Upper East Side, New York
Joji Nakamura
Blue Light Yokohama
The FridgeThe Fridge New York is delighted to present Blue Light Yokohama, a solo exhibition by Japanese artist Joji Nakamura. This immersive showcase transports viewers into the artist's world, where his iconic portraits take center stage—this time in striking blue hues. The exhibition features Nakamura's signature muse paintings, large-scale extruded busts, and gestural, dynamic works. His meticulous creations layer emotions with intricate renderings, inviting deep contemplation. This marks his fourth project with The Fridge and his second solo exhibition at the gallery. Joji Nakamura's contemporary practice is both profoundly modern and defiantly classic. Drawing inspiration from 1970s Japanese cinema and culture, his distinct artistic voice emerges through recurring motifs and masterful color manipulation. Positioned at the intersection of figuration and abstraction, his textured compositions exude a striking sense of strength. Formally, Nakamura's work is rooted in the repetition of gestures, refined over 15 years of dedicated practice. The paintings in Blue Light Yokohama largely adhere to a consistent format and size, reflecting his disciplined approach. Through relentless daily execution, he continues to refine his craft, achieving greater precision and control with every stroke. The exhibition's title is inspired by Blue Light Yokohama, the 1969 hit song by Ayumi Ishida. Joji Nakamura (b. 1974, Yokohama, Japan) currently lives and works in Yokohama, Japan. Joji Nakamura paints with his hands using acrylic, gesso, graphite and ink on canvas. His extruded faces are instantly recognizable. Nakamura's dynamic strokes transform into his own rendition of a classic portrait, a figure painting or a surreal landscape created with his body. He has held exhibitions in Paris, the Netherlands, Taiwan and Japan. In recent years, Nakamura added colors to the monotone repertoire paintings of his early years, presenting portraits and still life pieces in soft blotchy hues. Past shows include Kaplan Projects in Mallorca, Peter Augustus gallery in Dallas, Galerie Mikiko Fabiani in Paris and Scooters For Peace in Tokyo.