NAGAKURA KENICHI
Artis t S t a t e m e n t While working on my artwork, there is a moment when the intricacies of creation take over. Beyond my intention and control, a minor detail often becomes the major idea and supporting ideas begin outshining the main inspiration. I am often perplexed by these turn of events, nevertheless I follow my attraction into an infinite field of creative process. In my traveling down newly exposed paths, I hope for you this show will also be a place of discovery. I appreciate your taking the time to view and consider my latest artwork. Nagakura Kenichi June, 2009
Kyou 2 2009, 4 1/2 x 11 1/2 x 13 1/2 inches Cover: Brimming 2009, 7 x 17 inches
A c h a n c e v i s i t to a small Tokyo art gallery in the f a l l o f 1 9 9 7 w as my encounter with Nagakura K e n i c h i ’ s a r t w ork. I remember vividly how excit i n g h i s v e r y c ontemporary explorations of a tradi t i o n a l J a p a n e se art were. Several of the vessels w e r e l i k e d r a wings in space with the thin strips of b a m b o o b e i n g the ink, while other pieces looked l i k e o b j e c t s f o und in nature. Seeing Nagakura’s s h o w m a d e m e intensely want to meet him and l e a r n a b o u t h i s approach to art making. Our m e e t i n g w a s t he trip’s highlight. Listening to him t a l k e n t h u s i a s tically about his search for an area o f t h e J a p a n e se art world where h e could express h i s c r e a t i v e u r ges was a refreshing change from t h e i n i t i a l r e s erve of many artists. That Nagakura d i s c o v e r e d h i s artistic medium in his own fam i l y t h r o u g h h i s grandfather, who was a traditional b a m b o o a r t i s a n, was delightful. A s he talked, I f o u n d h i s e x u berant approach of breaking with t r a d i t i o n a n d still drawing on it exhilarating. N a g a k u r a ’ s u sage of traditional techniques and m a t e r i a l s i n a radically different manner than any o t h e r b a m b o o artist, instantly found an apprecia t i v e A m e r i c a n and European audience. He be c a m e o n e o f L loyd Cotsen’s favorite contemporary b a m b o o a r t i s t s. In looking back at Nagakura’s f i r s t s o l o s h o w catalogue from 1999, I am struck b y h o w d y n a m ically he has kept artistically mov i n g f o r w a r d . This is now his sixth solo show with t h e g a l l e r y, a n d the new body of a rtwork is daz z l i n g . “ P l a y ” incorporates pieces of African iron c u r r e n c y w i t h bamboo coupled with a dense pa t i n a t h a t a p p e ars to be metallic but is not. The p i e c e i s r e f e r ential to his leaf series started more
t h a n a d e c a d e ago, but is now animated with a s u r r e a l e n e r g y. With “Kyou 1” and “Kyou 2” the f o r m s h a v e t h e feeling of an excavated archeo l o g i c a l o b j e c t from a past Asian civilization. Their a p p e a r a n c e c ould be seen as cast bronze or fired c l a y e n v e l o p i n g a bamboo structure. Nagaku r a ’ s a b i l i t y t o create ambiguity in artwork is fully a c h i e v e d i n t h ese sculptures. His wall pieces c o n t i n u e t o e v olve in new directions that delight t h e e y e f r o m vessels that have the possibility of c o n t a i n i n g f l o wers to a brand new series of base r e l i e f s t h a t a r e painterly in their execution. In “ F l o w ” a n d “ B r imming” the interlaced strips of b a m b o o c o u p l ed with his signature clay based p a t i n a l o o k s l i ke the surface of a richly layered c a n v a s . N a g akura’s love of drawing and painting h a s b u r s t i n t o the medium of bamboo with great f r e s h n e s s a n d vitality. I n c e l e b r a t i o n of his enduring desire to change a n d e v o l v e h i s art, the gallery decided to make a r a d i c a l b r e a k with our tradition of doing a print c a t a l o g u e , a n d make his newest artwork available o n t h e i n t e r n e t so that a much larger audience c a n s e e a n d a ppreciate his latest creations. -Robert T. Coffland
P r i c e list availa ble upon request by e - m a i l i n g g a l l ery@textilearts.com.
