Takahiro Nago — Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

May 3

May 3 Takahiro Nago

Biography

After all the logics of science went through my brain, I found out that I wanted to express my artistic insight.
First, begin with landscapes. Gradually changed to abstract paintings.
1986 Born in Japan
2009 Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Oklahoma State University, US
2012 Begin to paint
2013 Exhibition of R. KOISO Grand Prize “Winning”
2015 Okayama Prefectural Mr. I Development of Rising Artist Award “Finalist”
2017 Solo Exhibitions “Harmony with Earth and Sky” (Chogen Temple/Okayama, Japan, Gallery Ariso-ro/Hiroshima, Japan, Salon de VITACE/Hyogo, Japan, Hibiki-no-Mori/Yamaguchi, Japan, Ei-An-Bai/Okayama, Japan）
2019 Solo Exhibition “Vibration” (Tenjinyama Cultural Plaza of Okayama Prefecture/Okayama, Japan)
North East Asian Countries International Painting Exhibition (Inner Mongolia Museum/China)
Art Olympia 2019 in Tokyo “Honorable Mention”
2020 Group Exhibition “A Scenery” (GALLERY ART POINT/Tokyo)
Daegu Art Fair (Daegu/South Korea)

Artist Statement

I use acrylic paint to create artworks. I make these artworks to show the rhythm of life. I want my artworks to make rhythmic, dancing, and vibrating sense. I want people to come away with the feeling of being loved, relaxed, and energized. I use sheets of acrylic paint which is dried separately. I make the sheets waved to create unevenness and put them on canvas as collage. These waves express the rhythm of life or the life force energy such as piles of leaves, flowing clouds, swaying trees, school of fish, on-growing moss, blowing wind, human society, and so on. The artworks contain movement.

What first prompted you to think of becoming an artist?

I actually wanted to be an artist when I was a little child. But everybody around me says "It is impossible" or " You will live a poor life". Then I suppressed my wish by myself and chose to be a scientist because a scientist sounds like “it is possible to live”. After I grew up, as a scientist, I found out that I was living an unhappy life. I did not know why. What changed me was MOMA which I visited during a trip to New York. I got really shocked and jealous of so many artists expressing their creativity so freely. Jackson Pollock’s “One: Number 31” especially touched my heart. It salvaged my wish toward creativity.

What kind of an artist do you ultimately see yourself?

An artist who always seeks the possibility of human beings.

What are you hoping to communicate to the viewer through your work?

I want people to find out the unity of the world and notice their own energy through my works. I want people to feel energy inside of them.

Can you explain the process of creating your work?

I use sheets of acrylic paint which is dried separately. I make the sheets waved to create unevenness and put them on canvas as collage.

What is your favourite part of the creative process?

The creative process is full of discoveries. I find out new mixing methods of colors, new contrast of 2 different mixes, new lighting because of unevenness, new synergy, and so on.

Can you give us an insight into current projects and inspiration, or what we can look forward to from you in the near future?

Currently, I’m looking at the volatility of the world. I’m not showing despair, but I want to see the human with energy even in the hardship period. In the near future, I’m planning a new project which will support the current project.

Website https://www.takahironago.com/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/takahiro_nago/

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