Kunihiko Nohara is an artist who has been working with gallery UG for 15 years. Although his main focus is on wood sculpture, he does not limit himself to wood carving, but also collaborates extensively with other traditional crafts such as two-dimensional works, bronzes, and prints. Inheriting the Japanese wood carving culture that has developed alongside Buddhism since the 6th century, Nohara's works are also express using traditional carving technique. While his works have a strong presence, they also give form to unformed "fleeting moments" of everyday life that are difficult to remember. The characters in his works all wear underwater goggles. In today's information society, we are overwhelmingly unable to recognize faces and images of people, and their images are often blurred. However, like the Buddhist statues of 1,500 years ago, they have the potential to reach out to many people and unify them while building a relationship with the viewer. And Nohara believes that this is what art is all about, showing a new relationship between art and society with a wide range of possibilities for development. Since 2010, Nohara has been actively participating in solo exhibitions, art fairs, and special exhibitions in Japan and abroad. Nohara's influence extends far beyond national borders, as evidenced by his extensive exhibition history spanning major art hubs worldwide. From Tokyo to Taipei, New York to Jakarta, his works have left a deep mark on the global art scene. His much anticipated success within the artworld is due to his unique theme and vision for art: “The moment I feel independent from my surroundings, I sometimes feel like I'm in a slightly different time and space.” (Kunihiko NOHARA) He held solo exhibitions at the Ueno Royal Museum in 2017, the Ginza Tsutaya Books Atrium in 2018, and the World Heritage Site Nijo Castle in 2021. In the same year, "Think Green feat. Kunihiko Nohara" toured stores nationwide as part of Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Store's SDGs activities; a special exhibition "Floating moment" was held at The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo in September 2023. In March 2022, a 7-metre balloon was exhibited at Art Fair Tokyo, Japan's largest art fair, which became a talk of the town and a symbolic presence at Art Fair Tokyo. In March 2023, the balloon became a regular feature of the fair, delighting visitors. Public collection Hiroshima City University Art Museum (Hiroshima) SAKIA (Awajishima, Hyogo) Huaihai Road (Suzhou New District, China) Stork Fertility Center (Taipei, Taiwan)