Takahiro Koga & Hiromine Nakamura

NowHere is pleased to present Classical Mutation. This remarkable show features approximately 100 works by two acclaimed experimental Japanese ceramicists, Takahiro Koga and Hiromine Nakamura. This exhibition is made possible by Japanese fine art goods company and gallery B-Owned (‘beyond’), an art division of Tanseisha.

Koga and Nakamura have established themselves through their unique combinations of traditional Japanese aesthetics and craftsmanship — taking renaissance ideas from the Sengoku and Edo periods of Japan, when samurai were still active roughly 500 years ago — and elevating them into works that harmoniously combine technology and expression, tradition and innovation, and movement and stillness… almost like a mutation. By fusing inspiration from the past and the present both artists’ works emit a striking individuality through a blend of pop culture elements like anime, sports, and fashion with traditional Japanese aesthetics.

Koga is known for his artworks based on the concept of "Neo Wabi-Sabi," encompassing both the “simplicity of stillness” and the “vibrancy of motion” in Japanese culture. His pieces marry an “admiration for imperfections,” including both the simplicity of wabi-sabi and Zen aesthetics that blossomed during the Sengoku era with the flamboyant world of kabuki and samurai culture, resulting in work that is as visually striking as it is expertly crafted. To him, the kawaii culture of anime and games such as Pokémon aren’t representative of things that are perfect, but instead carry a similar aesthetic sense with the free-flowing nature of wabi-sabi and the drama of kabuki.

On the other hand, Hiromine Nakamura has found that the crests and helmets worn by samurai from the Sengoku and Edo eras share a fundamental connection with modern branded merchandise. His art conceptualizes what would happen if an Edo-period doll maker encountered modern fashion culture by equating the role of today’s sports stars and major brands in pop culture with the samurai and their family crests of the past — both serving as children’s role models. Within this concept, Nakamura understands the “prayers” and “aspirations” of modern people — ultimately to be strong and healthy — and attempts to create a universal work entitled “Immortal Flow” by lightly combining the Japanese view of life and death.