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©Manika Nagare　Photo: Ken Kato

The “Hiraku Project” is conceived as a series of exhibitions introducing contemporary artworks by Pola Art Foundation Grant recipients. The exhibitions are to be held at the Atrium Gallery, recently established to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Pola Museum of Art. “Hiraku” translates as ‘open,’ in the sense of ‘responsive to new possibilities.’ We are pleased to present Manika Nagare’s Tracing the Colors as the third exhibition in our HIRAKU Project.

Manika Nagare’s paintings are composed of layers of vivid color. While fluidly abstract, her images are based on actual human figures and landscapes that have caught her interest.

Nagare pursued a commonality with Impressionist paintings for this exhibition through her use of bright color. Her Skin Warmth (2017), for example, relates to Renoir’s Young Woman Bathing (1888), and her Neither Rain nor Shine (2017) is inspired by van Gogh’s Clumps of Grass (1889). The two Impressionist paintings are in the collection of the Pola Museum of Art. In her latest works, she incorporates her perceptions of the Japanese qualities of ‘shadow’ and ‘vagueness’ while reconstructing color motifs of Monet’s Water Lily Pond (1899) of over a century ago. Nagare’s new series Tracing the Colors achieves depth of color through her technique of layering paint. The exhibition space is constructed to allow visitors a feeling of integration with the Neither Rain nor Shine

Manika Nagare

 

Biography

1975 　Born in Osaka, Japan

1997　 Graduated from the Faculty of Painting in Joshibi College of Fine Arts

2013　Artist-in-Residency Program as a visiting fellow at Gakushuin Women’s College The Founder of the NPO “Artist for a Day”

 

Scholarships, Grants and Awards

2001 　Received Tokyo Wonder Wall Awards Committee Chairman’s Prize

2002　 Participated in the Japanese Government Overseas Study Program for Artists provided by the Agency for Cultural Affairs (New York)

2004　 Received Grants for Overseas Study by Young Artists from Pola Art Foundation (New York and Turkey)

Skin Warmth

2017

Oil on canvas 78.0×183.0cm

©Manika Nagare　Photo: Ken Kato

Neither Rain nor Shine

2017

Oil on canvas 102.0×100.0cm

©Manika Nagare　Photo: Ken Kato

Traces of Colors

2017

Oil on canvas 102.0×80.0cm

©Manika Nagare　Photo: Ken Kato

1. Skin Warmth 2017 Oil on canvas 78.0 × 183.0cm

 

2. Neither Rain nor Shine 2017 Oil on canvas 102.0 × 100.0cm

 

3. Traces of Colors 2017 Oil on canvas 102.0 × 80.0cm

 

4. Traces of Colors: Pierre Auguste Renoir, “Young Woman Bathing” 2018 Oil on canvas 81.3×65.3cm

 

5. Traces of Colors: Vincent van Gogh, “Clumps of Grass” 2018 Oil on canvas 45.1 x 48.8 cm

 

6. Traces of Colors: Claude Monet, “Water Lily Pond” 2018 Oil on canvas 88.6×91.9cm

HIRAKU PROJECT VOL.3

Manika Nagare

Tracing the Colors

March. 17(Sat), – May. 18(Sun), 2018

Organized by：Pola Museum of Art, Pola Art Foundation

Venue: Atrium Gallery, Pola Museum of Art