EXHIBITION REVIEWS:

Earth Wave Paintings
April 13 – May 15, 2011
Feature Inc.
131 Allen Street
New York, NY 10002

Saltz, Jerry. “Critics’  Pick: Profile,” New York Magazine, April 25, 2011
“Like most of the artists at the uniquely astute, always insightful gallery Feature Inc., Naoto Nakagawa has unique vision, individuality, and independence. His highly colored, geometrically structured depictions of luscious flowers, enlarged bumblebees, and butterflies let us feel the fleshy sexiness of nature and the visually succulent details all around us all the time. Painting puckered petals, spiderwebs, volcanoes, and rainbows, Nakagawa creates concentric rectangular rings that allow viewers to feel as if they were peering into the secret life of nature, guided by the steady hand of a visionary botanist.” — Jerry Saltz
http://nymag.com/arts/art/
http://nymag.com/listings/art/naoto-nakagawa/

Zaller, Robert. “Naoto Nakagawa’s ‘Earth Wave’ in New York: Terror in the Garden of Eden.” Broad Street Review: Where Art and Ideas Meet.  April 19, 2011.
http://www.broadstreetreview.com/index.php/main/article/naoto_nakagawas_earth_wave_in_new_york/

Renzulli, Dianne. “Naoto Nakagawa Exhibition at Feature Inc.” The Battery Park City Broadsheet,
April 18 - May 3, 2011
http://web.me.com/broadsheet/Broadsheet/Home/Entries/2011/4/14_April_14%2C_2011.html

Nakagawa was interviewed on acclaimed jewelry designer Ippolita's Salon Speaks about his art and creative process.  http://www.ippolita.com/salon

Naoto Nakagawa Exhibition Press Release and Q&A with Hudson, Director of Feature Inc.
http://www.featureinc.com/exhibs-2011/2011-04-05_nakagawa/2011-04-05_nakagawa-exhib.html

Nakagawa and Hudson, Director of Feature Inc, were interviewed in a conversation about art and philosophy for TM Monthly. (coming Fall, 2011)

ARTRUBY.com - a daily bulletin that brings together the most relevant news, exhibits, products, and design innovations in the art world on one energized and constantly updated page.
http://artruby.com/?squaretag=naoto-nakagawa

 

JAPAN EARTHQUAKE AID PROJECT:

“1,000 Portraits of Hope”

I have started to draw 1,000 portraits of survivors of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown that erupted in Japan on March 3, 2011. These portraits are a gift to people who have lost almost everything. Included are portraits of the brave rescue teams who work tirelessly in the recovery effort, such as the Japanese military, police officers, firemen, and hundreds of volunteer workers who risk their lives to help and restore others’ wellbeing.  I have completed almost 400 portraits so far. 

This project has been covered by the media in Japan: the Yomiuri and Asahi newspapers, NHK TV nationally broadcast news, and most recently I was featured in a TBS TV documentary.  An English translation of one of the news articles is available here:
file:///Users/carolinepress/Desktop/Naoto%20Nakagawa%20%20Japanese%20News%20Article.webarchive

“100 Portraits of Famous People”

I started this accompanying series as a fundraiser to assist the earthquake and tsunami victims.  Starting with portraits of NY Police Commissioner Ray Kelley, actor Oliver Platt, and writer Donald Keene, I hope to garner more participants such as President Obama and other world leaders, captains of industry, artists, musicians, writers and actors. These portraits will be exhibited and auctioned to raise funds. Each one is signed by myself and the portrait subject, who also writes a message of hope on the drawing. They are authentic likenesses  produced for the purpose of raising funds to donate to Japan relief aid.

I would like to exhibit the  accumulated portraits in museums  in the affected ares: Miyagi, Fukushima and Iwate prefectures.  At the conclusion of "1,000 Portraits of Hope," I  propose that people from around the world who have supported this project come together to attend the final ceremony marking the completion of the project, when the portraits will be given to the individual subjects. I will invite the international news media to attend, in order to publicize the importance of helping one another in a crisis. 


“THE ART OF NAOTO NAKAGAWA” MOBILE APP:

In November 2010 Toura launched an interactive mobile app featuring videos,
a studio tour, commentary and a survey of 120 HD images of Nakagawa’s work.

The app is available at the iTunes store in iPhone and iPad format:
iPhone App ($2.99):
http://itunes.apple.>  Herecom/us/app/the-art-of-naoto-nakagawa/id393624879?mt=8

iPad App ($5.99):
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-art-of-naoto-nakagawa-hd/id393629507?mt=8

It is also available at Android Marketplace for Android phones.
More information can be found online at http://a.toura.com/1751