Kohei NAWA
Kohei NAWA (b. 1975) presents a multilateral work based on his diverse practice, which examines the relationship between nature and artificiality, paying attention to the association between the individual and the whole. In the world of the artist, organic forms invariably become stylized and artificial, displaying the parts accumulated together as a whole, like cells, creating complex and dynamic structures. The series of sculptures entitled PixCell (2017-2022), a combination of the unit ‘Pixel’ that represents the accuracy of the image in the digital era and ‘Cell’ that refers to biological cells, highlights phenomenological questions about the nature of the object. The artist dismantles and combines color, texture, and shape using various materials such as carbon, silicon, crystal, gold, and aluminum.
The series VESSEL (2016-2019) was made as part of a performance of the same title, in collaboration with choreographer Damien JALET (b. 1976). Expanding from material to surface, from surface to form, and from form to space, VESSEL also presents NAWA’s persistent endeavor of nearly twenty years in transcending genre limitations of performance, dance, theater, sound, and video, in addition to exploring the potentials of media. Figure sculptures that capture the piercing intensity of human body, and music in which fills and condenses the air around the stage enliven new sensation in the viewer, crossing the limits of cognition and presenting an experience that traverses the boundaries of reason and perception. In 2023, the artist's large sculpture Ether (Equality) was installed in public in Seguin Island by the Seine River in Paris, France.
Kohei NAWA was born in Osaka, Japan in 1975. He received his BFA in 1998, MFA in 2000, and PhD in 2003, majoring in sculpture at Kyoto City University of Arts, Kyoto, Japan. He has held solo exhibitions at prestigious art institutions including ARARIO GALLERY SHANGHAI (Shanghai, China, 2022; 2017; 2015), Pace Gallery (New York; Palo Alto, US, 2022), Louvre Museum (Paris, France, 2018), Kirhishima Open-Air Museum (Kagoshima, Japan, 2013), ARARIO GALLERY CHEONAN (Cheonan, Korea, 2013; 2012), Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (Tokyo, Japan, 2011), Vera Munro (Hamburg, Germany, 2009), Joan Miro Foundation (Barcelona, Spain, 2008), Ierimonti Gallery (Milano, Italy, 2007), and more. He has participated in group exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (Tokyo, Japan, 2023; 2014), National Gallery of Art (Washington D.C., US, 2019), Centre Pompidou-Metz (Metz, France, 2017), F-Art House (Okayama, Japan, 2016), ZKM (Karlsruhe, Germany, 2016), La Maison de la Culture du Japon a Paris (Paris, France, 2015), ArtScience Museum (Singapore, 2015), and more. He won the 32nd Kyoto Art Culture Award in 2019, and was selected as the "50 Next Most Collectible Artists" by Art+Auction in 2012. His works are a part of world's leading art institutions’ collections, such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Mori Art Museum, Leeum Museum of Art, and ARARIO MUSEUM. Kohei NAWA is a professor at Kyoto University of the Arts and continues his artistic career as a director of SANDWICH, an art, design, and architectural creation platform.
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Direction#401, 2024
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Transfer#96, 2024
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Direction#380, 2022
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Direction#381, 2022
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Direction#382, 2022
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Dot Array-Black#041, 2022
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Dot Array-Black#072, 2022
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Dot Array-Black#103, 2022
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Dot Array-Black#134, 2022
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Dot Array-Black#165, 2022
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Dot Array-Black#196, 2022
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Dot Array-Black#227, 2022
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Dot Array-Black#258, 2022
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Dot Array-Black#289, 2022
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Dot Array-Black#320, 2022
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Dune#56, 2022
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Dune#57, 2022
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Dune#59, 2022
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Dune#61, 2022
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Line Array-Black#003, 2022
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Line Array-Black#099, 2022
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Moment Photography (2021:05:15 14:10:26), 2022
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Plotter#5, 2022
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Plotter#6, 2022
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White Code#3, 2022
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White Code#4, 2022
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Direction#323, 2021
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Dune#50, 2021
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Ether#68, 2021
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Ether#69, 2021
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Ether#72, 2021
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Ether#75, 2021
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Direction #288, 2020
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Direction#286, 2020
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Direction#291, 2020
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Direction#308, 2020
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Direction#321, 2020
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Direction#324, 2020
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Flora (Black_VESSEL), 2020
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PixCell-Toy-Dog#8, 2020
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Direction#253, 2019
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Throne(g/p_pyramid), 2019
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Throne(p/g_boy), 2019
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Throne(SiC/p_boy), 2019
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Element Black#2, 2018
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Element Black#3, 2018
