Dramatic, 2012 ©Tomoko Nagai
If I could choose what dreams I had, I think I would re-up with the imagery of Tomoko Nagai every time. Filled with fun things like friendly bears, bunnies, forests and princesses, Nagai creates stage-like sequences that almost seem like scenes from fairytales, frozen in time. And yet, contrary to any kind of formal storyline, Nagai says that the elements in front of her just come together randomly. There are never any advance sketches.
Speaking about her latest show at Tomio Koyama Gallery in Singapore (Jan. 18 – Feb. 24), Nagai says that “within our every-day lives we occasionally encounter split-second dramatic moments. These happen when element like time, weather, seasons and mood all perfectly align…. What I’ve tried to do for this exhibition is capture those precious moments, embed them with my own hopes and ideals, and vacuum-seal them.”
Below is a selection of older work from 2010…
Also on display will be plans for a new nursery school in Shichigahama (Miyagi prefecture), which was damaged by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. The school is being fully funded by the Singapore red cross and Nagai has agreed to create a large-scale mural at the bottom of their new swimming pool. The school, which was designed by architect Takashi Ippei, is on track to be completed in March 2013.
