In Tomoko Nagai’s works, various motifs such as animals, young girls, colorful trees and mushrooms are scattered against backgrounds of forests or rooms that appear reminiscent of theater sets. All of her works harbor a unique spatiality in which a sense of liveliness as if having condensed the world of fantasy, complexly overlap with the layers of the image. Nagai employs various media such as a sculpture and installation as well as a painting within her practice. This results in diverse matiere and levels of intensity that become elements and rhythms that together constitute a single musical score. In sensing this music, we as viewers unwittingly find ourselves entering the narratives of her work. This exhibition that marks the artist’s fifth time  presentation at Tomio Koyama Gallery for the first one in three years, features works created since 2006 as well as a selection of her latest works. We invite viewers to venture into Nagai’s magical and dreamy world, conjured from her works that have been created in her cherished atelier.

The time I have spent in my Atelier is peach and rose colored, and is magic.

Matisse’s work “The Pink Studio,” is a work that I very much appreciate.

I have worked in several ateliers within the past 12 years and all have been precious places to me.

Presented are works that have been created as a culmination of many days,

including works I made a long time ago. Of course, there will be a latest works as well.

I’m nervous but excited.

–Tomoko Nagai

I have organized this exhibition in hopes to present an overview of Tomoko Nagai’s works created over the past 12 years up until now, as an artist who has been working energetically since holding her first solo exhibition in 2007. Although solo exhibitions are usually an occasion to present an artist’s latest works, the artists themselves are indeed developing and changing year by year. It is my desire to look upon the progressive course of such changes, and I also contemplate showing the works of other artists in this manner in future. I hope viewers will enjoy Nagai’s exhibition, which marks the first installment of this new style of presentation.  –Tomio Koyama

For more information, please visit the following link.

http://www.hikarie8.com/artgallery/2018/05/nagaitomoko.shtml