Case 01_Artist Joji Nakamura Creating works without being influenced by the times or trends
Joji Nakamura
Born in 1974. While based on his activities as a painter, he also organizes projects and group exhibitions with various artists. He also manages a book label, K.M.L. BOOK.
Instagram:@joji_nakamura
What was the year 2020 like?
Nakamura:This year has been a difficult one, with the cancellation of some of our planned exhibitions.
You had a solo exhibition at "CLEAR GALLERY TOKYO" in Roppongi in March, didn't you?
Flyer for a group exhibition held in the Netherlands. The work in the center is Nakamura's.
Nakamura:That's right. There was a group exhibition in the Netherlands in May, and I was supposed to go there to participate, but I ended up sending only my works. I was supposed to participate in a group exhibition in Holland in May, but I ended up sending only my works. After the group exhibition, I was supposed to exhibit my works at an art fair there, but that was also canceled.
I heard that your works are popular mainly overseas.
Nakamura originally started out drawing line drawings. From there, he began painting in black and white, and in the past few years, he has started to paint in color.
Nakamura:That may be so. In the past, you have exhibited your works in France, and people who saw them on site bought them. Also, through "CLEAR GALLERY TOKYO" where I had a solo exhibition in March.ARTSYI sell my artwork on a website called "My Artwork" and people from Germany, the Czech Republic, and Mexico have bought my work there. I had inquiries again this year, but the Corona got worse and worse, and I lost contact with them. I feel that many people are not in the mood to pay for art.
Still, I'd like to see Nakamura-san'sInstagramI could see that he was consistently painting his work.
Nakamura:Yes, that is true. I work from home, so that remains the case. I would be lying if I said I wasn't concerned about Corona, but I also feel that there is nothing I can do about it. Of course I will do what I can, but I don't feel that I should hold back because of my concern. I have been drawing since there was no place to show my work, and now I feel as if I am going back to that time. I have already experienced the pain of those days, so I think I am better off now that I know what it was like back then. Well, I didn't want to go back, though.
Have you visited other artists' exhibitions?
Nakamura:I have not been to many exhibitions, but the one by Tomoo Gokita and Barry McGee left a strong impression on me. It was great to see the paths that both of them have taken, and to know that this is the place where they are going to exhibit their works.
Recently, he has painted many works that look like living creatures. The moving textures give them a sense of dynamism, as if they have been infused with life.
Did you ever think about the way you deal with your own work?
Nakamura:Motoyuki Tatefu, a good friend of mine who is a photographer, recently tweeted on Twitter, "Artists like celebrities, celebrities like artists," which I felt summed up what has happened this year. I think that art has become more connected to fashion and music in the past few years, but I feel that there is a bit of excessive excitement or trendy fad. Such a phenomenon is inevitable, and I don't think it is a bad thing that some young people want to use art as a means to become famous.
However, on the other hand, there are artists who have been consistently doing this kind of work for a long time, and this year I strongly felt a gap between the artists who have been doing this kind of work and those who have been doing it consistently. I paint because I want to, and I just keep repeating it. I thought about that a lot this year. I thought that a proper artist has his or her own path and creates works without being influenced by the times or trends. I strongly felt that I would like to follow such a path myself.
I hope that such excitement will lead to more opportunities for young people to be active.
Nakamura:Yes, I agree. I think it is important not to let this be a temporary boom, but to work together with an eye toward what lies ahead. It would be best if there were collectors who collect the works of young people, and if they could be encouraged to develop their careers in a proper manner.
What kind of year do you want 2021 to be?
The works are painted directly by hand, without the use of brushes. This gives the works a sense of dynamism.
Nakamura:I have been assigned to a gallery in France, which is good news for me. I can't say for sure since the situation is not yet clear, but an exhibition in Paris has been scheduled, and if the situation improves, I will go there and stay there for a few months. In Japan, there is a plan to hold an exhibition in Nagasaki. I am also planning to try my hand at three-dimensional works. I hope next year will be a good year!
