2014 Catalogue Archive

In a dynamic career that spans over 50 years, Natsuyuki Nakanishi’s work has encompassed sculpture, painting, and happenings. Along with Jiro Takamatsu and Genpei Akasegawa, he formed Hi Red Center, a collective that staged numerous happenings and performances throughout Tokyo in 1963-4. Later, Nakanishi developed an interest in theater and became involved in set design and art direction for Butoh dancers. This involvement in theater influenced the creation and display of his paintings, some of which are displayed on easels. His recent series of abstract paintings take on the subject of perception and space. Using primarily white and purple, Nakanishi creates vibrating visual fields of line and shape that hint at real space while never depicting it. Austere, yet full of warmth, these works offer a meditative visual experience for the viewer. Solo exhibitions of Nakanishi’s work have been held at Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art, Seibu Museum, Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art, and The Shoto Museum of Art. His works have been included in numerous group exhibitions, such as Japanese Art After 1945: Scream against the Sky, Yokohama Museum of Art, Guggenheim SoHo, and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; and Tokyo 1955-1970, MoMA, New York.