Yoshinari Ishimura in New York
“Gifted Colors”

Left：
Yoshinari Ishimura, Little Polar Bear Waiting for Someone, 2025, acrylic on canvas, 45.94 × 45.94 in. (116.7 × 116.7 cm)
Right：
Yoshinari Ishimura, Hungry Angry, 2021, acrylic on canvas, 45.94 × 45.94 in. (116.7 × 116.7 cm)

A cheerful olive ridley turtle, a hungry, angry shoebill, a polar bear waiting for someone, and a blue lion. Each animal Yoshinari Ishimura paints has its own expression, brought to life across the canvas in vivid colors and bold compositions.

Ishimura is an artist based in Niihama, Ehime. Diagnosed with autism at the age of two, he grew up with the support of his family and those around him. He later discovered painting, and today animals are the main subject of his work. He has exhibited throughout Japan, and this summer more than 50,000 people visited his exhibition at The Museum of Art, Ehime.

This fall, Ishimura’s work comes to New York. The Nippon Gallery will present 22 of his acrylic paintings. We invite you to see these personality-filled animals in person.

Yoshinari Ishimura in Paris
Artist Profile
Born in Ehime in 1994, Yoshinari Ishimura received an Excellence Award in the drawing category at age 19 at the 2nd Nouvelle École de Paris Ukiyo-e Exhibition, followed by his first solo exhibition in 2014. His exhibitions have since toured Japan, and in 2025 he gave a live printing performance at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. In summer 2026, more than 50,000 visitors attended Yoshinari Ishimura Exhibition: I love living things – Ehime 2026 at The Museum of Art, Ehime. That same year, he met His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress of Japan at the 76th National Tree-Planting Festival in Ehime.