The Hakone Open-Air Museum is delighted to present “Tetsuya Noguchi – ARMOURED DREAMER,” the ninth exhibition in a series showcasing new forms of contemporary creative expression.
Driven by a curiosity about civilized society and human nature, contemporary artist Tetsuya Noguchi explores the theme of “Armour and Man.”
Despite their old-fashioned appearance, his works are made of modern materials, such as resin and acrylic, and encapsulate the artist’s concepts of reality and diversity. The sculptures, with their deceptively realistic skin texture, strike an ironic note, drawing a contrast with the performative expressions often found in contemporary Japanese art, and stimulate the viewer’s imagination. Though the motif of his works is armour, the works portray a positive image of human beings across the past, present, and future.
Noguchi sees the armour, an icon in itself, as “the shell of a living creature,” and claims that “the shell-clad human being is not an inhabitant of another dimension or theatrical event, but simply a figure that responds to the times and the environment.”
The exhibition will be held in the Main Gallery, unchanged since the museum opened in 1969, and will feature approximately 75 two- and three-dimensional pieces, including several new works. In this open-air museum, where nature and art coexist in harmony, Noguchi’s expansive ideas and exquisite creations will come together to form an intellectual space that is welcoming to all.
Exhibition Title
Tetsuya Noguchi – ARMOURED DREAMER
Artist
Tetsuya Noguchi
Period
July 19, 2025 (Sat) – January 12, 2026 (Mon, holiday)
Venue
Main Gallery
Museum Hours
9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Closed Days
No closed days (open year-round)
Organized by
Chokoku-no-Mori Art Foundation
Supported by
GYOKUEI, The dokyuncompany, P.I.C.S.
Number of works on exhibit
About 75
Artist Message
ARMOURED DREAMER
With “Armour and Human” as my guide, I have spent years not only creating paintings and sculptures, but perhaps even more so, reflecting on various themes as I let my hands and mind work in quiet tandem.
My fascination with armour goes back to my childhood. At the same time, I am keenly interested in human nature — past, present, and future. I love people and the world as much as I love armour. That is why I do not think of armour as just an outfit for a warlord; I think of it as a product of the past that humans made to protect their bodies.
Humans are adaptable creatures, capable of thriving in any environment, climate, country, or under any law. In this process, we invent things once thought impossible, and at times, we adopt forms that seem strangely unfamiliar. This mysterious and unsettling transformation has long fueled my curiosity. The unchanging essence of humanity, concealed beneath the altered appearance shaped by made things, flutters within the rigid shell.
Emptiness, loneliness, joy, anger, and other genuine human emotions combine with colors and shapes to illuminate my life’s journey. In this exhibition, I present various pieces I have created in the past. I would be very happy if my work evoked a feeling in you and, if possible, conveyed something more meaningful than humor. Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to everyone involved in the exhibition. Thank you very much.
Tetsuya Noguchi
Biography and Selected Exhibitions
Tetsuya Noguchi
1980: Born in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan
2003: Graduated from the Department of Fine Arts, Oil Painting, Faculty of Arts, Hiroshima City University
2005: Completed Hiroshima City University Graduate School
2016: Received the 2016 Kagawa Prefecture Culture and Art Newcomer Award
Noguchi continues his creative practice from a perspective rooted in realistic representation, using weapons and armour, as well as the people who wear them, as motifs.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2014: “Tetsuya Noguchi Exhibition — Historical Odyssey,” Nerima Art Museum, Asahi Group Oyamazaki Villa Museum of Art
2018: “From Medieval with Love,” Pola Museum Annex
2019: “In Armor: Toyama Edition,” Shusui Museum of Art
2021: “This is not a Samurai,” Takamatsu Art Museum, Gunma Museum of Art, Tatebayashi, Kariya City Art Museum, Yamaguchi Prefectural Art Museum)
2022: “Tetsuya Noguchi Exhibition – armored space,” Ginza Tsutaya Books, GINZA ATRIUM
Selected Group Exhibitions
2020: “ART in LIFE, LIFE and BEAUTY,” Suntory Museum of Art
2023: “Shin Japanese Painting: Revolutionary Nihonga,” Pola Museum of Art
Exhibition Content and Highlights
Museum in Museum
The works will be displayed in a manner befitting the distinctive features of the Main Gallery. The exhibition experience, where visitors move through each hall while feeling the unfolding story, incorporates spaces for outdoor sculptures, offering a new way to engage with the works.
Exhibition Hall 1
This is an introduction to the Tetsuya Noguchi exhibition. The arrangement and composition of the displays will emphasize the connection between the works’ floating or conceptual nature and the museum’s open-air exhibition landscape.
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Exhibition Hall 2
Three-dimensional works in varied poses will be displayed on tiered stands that seem to connect seamlessly with the forest outside the museum. The walls will be lined with two-dimensional works in different styles.
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Exhibition Hall 3
Noguchi’s works will be arranged in compositional displays throughout the museum’s exhibition hall, creating a serene art space imbued with the overwhelming presence of the collection.
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Exhibition Highlights
The exhibition will feature around 75 pieces, including both recent creations and notable works from the artist’s early years.
This will be Tetsuya Noguchi’s first major solo exhibition in three years.
The exhibition will emphasize the unique characteristics of the Main Gallery at the Hakone Open-Air Museum, unchanged since the museum’s opening in 1969.
New works created for this exhibition will be on display. More new works will be displayed in the fall.
Main Exhibits
GUNMAN (2025) Mixed mediaPhoto: Mutsumi Nagahashi
Clumsy heart (2018) Mixed media
RING AND MAN (2024) Mixed mediaPhoto: Mutsumi Nagahashi
