Kengo NAKAMURA

Kengo NAKAMURA (b. 1969) was born in Osaka, Japan, and graduated from the Tama Art University Graduate School, specializing in Japanese painting. Based on traditional Japanese painting techniques, such as gouache, Kengo Nakamura combines pop culture symbols with Western pop art trends, using elements like emojis, manga dialogues, and cartoon character silhouettes to reflect the diverse ideologies of contemporary urban life. By deconstructing and reorganizing pop culture while observing society as the theme of his work, the artist explores the impact and influence of pop culture on Japanese-style paintings with his distinctive artistic language.

In recent years, NAKAMURA has shifted his focus even further toward the relationship between Japanese and East Asian cultural history and modern painting, delving deeper into the deconstruction and interpretation of philosophical concepts. In addition to painting, NAKAMURA is actively involved in interdisciplinary collaborations, exhibitions, and academic conferences. He has organized multiple collaborative projects with other creators, establishing himself as a leading figure in contemporary Japanese art on the international stage.

NAKAMURA’s works have been displayed in various international exhibitions, including: un petit GARAGE SELECTION, un petit GARAGE, Tokyo, Japan (2022), Modern Japanese Japanese-style Painting, AKI Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan (2021), Nouvel Horizon Japon, Galerie Taménaga, Paris, France (2021), Modern Lovers, Megumi Ogita Gallery, Tokyo, Japan (2018), Modern Japanese Japanese-style Painting 1994-2014, Kakegawa Ninomaru Museum of Art, Kakegawa, Japan (2015), COMPOSITION TOKYO, CAI International GmbH, Hamburg, Germany. His works are also in the collection of Yokohama Museum of Art, Japan.