Atsuko Nakamura

Atsuko Nakamura (b.1982) is based Japan. She completed Master of Fine Arts Degree at Slade School of Fine Art, London 2011. She has exhibited internationally including a solo exhibition, The Pulsating Earth, Gallery LA CAJA BLANCA, Spain (2011), The Border of Conscious and Unconscious, Kanazawa ARTGUMMI, Japan (2015), and major group exhibitions, Art Session Tsukuba 2015, Tsukuba Art Forum, Japan (2015), 2015 Intimate Transgression, White Box, NY (2015), Monologue Dialogue Ⅲ, BACC, Bangkok (2014), Delve, Leyden Gallery, London (2013), The Future Can Wait, Victoria House, London (2011), YOUNG GODS, Chalie Smith, London (2011). Residencies include Researcher under the short-term overseas study program, NY, Agency for Cultural Affairs (2015), Chisenhale Art Place, London (2012-2013) etc. In fall 2015, Atsuko is the selected artist of the “International Residency Exchange Program” between Bamboo Curtain Studio and Koganecho Area Management Center.

Her work explores the ways to reinterpret the matter or things from the different perspectives of roots through the physical awareness. She often use natural materials such as driftwood, salt, sugar and water that have a imaginable meaning, exploring how to use the character of material and the treatment. Her work attempts to give the experience that exceeds the expected image or understanding, and question how to see the world surrounded us.

For example, considering ‘nature’ by visualizing the metaphysical and transcendent quality using natural materials such as vitality, ephemerality, veneration and awe which nature evokes, the memory or myths of people who had the intimate relationship with natural environment, or ‘present time’ by showing some words or playing her heart beats in a place to imagine the time from the past to future or life and death.

Her installation that changes the space materially or immaterially aims to physical awareness that appeals to the primitive and intuitional part rather than rational mind. The site or exhibition space is an important element of her work. The most of her work is not “to be placed”, but “intervene” into the space. Architecture as the artificial symbol or site as the catalyst to tell the history or story of the place is contextually tied with her work.

Her interest is coming from her past architectural study. She was interested in how invisible force of the place that the environment, climate, history or character of place unconsciously affect to the beliefs or action of people there.

Her each piece turned out to be different process. Sometimes she got sudden idea from her studio practice or experience in a daily life. However, she more often started from the intense research of the site. She investigate how people are connecting to their environment and the place by visiting the site, having a dialogue, studying the history, succeeded legends, myth and customs. Her physical experience there and the findings often have difference or gap with her background or between past and present, and the countryside and urban area, and it enables her to excavate what already there is and what vanished or vanishing is. Through the drawings, making models, exploring materials, it leads to build her narratives, and sublimate it into artwork.  In this period of time, residency in BCS, she will develop the concept of “perspective”, “energy” and “between nature and people”.