Zon Ito was born in 1971 in Osaka, Japan and graduated from the Kyoto City University of Arts in 1996. Ito’s artistic practice is distinguished by his choice of media, which includes clay modeling, embroidery, net-weaving, drawing, book-making, and animation. He deliberately privileges materials and techniques that were historically viewed as "lowbrow" or "too crafty" within the context of 20th-century art. By reclaiming these traditional handicraft methods, Ito creates intricate shapes and colors that challenge the distinction between fine art and craft.
The core of Ito’s artistic vocabulary is a deep fascination with the natural world. His work explores the fragile and complex relationship between human existence and nature. Through his diverse mediums, he depicts the tension and connections between man-made objects and the uncontrollable elements of the environment. The result is a body of work featuring hybrid landscapes and fantastical dream scenes that symbolize the inextricable link between humans and the natural world. His first exhibition with Konard Fischer took place in 2004.
His work is held in various public collections globally including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan, The National Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan, Takamatsu City Museum of Art, Kagawa, Japan, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, US, and The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan.
The artist lives and works in Kyoto.