Yu Kobayashi (b. 1957, Aichi, Japan) lives and works in Shizuoka, Japan in a self-built home and studio across the ocean near Mount Fuji. The muse of celebrated ceramicist, Kazunori Hamana, Yu Kobayashi views physical and kinetic experiences as a part of her creative diaristic process, where painting and sculpture are informed by an active daily practice of cooking, fishing, surfing and swimming. Kobayashi’s work has exhibited at Andrea Zittel’s A-Z West, Joshua Tree, CA; Curator’s Cube, Tokyo, JP; and Various Small Fires, Seoul, KR.

Kobayashi has a two-person exhibition with Dan John Anderson at Sea View, Los Angeles, CA in January, 2025.