We are pleased to present the second installment of the typology series "TYPOLOGY EVERYWHERE," which originated with Cone and the city.
Mugi Nakajima is now one of Japan's leading artists, known for his abstract works with bold forms and clear colors. We will introduce his "Machikado abstract" series, in which he conducts daily fieldwork in the city, supplementing the art he sees on street corners with his camera and posting them on SNS. When the thousands of images of "random art" he has taken so far are edited and arranged, the result is a gallery space curated by Mugi Nakajima.
＜Statement
I call this series "Machikado abstract", which is a collection of abstract paintings that are hidden in the city or in everyday life. It's been almost 7 years since I started posting them regularly on SNS.
My work is based on abstract paintings, but the question "what is abstraction? I believe that the question "What is abstract?" will lead to the creation of the basic structure of all pictorial visual expression, or to put it a little more broadly, the greatest common divide between various media. I would like to talk about that in detail at another time.
Is a work figurative if it depicts a concrete person and tells a story, or is it abstract if it does not depict an image? Abstract? Which is it, a concept? Which is the emotion? Not only in the art world, but also in the abstract/concrete debate, various ideas and isms are spewed out, but I think such discussions are barren in the 21st century, which is said to be the age of diversity. The way we perceive things varies from generation to generation, from society to society, from religion to religion, and from micro to macro perspectives.
What is abstraction in this day and age? My answer to this question is to extract the essence of how the world works, which is the concept of abstraction. What is the boundary between abstraction and figuration, and where does it begin and end in the realm of expression called abstract painting, and where does it end in mere play on the surface of matter? This is what I have been exploring in my own way in "Machikado abstract".
This time, on the occasion of archiving a certain number of images, I decided to arbitrarily classify them into three categories among the thousands of collected images of abstract paintings in the city.
This is the first installment of "Drawings".
The concept of drawing varies depending on each person's stance on the act of drawing, but in this case, it is a linear expression, drawn on a familiar paper-like support.
If you walk around the city from a different perspective, you will be curious about this and that, and your eyes and brain will be busy! LOL!
Maybe that's how much the world is made up of abstract events.
This is the true joy of TYPOLOGY.
Mugi Nakajima Profile
I am currently working on abstract paintings, while incorporating events that expand from them.
Through this activity, I hope to be a medium that is free from anything and connects everything.
1978 Born in Nagano, Japan, raised in Osaka, based in Osaka.
2002 Graduated from Kyoto City University of Arts, majoring in oil painting.
Around 2014, started posting “Machikado abstract" series on SNS.
Around 2016, started to post "random contemporary" series on SNS.
solo exhibition/project selected 2012-
2020 Gallery OUT of PLACE TOKIO/Tokyo (2019,2018,2017,2015,2013)
2020 Purasuichiato/Osaka(2017)
2020 Wada Gallery/Tokyo
2019 Vinju Gallery/Karuizawa, Nagano, Japan
2019 Gallery Shiro kuro/Osaka, Japan
2019 cafe 104.5/Tokyo(produce:Blue Note Japan)
2017 "HUB-IBARAKI ART PROJECT" / Ibaraki City Hall and other 7 facilities in the city, permanent installation / Osaka
2016 Umeda Tsutaya / Osaka
2016 Gallery OUT of PLACE NARA/NARA (2014,2013,2011)
2016 241 Gallery, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
2016 MuMu Gallery, Moku Moku Art, Tainan, Taiwan
2015 Gallery Hen, Kanoko, and the surrounding town, Osaka, Japan
2014 "Mugi Nakajima BECOME THE RESIDENT of KITAHAMA N BLDG. produced by infix" / KITAHAMA N BLDG./Osaka
2014 Esprit Nouveau Gallery / Okayama (2012,2010)
2014 Hankyu Men's Osaka
2012 Nagi-machi Museum of Contemporary Art, Okayama, Japan
2012 Sakura Art Museum, Osaka, Japan
2012 Gallery Hane Usagi, Kyoto, Japan (2005,2008,2009,2010)
project・group Exhibition selected 2012-
2020 "Arima Art Night - Reminiscence of Journey from Mass" (Kei Okamoto×Mugi Nakajima), Arima Onsen, Hyogo, Japan
2020 "Life Becomes Art: Toyoko Yamamoto and Mugi Nakajima" (Proposta Arflex Fukuoka)
2019 "Interior design starting from art" Comfort Q / Hankyu Umeda Main Store, Juso Store / Osaka (2018)
2019 "Painting Exhibition...is it? Kawaguchi City Gallery ATLIA/Saitama[Planning 3 people exhibition].