Tendencies 2008, 9 1/2 x 6 x 27 1/4 inches
Contemplation 2008, 11 x 10 x 16 inches
Presence 2008, 27 1/2 x 6 1/2 x 10 1/2 inches Play 2009, 12 1/2 x 19 1/2 x 12 1/2 inches (right)
Ensnared Form 2009, 30 x 16 x 13 inches
Ancient Figure II 2008, 14 x 6 x 15 3/4 inches
Ray of Bamboo Light 2008, 9 x 9 x 26 inches
Intersection 2008, 7 x 5 x 19 inches
Flow 2009, 8 1/2 x 32 inches
Tusk 2009, 3 x 4 1/2 x 23 inches
Moon Flower 2008, 34 x 8 x 23 inches
Leaping Sage 2009, 6 x 10 1/2 x 13 1/4 inches
Tree Ring 2009, 8 1/2 x 11 1/2 x 14 inches
NAGAKURA KENICHI 1952 1975 1982 1985 1986 1988 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Born in Shizuoka City, Japan Studied under Grandfather Solo exhibition at Gallery Takei, Numazu Solo exhibition at Shin-Gifu Department Store Solo exhibition at Gallery Takei, Numazu and at Shizuoka Gas Salon Solo exhibition at Sapoa People, Tokyo and MOA Gallery, Nagoya Solo exhibition at Umeda Hankyu Department Store, Osaka Solo exhibition at Gallery Kouki, Paris, France Solo exhibition at La Richipel Surle, Bourgogne, France Solo exhibition at Gallery Kukan, Shizuoka and at Shou meido Hall, Tokyo Solo exhibition at Gallery Space Ten, Tokyo Group exhibition at Gallery Yummy, Hamamatsu and at Studio Com, Kyoto Solo exhibitions at Shoumeldo Hall, Tokyo; Gallery F, Gifu Gallery Space Ten, Tokyo Solo exhibition at Hokushin Gallery, Tokyo Solo exhibition at Studio Com, Kyoto and at Gallery Kukan, Shizuoka Solo exhibition at Matsuya Department Store, Tokyo Solo exhibition at Akasaka Yu Gallery, Tokyo; at Fujii, Numazu and Shin-Gifu Department Store Solo exhibition at Isetan Department Store, Shizuoka and at Kanazawa Dept.Store Two person exhibition, Ishigami-no-Oka Open Air Museum, Iwate Solo exhibition at Gallery Kasumi, Tokyo and at Axis Sapoa People, Tokyo Exhibition at German Culture Center, Tokyo Solo Exhibition, Kura Gallery, Gifu and at Axis Sapoa People, Tokyo Group Exhibition, Kodaira Shomei Hall, Tokyo Solo exhibition at Tai Gallery, Santa Fe, NM Bamboo Masterwork�, Asia Society, New York, NY Winner of Cotsen Bamboo Prize 2000 Bamboo Masterworks, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA Solo exhibition at Tai Gallery, Santa Fe, NM Bamboo Masterworks, Honolulu Academy of Art, Honolulu, HI Bamboo Fantasies, Tai Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
The Next Generation, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR Group Exhibition, Tigerman Himmel Gallery, Chicago, IL Three Views of Bamboo: Fujinuma, Nagakura, Shono; Jewish Museum, Kansas City,KS Solo Exhibition at Tai Gallery, Santa Fe, NM Group Exhibition, Hand Workshop Art Center, Richmond, VA Solo Exhibition at TAI Gallery, TAI Gallery, Santa Fe, NM Exhibited at the Arnot Art Museum, Elmira, New York, NY Power & Delicacy, TAI Gallery, Santa Fe, NMvv Hin: The Quiet Beauty of Japanese Art, Grinnell College, IA Hin: The Quiet Beauty of Japanese Art, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL Group Exhibition, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA Collaboration with Daniel Ost at Nocturne, Brussels, Belgium Solo Exhibition at TAI Gallery, Santa Fe, NM Intertwined: Contemporary Baskets for the Sara and David Lieberman Collection, Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, AZ New Bamboo: Contemporary Japanese Masters, The Japan Society, New York, NY Solo Exhibition, Susan Sheehan Gallery, NY, NY Intertwined: Contemporary Baskets from the Sara and David Lieberman Collection, The New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe, NM New Bamboo, Clark Center for Japanese Art, Hanford, CA Solo Exhibition at TAI Gallery, TAI Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Museum Collections:
San Francisco Asian Art Museum Clark Center for Japanese Art & Culture Mint Museum of Craft + Design
Back Cover: Sound of a Bamboo Flute 2009, 5 1/2 x 14 x 12 1/2 inches Photography by Gary Mankus
TA I G A L L E R Y
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