Tomoko Nagao brings Kawaii style to her first solo exhibition in Taiwan

From July 30, 2024 to September 1, 2024, the Chung Yuan Creative and Cultural Park in the city of Taiwan will host the first solo exhibition of Tomoko Nagao, a Japanese artist who has long lived and worked in Italy, entitled Tomoko Nagao: Kawaii Art History. The exhibition features innovative works by the 1976-born Japanese creative(our in-depth look at her art here) who reinterprets iconic works from art history with a Kawaii aesthetic. By blurring traditional art, Nagao showcases a whimsical and satirical style, presenting captivating pieces to the public. Through her works, one can see the continuation and reinterpretation of established images in art history in which contemporary society’s views and values regarding art, consumerism, and commodities are reflected. Tomoko Nagao’s works showcase the exclusive appeal of Japanese culture, which draws inspiration from various subcultures beloved by young people, such as manga, anime, and fashion. While on the surface, Nagao’s creations appear lighthearted and cute, a deeper analysis reveals their complexity.

Near Taipei’s latest landmark, the stadium called Taipei Dome, a giant piece of art has appeared on the floor. From a distance it resembles a classical European painting, but as you get closer, you discover various humorous and symbolic elements. This is Nagao’s latest artistic creation, titled "The Allegory of Taipei Dome," a painting full of mythological metaphors interwoven with contemporary symbols such as baseball, shopping and entertainment. The work represents a significant milestone in Tomoko Nagao’s international career, marking her first permanent public installation, created in collaboration with FunDesign. One of the highlights of the exhibition is Tomoko Nagao’s reinterpretation of important art masterpieces. Classic works by Western masters such as Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio and Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez are transformed into vibrant contemporary paintings through the artist’s signature style. In her reinterpretation of Sandro Botticelli’s "The Birth of Venus," Nagao transforms Venus from the embodiment of ideal beauty into a more recognizable and pretty figure with a more modern and appealing appearance and expressions. The creative also incorporates numerous contemporary cultural symbols, such as anime characters and animals, creating a connection between past and present.

The super-flat style, originally proposed by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, emphasizes the visual effects of flatness and its connection to consumer culture. Tomoko Nagao further develops this style, creating an artistic language unlike any other. Her works, which often feature colorful patterns and shapes, integrate social phenomena into artistic creations, allowing the audience to feel both the passion and anxiety of contemporary society. The elements in his creations break the conventional boundaries of art, merging popular culture with art itself. In today’s rapidly developing society, the function of art is no longer limited to a simple aesthetic presentation, but is increasingly aligned with various market demands and social phenomena. Tomoko Nagao, with her super-flat style, succeeds in capturing and reflecting this evolution.

Notes on the artist

Tomoko Nagao, born in 1976 in Nagoya, is a Japanese artist residing in Milan since 2006, where she lives and works. She studied at Saga Art College in Kyoto and Bsemi Schooling System in Yokohama, before moving to London in 2000 and graduating from Chelsea College of Art & Design, earning an MA in Fine Art in 2003. He debuted in 1998 with a solo exhibition at the Yuraku-Bashi Gallery in Tokyo. In 1999 she won the Canon Prize in Tokyo with a photographic work. Since 2006, having settled in Italy, she has devoted herself to painting and sculpture, undertaking neo-Pop research based on the contamination of East and West. This path led her to be selected as a young artist for the international exhibition Botticelli Reimagined, organized by the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin and later by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 2016.

Tomoko Nagao brings Kawaii style to her first solo exhibition in Taiwan

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