Shigeru Nakanishi is a Japanese artist from Tokyo, Japan.
Life and work
Nakanishi graduated from the Tokyo University of ScienceEngineering Division, Architecture Section in 1969. He then became an architectural designer, painting as a hobby. After winning the leading prize in the Selection of Contemporary Western Painting in 1990, he made his debut with the first solo exhibitionMelancholic Paris at the Ichimai-no-e Gallery in Ginza, Tokyo. He has held a solo exhibition every year since. In 1995, he began his series of paintings titled Ruins after the Great Hanshin earthquake in Kobe. In 2000, he retired from architecture and began painting exclusively. In 2001, he received the Special Commendation Citation at the 33rd NITTEN for painting Deserted Island 2001, depicting Hashima Island, Nagasaki. In 2002, he held an exhibition of his Deserted City series in Ginza, Tokyo. This series of paintings covered war-torn and deserted cities such as Sarajevo, Belgrade, Chernobyl, and Auschwitz. In 2004, Nakanishi held the exhibition titled Landscape at Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse. Following the exhibition, he lived in Paris Montmartre for two years. He studied in the École des Beaux-Arts and travelled across Europe and the United States. He returned to Japan in 2006, touring with an exhibition termed Melancholic Paris Ⅱ in 12 locations throughout the country. In 2013 he painted a mural Stockholm Twilight at the Tokyo University of Science. In 2014, he bought an inn abandoned in Nagoya Onsen, in the cityIzunokuni, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Having refurbished the inn, he founded what is called "Izunokuni Art Village". "Izunokuni Art Village" is a place dedicated to creation where everyone freely expresses his creativity.
Exhibitions and awards
1990: Gold Prize at exhibition Selection of Contemporary Western Painting
2001: 33rd Nitten Special Commendation Citation for painting Deserted Island 2001 depicting Hashima Island, Nagasaki
2002: Exhibition of Deserted City in Ginza, Tokyo, first in series of paintings of Sarajevo, Belgrade, Chernobyl and Auschwitz. Rotating exhibition in July at YokohamaRed Brick Warehouse Building No.1 in Yokohama.
2003: Exhibition of Deserted City in Nagoya at Nagoya Electric Power Company’s Culture Hall. Series of 376 illustrations for 1 year. Bonfire of the Bay series in Akahata Newspaper HQ at Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse, Building No. 2.
2004: Exhibition of Landscape at Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse
2005: 37th Nitten Special Commendation Citation for painting Dock.
