Shadow

Katsuyuki Shinohara's picture book "Kage," published by Subaru Shobo in 1976, was Shinohara's first standalone picture book. It is an extremely free and experimental early work, released before Shinohara gained widespread popularity as the "Artist Bear."

Born during a period of expansion in picture book expression in the 1970s, this book transcends the boundaries of a children's reading material, becoming a "picture book as art" where the sensibility of a sculptor, humor, unease, and poetic sentiment intertwine. Using the familiar yet abstract concept of "shadow" (kage), as indicated in the title, it encourages readers to explore the joy of seeing and imagining.

This book offers a glimpse into the origins of Katsuyuki Shinohara, who established a unique expressive world using iron and earth as materials, and already breathes with the sensibility that would lead to his later bold and humanistic activities. It is a debut work that remains fresh, conveying the excitement of an era when picture books were most adventurous.

[Title] Kage
[Publisher] Subaru Shobo
[Publication Date] December 25, 1976 (First Edition)
[Page Count] 30 pages
[Size] Approximately 22*30*1 cm
[Format] Hardcover
[Language] Japanese
[Title Reading] KAGE
[Author/Editor, etc.] Katsuyuki Shinohara/Author
[Printing] Dainippon Printing/Printing, Dainippon Bookbinding/Binding
[ISBN]
[Condition] Used [4] Fair to Below Average (Cover: Edge damage, minor tear repaired; Book body: Corner damage, minor stains)
[Accessories] None
[Featured In] -
[Related Exhibitions] -

Katsuyuki Shinohara (1942-2026)

Born in Hokkaido in 1942. Artist, writer, and TV personality.
Dropped out of Musashino Art University. From the 1970s, while working on posters and stage art for Juro Kara's Jokyo Gekijo, he gained attention for his object art made from iron, and was widely known by the nicknames "Geijutsuka" (Artist) and "Kuma-san" (Bear).

In the 1980s, he was also active on television and radio with his unique storytelling and uninhibited personality, exuding a one-of-a-kind presence. He also dedicated himself to writing, receiving the Shogakukan Children's Publishing Culture Award for "Hashire UMI" and the Izumi Kyoka Literary Prize for "Koppu." In his later years, he moved his base to Nara and also engaged in art production using earth as a material. Passed away in 2026 at the age of 84.

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