Hiroyuki Suzuki
Hiroyuki Suzuki is a Japanese artist whose practice moves across printmaking, drawing, relief, sculptural form, and material experimentation. Rather than treating printmaking as a means of reproduction, he approaches it as a direct encounter between ink, paper, plate, gesture, and form. His works have been presented in Japan and internationally for several decades and are held in public collections.
Japanese printmaker and artist
Studied printmaking at Atelier 17 in Paris under S. W. Hayter
Works held in public collections, including the Bibliothèque nationale de France
Exhibition at Art San Gallery, October 3–November 29, 2026
Artistic Practice
Hiroyuki Suzuki’s work is rooted in printmaking, but it extends beyond the traditional printed image. In his monotypes, reliefs, sculptural works, and material pieces, printing becomes a way of thinking through pressure, contact, transfer, and form.
Rather than separating image and object, Suzuki brings them into close relation. Surfaces become records of contact. Ink, paper, plate, and material respond to one another through pressure and movement, allowing the work to emerge from a physical process rather than from image-making alone.
In his monotypes, Suzuki works with Charbonnel oil-based printmaking inks on Arches paper. Each work is unique. Ink is applied, removed, pressed, and transferred, creating a surface where gesture, material, and image are inseparable.
His earlier experiments with copperplate prints and metal reliefs established a long-standing interest in the transformation of surface and material. His recent monotypes, including the being shaped series, continue this exploration of the charged moment when ink, plate, and paper come into contact.
The being shaped Series: Monotypes by Hiroyuki Suzuki
being shaped no.17
Monotype, 50 × 33 cm / 19.7 × 13 in, 2018
being shaped - light red I -
Monotype, 33 × 25 cm / 13 × 9.8 in, 2017
Biography
Hiroyuki Suzuki was born in Kariya, Japan, in 1950. From 1972 to 1973, he worked as an assistant to Morio Shinoda and Tomio Miki, two important Japanese artists whose practices were deeply connected to material, form, and postwar experimentation.
From 1973 to 1977, Suzuki lived in Paris and studied printmaking at S. W. Hayter’s Atelier 17, one of the most influential printmaking studios of the twentieth century. His international formation continued in 1982–83, when he lived in New York and cooperated in printmaking with Shusaku Arakawa.
Since the 1970s, Suzuki has exhibited widely in Japan and abroad. His work has been presented in international exhibitions including the International Biennial of Graphic Art in Cannes, the Ljubljana International Biennial of Graphic Arts, the Biella International Biennial of Graphic Art, and the Kochi International Triennial Exhibition of Prints.
In 2007, Suzuki was invited as an artist-in-residence at Northern Print in Newcastle, England, where he also held a solo exhibition.
His works are held in public collections in Japan and abroad, including the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Royal Library of Belgium, Cremona Civic Museum, The Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu, and The Museum of Modern Art, Ibaraki.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hiroyuki Suzuki
Who is Hiroyuki Suzuki?
Hiroyuki Suzuki is a Japanese artist born in Kariya, Japan, in 1950. His practice moves across printmaking, drawing, relief, sculptural form, and material experimentation.
Where did Hiroyuki Suzuki study?
Hiroyuki Suzuki studied printmaking at S. W. Hayter’s Atelier 17 in Paris from 1973 to 1977. Before moving to France, he worked as an assistant to Morio Shinoda and Tomio Miki from 1972 to 1973. His international formation continued in New York in 1982–83, where he cooperated in printmaking with Shusaku Arakawa.
What kind of work does Hiroyuki Suzuki make?
Hiroyuki Suzuki creates etchings, monotypes, drawings, reliefs, sculptural works, and material pieces. His practice explores surface, pressure, transfer, structure, and the physical presence of materials.
What materials does Hiroyuki Suzuki use in his monotypes?
In his monotypes, Hiroyuki Suzuki works with Charbonnel oil-based printmaking inks on Arches paper. Each monotype is a unique original work.
Where has Hiroyuki Suzuki exhibited?
Since the 1970s, Hiroyuki Suzuki has exhibited in Japan and internationally, including major print exhibitions in Cannes, Ljubljana, Biella, Kochi, Krakow, Cremona, Taiwan, and Croatia.
Are Hiroyuki Suzuki’s works held in public collections?
Yes. Hiroyuki Suzuki’s works are held in public collections in Japan and abroad, including the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Royal Library of Belgium, Cremona Civic Museum, The Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu, and The Museum of Modern Art, Ibaraki.
When will Hiroyuki Suzuki exhibit at Art San Gallery?
Hiroyuki Suzuki’s exhibition at Art San Gallery will take place from October 3 to November 29, 2026, in Gujo Hachiman, Gifu, Japan. The exhibition will be open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with visits on other days available by appointment.