2019 "VOCA Exhibition 2019" The Ueno Royal Museum / Tokyo
2018 "Out Put Art Put," SHIBAMATA FU-TEN Bed and Local, Tokyo [Hotel Art Room Project].
2018 "OPEN STUDIO×4/2018" Alt Space POST, Start-up project: Hiroshi Mizuta and Mugi Nakajima/ASK - Atelier Share Kyoto
2017 "Mishou/MISHO" serialized cover painting / Ikebana "Mishouryu" public relations magazine 2015/1-2017/12[serialized cover].
2017 "PAPER・ART-2017 Moku Moku Art Paper Book Exhibition" MuMu Gallery, Moku Moku Art, Taiwan
2017 "Tani 6 Atelier Mugi Nakajima Open Studio" Mugi Nakajima Tani 6 Atelier / Osaka
2016 "Color of Acrylic Paint - Contemporary Color" /Sakura Art Museum /Osaka
2016 "High-Light Scene"/Gallery PARC/Kyoto
2016 "Mimasaka San-yu Art Temperature"/Yugo Grand Hotel, all building/Okayama
2015 "Gakuenmae Art Week 2015", Asanuma Memorial Hall, Nara, Japan
2015 "Shimomachi Art Festival - With Painter", Kobe City Regional Staffing Center, ASTA Kunizuka, Kobe, Japan
2015 "Trans Arts Tokyo", Kanda 50 and 18 Streets, Tokyo, Japan
2015 "Nuit Blanche KYOTO 2015" Projection Mapping / Kyoto International Manga Museum, Kyoto (screened every year since)
2015 MISEI-ryu Ikebana Demonstration "Ikebana Again" Live Painting / The Symphony Hall, Osaka
2014 "HUB-IBARAKI ART COMPETITION BEYOND ～Click here and MUKOU in Ibaraki～" / Ibaraki City Lifelong Learning Center Kirameki / Osaka
2013 "IMAGO MUNDI" Fondazione Querini Stampalia / Venice (Venice Biennale Collateral Event / Fondazione Benetton)
2013 "Okanoya Ryokan Project 2013" / Okanoya Ryokan / Okayama, Japan
2013 "Worldmaking "from the sky 100 years ago"" / 2kw gallery, 2kw58 / Osaka
2013 Open atelier 003 "Tenma Rurale"/nm2 and other Tenma 3-chome area/Osaka(2011,2012)
2013 "HANKYU MEN'S 5 Artist Exhibition"/Hankyu Men's Osaka
2012 HANARART2012[Koa] "Iro" to cradle "Memory" / Former Kawamoto Residence (Former brothel) / Nara, Japan
2012 "gallerism in Tenmabashi", Keihan CITY MALL, Osaka, Japan
art fair selected 2013-
2021 ART FAIR TOKYO/Tokyo International Forum(2018)
2020 ART OSAKA WALL/Yamakawa Bldg.
2019 ART Pusan / Korea
2019 ART OSAKA/Hotel Granvia Osaka (2011-2018)
2017 SILENT AQUA / @KURA / Kyoto (2011-2016)
2015 ART KAOHSIUNG- Kaohsiung Arts Expo / Taiwan
2015 Asia Contemporary Art Show Hong Kong 2015/Conrad Hong Kong
2014 NEW CITY ART FAIR NEW YORK / hpgrp GALLERY NEW YORK / USA
other works selected 2013-
2019/12- [Salon Mosaic's Talk Salon Organizer]About once a month/Salon Mosaic/gekilin/online/Osaka (17 times as of the end of 2021/05)
2021 [art work]HOTEL AO KAMAKURA / various places in the building / Kanagawa
2021 [art work]NISHIMADA CITY HOSPITAL / 19 examination rooms / Shizuoka
2020 [art work]TUGBOAT_TAISHO Painting in various places in the building/commercial facility/Osaka
2019- [art work/Collaboration]Golf wear brand FairyPowder x Mugi Nakajima's collaboration caddy bag
2019 [art work]Wall painting at the 1st floor entrance of Shin-Nagata Joint Government Building / Kobe / Organized by Shin-Nagata Art Commons Executive Committee, Hyogo, Japan
2019 [art work]BOLY HOTEL /Osaka (artwork installed in all guest rooms)
2018 [art work]NICOHOTEL Entrance mural and object creation/Osaka
2018 [art work/Collaboration]TOYO TIRES x Mugi Nakashima / Artwork on tires / 2019 Calendar
2018 [ZINE/Photo works] "HILLS ZINE MARKET" Mugi Nakajima x Ashitanoshikaku / Roppongi Hills A/D Space / Tokyo, Japan