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Direction #186, 2017
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Direction#178, 2017
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Direction#208, 2017
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Particle-Flora (Black Sic_VESSEL), 2017
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Particle-Flora#2 (Black Sic_VESSEL), 2017
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Particle-Lion#4 (Black Sic_VESSEL), 2017
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Particle-Spider (Black Sic_VESSEL), 2017
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Moment#101, 2016
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Moment#98, 2016
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Trans-Kids(Bump), 2012
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Trans-Yana(Stroke), 2012
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PixCell[Stool], 2011
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Kohei NAWA: Decode
26 October - 31 December 2022 Shanghai -
Forêt
25 May - 17 July 2021 Seoul -
Beyond the Sculpture: The Unrealized
A2 3 March - 30 April 2020 Shanghai -
Kohei NAWA: VESSEL
RYSE HOTEL 20 March - 21 July 2019 Seoul -
Kohei NAWA: VESSEL
3 November 2017 - 7 January 2018 Shanghai -
VOICE OF ASIA
1 July - 27 August 2017 Shanghai -
Kohei NAWA: MOVEMENT
17 November 2015 - 31 January 2016 Shanghai -
Kohei NAWA: Manifold Document
5 June - 7 July 2013 CheonanPeriod | 5 June- 7 July, 2013 Venue | Arario Gallery Cheonan Works | 3 Videos, 4 Sculpture A Super-scale Sculpture entitled Manifold by Kohei Nawa (b. 1975, Japan) will...Read more -
Kohei NAWA: TRANS
5 September - 2 December 2012 CheonanPeriod | 5 September – 2 December, 2012 Venue | Arario Gallery Cheonan, Seoul cheongdam Works | 40 pieces including installation, painting, sculpture Opening Reception | 6pm, Wednesday, 5 September,...Read more -
Kohei NAWA: TRANS
5 September - 4 November 2012 SeoulPeriod | 5 September – 4 November, 2012 Venue | Arario Gallery Cheonan, Seoul cheongdam Works | 40 pieces including installation, painting, sculpture Opening Reception | 6pm, Wednesday, 5 September,...Read more -
Artists with Arario 2011: Part 1
20 September - 6 November 2011 Seoul
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[News] A Bookstore Turned Gallery: Tsutaya's Transformation
September 7, 2024Seo Jeongmin, The JoongAngRead more -
[News] Cheonan ARARIO Art Tour, which surprised the European art world more
June 18, 2024Ham Young Hoon, Herald EconomyRead more -
[News] The Danse Macabre of Min Tanaka and Kohei Nawa
Mar 25, 2024Prabda Yoon, ArtReviewRead more -
[News] "The New i5" transformed into a canvas...Experience immersive field art by utilizing AI
4 September 2023Jang Byung Chul, Munwha IlboRead more -
[News] Arario Gallery Participates in International Art Fair Frieze Seoul and KIAF Seoul 2023 at the same time
17 August 2023Kim Jung Mo, Segye IlboRead more -
[ FAIR ] ART SG 2023
3 January 2023Arario Gallery is pleased to announce its participation in ART SG 2023. With 12 artists, whose artworks derive from diverse cultures and societies, Arario Gallery...Read more -
[Fair] West Bund Art & Design 2022
8 November 2022Arario Gallery is pleased to announce its participation in West Bund Art & Design 2022 from 10 to 13 November. The booth will feature the...Read more -
[Exhibition] Kohei NAWA: MAM Collection 015: Welcome to the Fairyland
6 July 2022Kohei NAWA participates in the group exhibition “MAM Collection 015: Welcome to the Fairyland”, at Mori Art Museum. Through “PixCell-Kannon#7”, NAWA connects the earthly and...Read more -
[Exhibition] Kohei NAWA: Generative Interface
18 June 2022Kohei NAWA’s solo exhibition “Generative Interface” opens at Towada Art Center, Aomori, Japan. The exhibition includes his “PixCell” sculpture series and “Esquisse” drawings as well...Read more -
[Project] Kohei NAWA: Ether
18 May 2022Kohei NAWA's Ether series was recently installed on the Wuhan Riverfront. The three pieces, standing at varying heights, contemplates the interaction between public places and...Read more -
[Art Fair] Art Busan 2022
4 May 2022Arario Gallery is pleased to announce its participation in the Art Busan 2022, which will run from 12 to 15 May. Visit Arario Gallery’s booth...Read more -
[Exhibition] Kohei NAWA: Range of the Senses: What It Means to “Experience” Today
7 March 2022Kohei NAWA participates in the group exhibition 'Range of the Senses: What It Means to “Experience” Today' held at the National Museum of Art, Osaka....Read more -
[Art Fair] West Bund Art & Design 2021
12 November 2021Arario Gallery participates in West Bund Art & Design 2021 held at West Bund Art Center Hall B from 11th to 14th November. Kohei NAWA...Read more -
[Art Fair] KIAF Seoul 2021
8 October 2021Arario Gallery participates in Korea’s most important art fair KIAF Seoul 2021 at COEX from 13th October until 17th October 2021. Arario Gallery’s Booth presents...Read more -
[Exhibition] Kohei NAWA: Meiji Jingu
1 November 2020Kohei NAWA will be participating in two presentations at the Meiji Jingu in celebration of the 100th anniversary of its enthronement. The artist has developed...Read more -
[Exhibition] Kohei NAWA: Oracle
23 October 2020Kohei NAWA's solo exhibition 'Oracle' at GYRE is open for one more month. The exhibition introduces works from some of the artist's most recognized series...Read more -
[Event] Kohei NAWA: Musée du Louvre
13 July 2018Kohei NAWA | Throne | Musée du Louvre ARARIO congratulates Kohei NAWA 's Throne installation at Pyramid of the Musée du Louvre, Paris! NAWA has...Read more -
[Exhibition] Kohei NAWA: Reborn-Art Festival 2017
22 July 2017Kohei NAWA will exhibit works at two venues at the art, music and food festival, Reborn-Art Festival 2017, held in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture―Oginohama, Oshika...Read more -
[Exhibition] Kohei NAWA: TAKAHASHI COLLECTION_Mindfulness 2017
22 July 2017Kohei NAWA's PixCell and Direction series will be featured in Takahashi Collection Mindfulness 2017 at Yamagata Art Museum, which presents diverse developments in Japanese contemporary...Read more -
[Exhibition] Kohei NAWA: VESSEL
15 October 2016Performance art project VESSEL has been realized on October 15, 2016 in the Inujima Seirensho Art Museum, its open-air stage organized by SANDWICH and Setouchi...Read more -
[Exhibition] Kohei NAWA: VESSEL
3 September 2016 Read more -
[Exhibition] Kohei NAWA: Singapore Eye_Contemporary Singapore Art
17 January 2015Click here for more informationRead more