1957
Born in Tokyo
1984
B.A., Tokyo University of the Arts
1985-97
Lives and works in Kunitachi Tokyo
1997-06
Lives and works in Ghent, Belgium (by Jan Hoet invitation)
2007-10
Lives and works inFukuyama Hiroshima
2010-
Associate Professor, Tokyo University of the Arts
Lives and works in Tokyo and Hiroshima

Solo Exhibition
2010
“LOVE, more awful painting! and more beautiful, because painting is all for love", ShugoArts, Tokyo
2009
“MASATO KOBAYASHI – The Paint of the Planet”, Nariwa Museum, Okayama
2007
“LIGHT PAINTING”, ShugoArts, Tokyo
2006
“The Nude” ShugoArts, Tokyo
“light”, Takahashi Collection, Tokyo
“Masato Kobayashi 1982 - 1992”,ShugoArts Tokyo
2005
“Starry Paint”, Hoet-Bekaert Galery, Ghent
2004-5
“Starry Paint, stars of outer space by pure painting”, Tensta Konsthall, Spanga, Sweden
2004
“Starry Paint”, SHUGOARTS, Tokyo
2002
“Painting in Situ”, Rice Gallery by G2 (SHUGOARTS), Tokyo
2001
“A Son of Painting Masato Kobayashi”, S.M.A.K.(Museum of Contemporary Art Gent), Ghent
2000
“KOBAYASHI Masato”, The Miyagi Museum of Art, Sendai
1998
“At Night”, Satani Gallery, Tokyo
1997
“Masato Kobayashi, Recent Works”, Satani Gallery, Tokyo
1995
“Masato Kobayashi, Recent Painting & Drawings”, Satani Gallery, Tokyo
1992
“A Son of Painting”, Satani Gallery, Tokyo
1991
“Ku-Sen”, Satani Gallery, Tokyo
1989
“Masato Kobayashi, 1987-1988”, Satani Gallery, Tokyo
1986
“The Second Exhibition, New Generation”, Satani Gallery, Tokyo
1985
Kamakura Gallery, Tokyo

Group Exhibitions
2010
“The Burden of Representation; Abstraction in Asia Today ” osage kwan tong, HK, Shanghai
“ Living with art Contemporary Art from Japan and Taiwan” Yi&C. Contemporary Art, Taipei, Taiwan
“MOT Collection Enter here – what do you see? ”, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo
“Drawing in the Dark”, National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
“Memory/Memorial HIROSHIMA - POLAND”, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Hiroshima
“Mediations Biennale”, Zamek, Poznan, Poland
2009
“The Biennale Knokke Zoute 2009”, Knokke, Belgium
“Fair Market”, New York City, N.Y.
“12 Horizons – Perspectives of Contemporary Painting ”, Tokyo Station Gallery, Tokyo
2008
“Moon light show”, JOTA CASTRO STUDIO, Brussels, Belgium
“ShugoArts Show”, SHUGOARTS, Tokyo
2007
“Skies and Stars: Celestial Images ”, National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo, Tokyo
“Portrait Session”, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Hiroshima
2006
“Touching the Cosmos” The Vangi Sculpture Garden Museum, Shizuoka, Japan
“MOT Collection” Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo
2004
“WHY NOT LIVE FOR ART”, Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery
2003
“U-TOPOS”, Biennale Tirana, The National Gallery of Art, Tirana, Albania
2002
“Unfinished Century”, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
“Emotional sight”, Sagacho Shokuryo-bild, Tokyo
2001
“SENRITSUMIRAI”, Centro par l’arte Contemporanea Luiji pecci, Prato
2000
“Over the Edges”, S.M.A.K.(Museum of Contemporary Art Gent), Ghent, Belgium
“A CASA DI …”, Città dell’arte – Fondazióne Pistoletto, Biella
“Epifanie - Actuele Kunst en Religie”, Abdij van het Park, Heverlee, Belgium
1999
“The Opening”,S.M.A.K.(Museum of Contemporary Art Gent), Ghent, Belgium
“Serendipiteit-Watou’99”, Watou
1996
“Avant – Premiére d’ un musée, le Musée d’ art contemporain de Gand”, Institut Néerlandais, Paris
“Biennale de São Paulo 1996 Japão”, São Paulo
“de Rode Poort”, Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst, Ghent, Belgium
1995
“A Perspective on Contemporary Art: Painting – Singular Object”, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
1992
“Seductive Brush Marks: From the late 19th century to the present day”,　Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, Kyoto
1991
“Poetics of Hue, A message from two dimensions of contemporary paintings”, Kawasaki City Museum, Kanagawa
1988
“A Perspective on Contemporary Art: Color and/or Monochrome”, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo / The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
“Drawing as Itself”, The National Museum of Modern Art, Osaka
1987
“Icons in Contemporary Art”, The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama
1986
“Scene of Contemporary Japanese Art 3: The New Generation”, Miyagi Museum of Art, Sendai

Selected Bibliography
2005
HOSAKA, K., Kobayashi Masato, Subaru, Mar, Japan
2004   
OGLAND, Y., E.O., HOSAKA, K., and YOSHIDA, M., Starry Paint, stars of outer space by pure painting, Exh. Cat., Tensta Konsthall, Spanga.
2001   
HOHT, J., VAN CAUTEREN, P., and CAI, G.Q., Son of Painting, Exh. Cat., S.M.A.K., Ghent.
NAGOYA, S., Kobayashi, M., Reviews, Flash Art International, Jan./Feb.
2000   
WADA, K., VAN CAUTEREN, P., en KOBAYASHI, M., Exh. Cat.
KOBAYASHI Masato, The Miyagi Museum of Art, Sendai, Japan.
1996   
MOTOE, K., Masato Kobayashi – The Art of Luminosity, Exh. Cat. Biennale de Saõ Paulo, Japaõ.
1995   
KOBAYASI, M., (interviewed), Studio: The Place for the Angels, Painting=Angel, In: Brutus, nr. 250, June 1995.
1992   
MOTOE, K., Child of Light – about Masato Kobayashi’s Recent Work, Exh. Cat. Son of Painting, Satani Gallery, Tokyo.
1991   
MINAMASHIMA, H., The Revolution of Painting, Exh. Cat., Satani Gallery, Tokyo.
1989   
ICHIKAWA, M., A Color, Not One Color, In: Exh. Cat. A Perspective on Contemporary Art: Color and/or Monochrome, The National Musem of Modern Art, Tokyo.
TATEHATA, A., The Delay of Line, In: Exh. Cat. Drawing as Itself, The National Museum of Modern Art, Osaka.
1986   
MOTOE, K., Fuzai ni tsuite (On Absence), Exh. Cat., Satani Gallery, Tokyo.

Award
1994   
Encouragement　Prize at VOCA ‘94

Public Collection
National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo, Tokyo   
Sezon Museum of Modern Art, Karuizawa, Nagano   
Chiba City Museum, Chiba   
S.M.A.K.(Museum of Contemporary Art Gent), Belgium   
Takamatsu City Museum, Takamatsu, Kagawa   
The Dai-ich Mutual life Insurance Company, Tokyo   
The Niigata Bandaijima art Museum, Niigata 
The Vangi Sculpture Garden Museum, Shizuoka   
The Miyagi Museum of Art, Sendai   
Tokyo Station Gallery, Tokyo