NISHIHARA☆Norio×KITAZONO Group
Nishihara Norio
Tower of Babel, “The History of Towers Tokyo Sky Tree Completion Special Exhibition”, Edo-Tokyo Museum,(Tokyo)2012
Photo：Koichiro Takagi
Nishihara Norio
Roots of the sun, “Osaka Canvas”, Expo'70 Commemorative Park, (Osaka),2016
Nishihara Norio Lizard, THE・Kouenji(Tokyo),2017
KITAZONO Group, “A Day in the Life of a Bus Guide,” 2024–2025, Kobe Rokko Meets Art Promotional Video
KITAZONO Group, “A Day in the Life of a Bus Guide,” 2024–2025, Kobe Rokko Meets Art Promotional Video
NISHIHARA☆Norio×KITAZONO Group
A collaborative unit formed in 2026 by Norio Nishihara, an artist known for his “kaburimono” (creative and outlandish headgear), and the musicians KITAZONO Group.
NISHIHARA☆Norio
Born 1971 in Fukuoka,live in tokyo
1990 Chikuyougakuen High School
After working for ten years at an art production company, he began his independent practice in 2004, centering on “kaburimono” and developing a distinctive body of work based on the concept of “wearing.”
In 2007, he presented “Put it in your head KABURIMONO,” a participatory exhibition in which visitors were free to try on the works, at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. Since then, the project has been presented in locations throughout Japan as well as in Paris, London, and Madrid.
In recent years, his practice has expanded to include stage design, workshops, and installations.
< Major Exhibitions >
Soro Exhibition ,"Put The Earth on your Head!" Fnabashi Andersen Park Childen's Art Museum(Chiba), 2016
"Put it in your head KABURIMONO"Centoro Centro Madrid(Spain), 2014
"MakotoClub+Norio⭐︎NishiharaGuerrilla Performance Inside the Building", 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa(Ishikawa), 2007
KITAZONO Group
KITAZONO Group is a sibling duo consisting of Masaru Kitazono and Akane Kitazono. Masaru Kitazono, the elder brother, is a uniquely gifted pianist who can never stay in one place for long. He serves as the seventh director of the world’s smallest circus troupe, Yamanekodan, performs as a cheerful organ player with the singing-and-dancing variety revue troupe Deliciousweets. He also plays accordion while helping energize audiences as a member of the special chindon band Junmakido and New Paradise Chindon. He is also a Kabuki enthusiast and an accomplished singer of Japanese folk songs. His younger sister, Akane Kitazono, is an opera singer who also lends her support to her brother’s adventurous artistic endeavors. The siblings are from Kobe.