Nakamura Hirokazu solo exhibition "Souvenirs"
shimokitazawaartsBorn in Chiba, Japan in 1999, currently enrolled in the Oil Painting Department at the Graduate School of Tokyo University of the Arts.
Recipient of the Taro Okamoto Award at the 28th Taro Okamoto Award for Contemporary Art in 2025.
Drawing on encounters during travels, the artist reflects on the history and culture of each place, expressing a deep respect for the accumulation of time through works created using sand collected from those locations.
April 18 - May 4, 2026
1-7 pm
Closed on Mon, Tue and Wed.
*open on April 29 & May 4
Shimokitazawa Arts is pleased to present “Souvenirs”, a solo exhibition by Nakamura Hirokazu.
Born in Chiba, Japan in 1999, Nakamura graduated from the Oil Painting Department of Musashino Art University in 2024 and is currently enrolled in the Oil Painting Techniques and Materials Laboratory at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. In 2025, he was awarded the Grand Prize—the Taro Okamoto Award—at the 28th Taro Okamoto Award for Contemporary Art, gaining significant attention as an emerging young artist.
Nakamura’s practice began during his preparatory school years, when he discovered that the color of sand varies from place to place. Since then, he has incorporated sand collected from beaches across Japan into his paint, creating works that make full use of its natural color and texture. Over the course of four years, he traversed the Bōsō coastline—from Chōshi City to Sanbanze in Funabashi City—collecting sand every ten steps using adhesive tape. The resulting work, “Scenic Views of the Bōsō Peninsula / Chiba Coastline Sand Journey,” earned him the Taro Okamoto Award at the 28th edition of the prize. The surface of the work reflects not only the physical journey but also Nakamura’s encounters with the history and culture of Chiba, interwoven with art historical references. It conveys both a pure curiosity for the interesting and a deep affection for his home prefecture.
Since then, Nakamura has continued to travel throughout Japan, including regions such as Sanyō and Osaka, depicting the landscapes, cultures, histories, and souvenirs he encounters. Using locally sourced sand as a gesture of respect to each place, he transforms these experiences into paintings. In addition, he incorporates cherished items from his personal collection—such as vintage toys, dolls, and ammonite fossils—imbuing them with a sense of attachment and care.
Driven by a desire to share what he finds fascinating and to delight his audience, Nakamura’s work embodies both a generous spirit and a subtle sense of irony. We invite you to take your time exploring the rich and intricate world of his practice in this exhibition.
Artist Statement
I am drawn to things that feel timeworn—learning about them and collecting them. Through my travels, I encounter the histories and cultures nurtured in each place, and I use the landscapes and souvenirs I come across as motifs in my work.
By mixing sea sand into my paint, I create a rough, plaster-like surface that evokes a sense of nostalgia and the accumulation of time. I aim to make works that viewers can enjoy visually, while also offering opportunities to discover new knowledge and perspectives through my practice.
For this solo exhibition, “Souvenirs,” I have created works inspired by the various places I have visited. I present them with the feeling of opening a pop-up shop of souvenirs gathered along my journeys.
Nakamura Hirokazu
Born in Chiba, Japan in 1999
2024 B.F.A., Oil Painting, Musashino Art University
2026 Currently enrolled in the Oil Painting Techniques and Materials Laboratory, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts
Exhibitions
2026
Special Exhibition of Taro Award Winners, Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum, Tokyo
Group Exhibition “These Days, This Is the Kind of Painting I Make”, Ad Balloon Trading Co., Tokyo
2025
Group Exhibition “Kokuga Award Winners Exhibition”, Ginza Gallery Azuma, Tokyo
Solo Exhibition “Shibu Pop 4: Romanticism on the Beach”, Ad Balloon Trading Co., Tokyo
Group Exhibition “Funabashi Contemporary Art Exhibition: A La Carte 10”, Funabashi Civic Gallery, Chiba
Group Exhibition “Kiichi Exhibition”, Soei Gallery, Tokyo
Group Exhibition “UNIT100!”, Ginza Gallery Himawari, Tokyo
The 99th Kokuten Exhibition, The National Art Center, Tokyo
The Taro Okamoto Award for Contemporary Art, Taro Okamoto Museum of Art, Kawasaki, Kanagawa
2024
Solo Exhibition “Shibu Pop: petit”, Ad Balloon Trading Co., Tokyo
Group Exhibition “Life with Art Vol.34”, UPSTAIRS GALLERY, Tokyo
2023
Solo Exhibition “Shibu Pop 2: Departure”, Ad Balloon Trading Co., Tokyo
Group Exhibition “Emo-Dasa-Cheap Exhibition in LASAGNA Bar”, LASAGNA Bar, Chiba
Group Exhibition “Sculpture and Painting Collaboration Exhibition”, Ginza Gallery Himawari, Tokyo
Group Exhibition “Kiichi Exhibition”, Soei Gallery, Tokyo
The 97th Kokuten Exhibition, The National Art Center, Tokyo
Group Exhibition “EPIC Painters”, THE blank GALLERY, Tokyo
2022
Chiba Kokuten Exhibition, Chiba City Museum of Art
Solo Exhibition “Shibu Pop”, Ad Balloon Trading Co., Tokyo
Group Exhibition “Emo-Dasa-Cheap in LASAGNA Bar”, LASAGNA Bar, Chiba
The 96th Kokuten Exhibition, The National Art Center, Tokyo
Group Exhibition “Emo-Dasa-Cheap”, NAZUKARI WAREHOUSE, Chiba
2021
Group Exhibition “What Does Your Dream Soul See?”, Musashino Art University, Tokyo
Awards
2024
Kokuga Award, The 99th Kokuten Exhibition
Taro Okamoto Award, The 28th Taro Okamoto Award for Contemporary Art
Excellence Award, Musashino Art University Graduation Exhibition
2023
Encouragement Award, The 97th Kokuten Exhibition
2022
Encouragement Award, The 96th Kokuten Exhibition
