The recipient of the 2018 Geidai Emerald Prize, metal sculptor Kengo Takahashi is one of Japan’s fastest rising stars. His recent exhibitions include his participation in the Paris Museum of Decorative Arts Japon-Japonismes, 1867-2018, SEIZAN Gallery New York’s inaugural exhibition Nihonga: Contemporary Art of Japan in 2018, and the 2018 Tokyo Art Fair. Takahashi’s signature series, Flower Funeral, uses ultra-thin metal casting to create animal skulls entirely made up of delicate aluminum flowers. Capturing a life in the midst of both decaying and blossoming, Takahashi has catapulted metal arts in Japan forward with his innovative use of technology. Sensing the world’s need for positive sociocultural identification, Takahashi’s current works strive to preserve familiar icons of life and culture through permanent metal casts while at the same moment presenting them in a new, fresh way. He is presently pursuing a post-graduate degree at Tokyo University of the Arts, School of Fine Arts.