Keiko Nasu solo exhibition "Crazy Moments"

July 8th (Friday) - July 17th (Sunday), 2022

YUGEN Gallery will be holding abstract artist Keiko Nasu's solo exhibition "Crazy Moments -Miraculous Moments" from Friday, July 8th to Sunday, July 17th, 2022.

Exhibition Information

会場

YUGEN Gallery
東京都港区南青山3-1-31  KD南青山ビル4F

Dates

July 8th (Friday) - July 17th (Sunday), 2022

開館時間

平日:13:00〜19:00
土日祝:13:00〜20:00
※最終日のみ17:00終了

休館日

なし

Date of presence

July 8th (Friday) 14:00-19:00
Saturday, July 9th 16:30-19:00
July 10th (Sun) - 17th (Sun) All day

入館料

無料

Notes

*Please note that the dates and opening hours may change without notice depending on the situation.

Exhibited works images

自然界からの響音
自然界からの響音
土曜日の黄昏
土曜日の黄昏
魂の奥にある景
魂の奥にある景
糸口の明
糸口の明

*Please note that some of the exhibited works may be subject to change.

Limited edition art book

An art book for Keiko Nasu's solo exhibition "Crazy Moments" will be distributed as a special gift to visitors.

This special benefit is available only to those who fill out the questionnaire upon arrival, so please be sure to fill it out.

Keiko Nasu solo exhibition "Crazy Moments ~Miraculous Moments~" art book

Recorded by: Keiko Nasu

B4 version / Price: 1,650 yen (tax included)

*Please note that the design of the art book may be subject to change.

Statement

Connecting colors without focusing

Keiko Nasu began to distinguish herself through her commercial illustrations for advertisements and magazines while studying at Musashino Art University, and has continued to engage in a wide range of activities, including selecting music for radio and events.

Born to a poet father and a hat designer mother, Nasu's drawings were highly praised from an early age, including being awarded prizes in children's magazines, but he says that at the time he aspired to be an entomologist rather than an artist. He was interested in peeling the bark off the eucalyptus trees in his garden to look at their insides, and observing leaf veins and insect scales under a microscope, and was moved by the patterns created by nature. As a sickly child, he spent a lot of time in bed, and would stare at stains on the ceiling to expand his imagination, so some of Nasu's background in abstract art can be seen from that early age.

Disagreement with clarity

In parallel with his representational works, such as portraits of artists that are synonymous with Nasu, which show the influence of British rock, which he was attracted to in his adolescence for its "fashionable and cosmic worldview," he has been working on abstract expressionism based on the concept of "no focus." This is influenced by his interest in patterns created by nature, as well as the words he received from his father, such as letters from time to time. He felt that a world beyond the single line written by his father, a poet, was spreading out.

"These days, social media is full of straightforward words. Even in paintings, there is a tendency to think that the only right thing to do is to accurately capture the shape. I personally love monochrome works, and as an artist, the ideal is to use as few lines as possible and to express things simply. But I feel uncomfortable with a world that only strives for clarity." This is what has led Nasu to turn to abstract expressionism.

As a child, Nasu attended church on weekends and was taught that in the end, all human beings would understand each other. However, he learned that the world is connected by incomprehension, not just in politics and religion, but also in everyday interactions with other people. "Even if we have similar ideas, even the slightest difference can cut off communication. Non-focus is a way to overcome this incomprehension."

Colors layered on the canvas

In this exhibition, Crazy Moments, we will present 13 works in which the canvas is primed and then layered with multiple layers of color. The layers of color created by acrylic paint are different from the bleeding of watercolors. The colors hidden deep within the colors suggest that there is a complexity in all phenomena that cannot be easily dismissed. Here, colors intermingle and the miracle of the world where all living things intermingle is revealed.

Nasu explains his motivation for creating this work by saying that he is "just interested in" the state of the human mind, something like the stars that appear behind our eyelids when we close our eyes, or the inexplicable scenery that unfolds before us in the darkness before we fall asleep.

The title of this exhibition was chosen with the hope that viewers will empathize with the artist's "maddening" thoughts, time, and atmosphere from the moment he puts his brush down on the canvas until the work is completed and he stops. Sharing the overlapping colors and time is a realization of life and a joy. The differences in the colors that emerge depending on the viewer represent the acceptance of the freedom of life in all directions.

This is a consistent approach from Nasu, who has produced works that emphasize the prioritization of life whenever conflicts arise in the world. He captures the extremely complex world with a love for all living things, which is the exact opposite of the word "crazy."

A world where colors intertwine and connect

People have different memories of a single event, and different layers of time pile up on the same place. A world in which these are inextricably connected takes on unknown aspects with just a slight shift in time or perspective. The reality required in the modern world is to focus on such complexity and not simplify it. This allows us to discover that within the depths of color, there are other colors to be found.

Just as the artist portrays the state of mind, the viewer also uses art to look into the pure colors deep within themselves. Nasu's work appeals to the viewer to pay attention to the differences in colors in order to maintain the freedom of life in a world where we cannot understand each other, and shows that the more colors mix, the more pure colors emerge.

About sales of artworks

At the same time as the exhibition, the works will be available to view and purchase on the YUGEN Gallery official online store.

Keiko Nasu
Keiko Nasu
Keiko Nasu
An abstract artist who has exhibited abstract paintings at exhibitions both in Japan and overseas, and is also active in advertising and magazines. Representative works include background paintings and appearances for Roppongi Kabuki, Starflyer, department stores, and cosmetics companies.