by Masaji Asaga in Japan. The significance of these sculptures as touchable sculptures is profound. Touching is an important form of communication.

⑷The sculptures are not only a masterpiece of ideas, but also of production techniques.

He is qualified as a first-class technician in traditional Japanese stone working techniques.

Asaga works with traditional Japanese processing methods that utilize the spirit of the SDG's.

⑸He has created many monuments in parks, in front of train stations, schools, and universities. He has received many commissions from individual enthusiasts, and has created and installed countless works of art.

⑹ He has his own studio, machines, and tools for production and processing.

(7) He has an art museum. The museum is for the presentation of his own works, for the presentation of other artists, for hands-on lectures on stone sculpture, and for holding stone lectures to spread the culture of stone to the world.

⑻ International exchange activities. It has invited foreign artists and held “Artists in Residence” 10 times, from 1994 to 2024.

PROFILE

Masaji Asaga
1953. Born in Yamagata, Japan
1976. Studied under a sculptor, Mr. Ikuhisa Koganemaru
1985. Won the Golden Prize in the Seventh Biannual Gabrobo International Exhibition
1987. The work which won a prize by the Eighth Biannual Gabrobo InternationalExhibition is displayed
1992. Established Iwase Stone Sculpture Museum, “Rock Museum” in Ibaraki, JapanOrganized “Sculpture Workshop to Residents” and gave the workshop　Eleven times, free of charge, by 1998
1994. Masaji Asaga Exhibition, one Person show, Kaneko Art Gallery, Tokyo Japan
Organized “Artist in Residence Ⅰ,Stone Sculpture 1thousand exchange” and invited Mr. Ziyatin Nuriev, two Person show with Ziyatin Nouriev
1996. Organized a letter of Mr.Mariga which was sponsored by the Japan Foundation
Organized “Artist in Residence Ⅱ, Stone Sculpture 1thousand exchange” Two person show with Tsviatoko Siromashki
1997. Received Ibaraki Prefecture International Exchange Encouragement Award

1998. Organized “Artist in Residence Ⅲ, Stone Sculpture 1thousand exchange”

Two person show with Milan Andreev

Dispatched to the international exchange of the stone sculpture instruction in Zimbabwe by the Japan Foundation

2000. Organized “Artist in Residence Ⅳ, Stone Sculpture 1thousand exchange”

Two person show with Ivan Ressev

2001. Hold a stone sculpture lecture in parent and child by the support of the national Olympics memory Youth Center

2002. Organized “Artist in Residence Ⅴ,Stone Sculpture 1thousand exchange”

　　　　　　Two person show with　Snejana Simeonova
2004. Prize for Republic of Bulgaria reputation award ceremony Produced a stone sculpture in town Ilindentwi of the Bulgarian stone Held 22 times of stone sculpture citizen lectures so far

2005. Organized “Artist in Residence Ⅴ, Stone Sculpture 1thousand exchange” Two person show with Stefan Ryutakov

Won the Earth Citizen Prize from Japan Foundation

2008. Organized “Artist in Residence Ⅵ, Stone Sculpture 1thousand exchange” Two person show with Kiril Meskin

Went to the Republic of Bulgaria for cultural exchange by dispatch business of the 23rd National CulturalFestival

2011. Won the Golden Century prize from the Republic of Bulgaria
2014. Become the lecturer of the Ibaraki Prefectural Makabe Senior High School environment green tract of land course

Masaji Asaga`s work attempts to draw shapes out from the stone medium, that express warm thoughts reaching out to be touched by people.