Kenji

KENJI, born Kenji Bertheau-Suzuki is a Franco Japanese artist, painter, muralist, and sculptor born in Paris on February 3rd, 1958. He spends his childhood in Tokyo, Japan from 1963 until 1978. Kenji studies in the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris from 1980 until 1985. He belongs to Banlieue Banlieue, French Street Art Group working together. Muralists, graffitists, they paint monumental paintings in international urban spaces all around the world. They belong to the Figuration Libre movement of the 80s, expressing their art via urban areas, with colored and figurative paintings breaking with the fashionable conceptual and minimalist dictatorship of the art market. Born in 1982, Banlieue-Banlieue was a group of ten French artists. In 1987 it became a trio with Alain Campos, Ivan Sigg and Kenji Suzuki. They paint together on the same monumental painting, sometimes up on buildings, in urban spaces around the world. Georges Boudaille (1925-1991), art critic wrote, « Banlieue-Banlieue is painting like Vishnu God, with six arms for one painting." 

In 1989, back from an artistic tour in the United States, they decide to stop their common opus. Although remaining friends, the three artists follow their own artistic paths, Alain Campos, Ivan Sigg, the painting, Kenji, the sculpture. 

In 1989, Lise Cormery shows the sculptures of KENJI, publishes his sculptures in the Guide of the Contemporary Art "L'Agend'ART", the Guide "L'ART et l'Adresse" and writes "Kenji belongs to Banlieue Banlieue trio, each artist leading their own personal artistic research as well as their collective opus. I met them in their common studio and this is where I saw the sculptures of Kenji for the first time. People or tiny compositions to hang on the wall, created with recycling recovery metal tools or large size sculptures, each sculpture is very poetic, in the spirit of Saint Exupéry's "Le Petit Prince". SOLO SHOWS 1987 1988 Galerie Horloge, Paris. 1988 Galerie 412, Tokyo, Japon. 1989 Atrium Gallery, Washington D.C. 1989 Galerie Penson, New York. 1989 1990 1991 Galerie Lise Cormery Art et Communication Paris. PUBLISHING 1989 1990 Guide de l'Art Contemporain, Editions Lise Cormery 1990 1991 Guide de l'Art Contemporain L'Art et L'Adresse, Editions Lise Cormery. Le Monde, « Les graffitiste à Drouot », 28-27 juin 1987. Le Journal des Arts, L'Oeil. A SELECTION OF MONUMENTAL 1986 Against Apartheid, facade of Beaubourg Museum Building - Frescoe 10 x 10 meters for the Opening of Department Store Seyu2, Tokyo, Japon.