2018 [ZINE/Photo works] "Here is ZINE Osaka", Mugi Nakajima x Ashitanoshikaku, Grand Front Osaka, Tokyo
2018 [art work/Collaboration] "hummel sneakers x Mugi Nakajima
2018 [art work/Collaboration] "Antigravite x Mugi Nakajima" LUMINE meets ART/Shinjuku Lumine 2/Tokyo
2017 [cover series] "MISHO" cover art series / Ikebana "MISHO-ryu" public relations magazine 2015/1-2017/12
2016 [art work/Collaboration] "THE PREMIUM OF SUNTORY AND UNION vol.3/Union Osaka Showroom
2014 [art work]Apparel maker Sisii×Nakajima Mugi, Clothes sales
2014 [art work]Entrance installation / JA Hyogo Agricultural Hall / Kobe
2013 [art work]Onward charity T-shirt production / Umeda Hankyu
work shop selected 2013-
2021 "VUCA Era Traditional Craft Workshop in Nara" Nara craftsmen x artists / Nara Prefectural Culture Hall / organized by Nara Industrial Promotion Center
2019 "Let's draw together, a big abstract painting" Special Workshop before the opening of Shin-Nagata Joint Government Building / Kobe / organized by Shin-Nagata Art Commons Executive Committee, Hyogo, Japan
2019 "Here and Mukou in Kawaguchi" Kawaguchi City Gallery Atria/Saitama
2018 "Here and Mukou in Aisho Town" Hearty Center Hadaso and its surroundings / Aisho Town, Shiga
2018 "Here and Mukou in Ibaraki City Hall" Ibaraki City Hall, Osaka [Ibaraki Children's Art and Culture Lecture].
2018 "Paint Workshop"/Artwork for newly established hospital Iwaki Medical Center in workshop format/Fukushima
2017 "Here and Mukou in Gakuenmae" Gakuenmae Art Week 2017 / Tezukayama University Building 18, Asanuma Memorial Hall / Nara, Japan
2017 "Here and Mukou in Ibaraki City Hall" Ibaraki City Hall, 1F9, Osaka [Ibaraki Children's Art and Culture Lecture].
2017 "Here and Mukou in Suntory Museum of Art 2017" Suntory Museum of Art, Tokyo [Go to Suntory].
2017 'Kokkori to Mukou in The Museum of Modern Art, Shiga Final' / The Museum of Modern Art, Shiga [The Museum of Modern Art, Shiga Closing Event].
2016 "Here and Mukou in Suntory Museum of Art", Suntory Museum of Art, Tokyo [Roppongi Art Night].
2016 "Here and Mukou in Fureai-kan" Kyoto Traditional Industry Fureai-kan [Kyoto International Film Festival pre-event].
2016 "Here and Mukou in Bihaku", Ashiya City Museum of Art [Bihaku Room], Ashiya, Japan
2015 "Here and Mukou in The Museum of Modern Art, Shiga", The Museum of Modern Art, Shiga [Art Nidobon], Japan
2015 "Here and Mukou in kukkia/Osaka [Machidecor Event]", Osaka, Japan
2015 "Let's draw together, Library in the forest - Kokkori to Mukou in Eigenji" Eigenji Library / Shiga
2014 "Let's make original Japanese sweets" Japanese sweets store "Seiyo" x Mugi Nakajima/GLAN FABRIQUE Gallery " la galerie"/Osaka
2013 "Learning from Artists, Materials and Ideas" Workshop for school teachers during summer vacation / Elementary and junior high schools in Osaka
[future schedule]
2021/07[Solo exhibition] Vinegar Gallery (Karuizawa/Nagano)
2021/07[Solo Exhibition/Store] KANM Restaurant (Karuizawa/Nagano)
2021/07[art fair]ART OSAKA2021 (Nakanoshima Public Hall)
2021/09[solo exhibition] Osaka
2021/Autumn[art fair] Kyoto/Tokyo etc.
For more information, please check SNS and web.
Facebook/nakajima mugi works
Twitter/Mugi Nakajima
Instagram: Nakashima mugi/nakajima mugi works
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