"RE: Culture again, Parco." Infiltration of Shinsaibashi PARCO’s first anniversary event! ~ Touch the art and have an exciting day from tomorrow! Part to (1/4)

At the B1F PARCO POP UP GALLERY, a new exhibition “VESICA PISCIS” by contemporary artist Rei Nakanishi will be held until November 30th (Tuesday).
Nakanishi, who moved to the United States in 2016 and worked as an assistant for artist Akira Yamaguchi, who is based in Brooklyn, New York. He talked about how the work he drew for this exhibition was born, facing the context of art history seriously and constantly challenging himself.

―Speaking of Mr. Nakanishi's work, the color was very impressive, but this time it is based on white and black.
How was this born?

This is the first time we have published a black and white work. Until now, there was a place where I relied on color, so this time I challenged the motif and technique to draw a stoic picture of the essential goodness that emerges by narrowing the color to white and black on the extension of the past. The essence of goodness is that the texture and the theme I drew will be more highlighted by drawing in two colors, white and black, and I thought that the details will be noticeable. That's why I can say that the cheating doesn't work, so I was able to draw while sharpening it, so it was a very meaningful challenge.

  

―How do you handle skulls and flowers as motifs?

It is a theme that I want to continue drawing because there is a tradition that I have handled by old painters, and it is valuable as a motif. In my work, printing and painting are combined as methods, and this is completed by combining the opposite techniques of digital and analog. In addition, the motif of skull and flower, reminiscent of life and death, is drawn only in white and black. At first glance, I think that two things that seem to be the opposite are the same thing and can be regarded as one thing when pulled out.

―It's like the front and back. White and black are not simply two colors, but there is a gray zone between them.

That's right. White and black have gradients, and can be said to be the same color. I wanted to prove that I could complete a single work by dealing with different things at the same time. In particular, the use of printing techniques may make it difficult to recognize the value of painting, but I think that challenging them will improve my self as a writer. The theme of dealing with such modern technology was that I chose to continue challenging as my own challenge as a writer. I would like to update my picture while matching the goodness of each one.

―In the future, there is a possibility of trying different techniques.

If you can update the quality and value of the picture, I would like to accept and use what I need. I don't want to determine the ceiling based on the value that has been proven so far, so I've painted this kind of work. I would like to continue to make new things while having a formal style that will be delivered to those who have loved paintings so far.

The work that will be unveiled for the first time can be said to be the current destination that Mr. Nakanishi has thought out, pursued, and continued to challenge to this day. He will continue to upgrade his future, and be sure to experience the highest value at the moment while expanding his expectations.
Please feel the sense of scale and power that can only be conveyed directly, as well as the technical charm and delicateness that resides in the details.

■Rei Nakanishi Exhibition "VESICA PISCIS”

Period Held from November Tuesday, November 30, 2021

※Closed at 18:00 on the last day

Venue: B1F／PARCO POP UP GALLERY

Price: Free

Click here for more information

https://art.parco.jp/shinsaibashi/detail/?id=802