New Work in "More Than a Face" at 120710, Berkeley
I will be showing a large-scale installation of my paintings and drawings in an exhibition opening February 3rd at 120710 Gallery here in Berkeley.
Invisible JA, 2023, Hand-ground minerals on silk, 40"H x 27.5"W
My new body of work has grown from a series of charcoal drawings I’ve been working on since early 2023. I began using stop-motion animation to document my process, but soon found myself in front of the camera, dressed as a cowboy or in Japanese robes, performing repetitive, absurdist actions such as digging holes with a shovel, jumping and flying through the air, or tipping my hat at the viewer.
This footage has in turn become the source for new mineral pigment paintings, such as Invisible JA (2023, above) which depicts a character who refuses expected narratives.
This work addresses the complexities of the atomic era and the transcendence of my Japanese American identity. But I hope it also focuses attention on my individuality, as a way of countering the facelessness that can sometimes be the consequence of the imposition of group identity.
See more of these paintings, watch a video piece, and read about the work:
Craig Nagasawa in the studio with Atomic, 2023, charcoal on paper, 117" H x 154" W
A large-scale installation of Atomic (2023, above) and new paintings including Invisible JA (2023) will appear in:
More Than a Face
Portraiture, Identity, Alter Ego
February 3 - March 2, 2024
120710 Gallery, 1207 10th St., Berkeley
Curated by Randy Hussong
Please join us for an Opening Reception on Saturday, February 3rd, 1-5pm (should be fun).
Also, I am participating as a respondent in a panel discussion at the closing on Saturday, March 2nd The panel starts at 1 pm and is organized by Alternating Currents.