Art Within Reach
Artist / Nakahara Chihiro
Born in 1990 in Japan, Kyoto, Nakahara Chihiro graduated from University of Toyama in 2012 with Bachelor’s in Art and Design, and received a Master’s degree from University of Toyama in 2014. She is now a full-time artist. Book, Chihiro Nakahara, was published in 2016. Her second book Drifting Objects of Dreams was published in 2023. In 2016, The Form of Growth: Inside Out won the Gold Award of Kyoto Museum Rinpa 400 Years Exhibition－Rinpa FOREVER. A joint brand established with Wings of Hope Culture & Creativity Development International Ltd. in year 2020.
The artist is adept at expressing refined ideas, visualizing inspiration, and displaying infinite creativity through a variety of media.
Nakahara Chihiro’s paintings are frequently populated by a multitude of “characters” who are given souls in her works, bringing lively interest and richness of life to her paintings. The imagery in the work is intended to demonstrate the potential of human beings. The black river flows from left to right, symbolizing the continuous passage of time in our lives. The large character in the center is the artist herself. It is from her own “soul” and “body” that emerge many characters representing various abilities, indicating that those encounters in life’s journey will bring out all kinds of abilities that one might be unaware of. For example, the characters sitting on the boat on the lower left represent the encounters that will eventually lead to the thriving of our own.
2016
Mix media on paper
130.3(H) x 162(W) cm
Courtesy of the artist
The characters in the painting each want to become one of the 12 constellations or a beautiful star in the sky. After a long life, they wish to become constellations or stars that will always shine in this world and serve as proof that they lived, rather than vanish as the rest of the world does. As a result, these characters try to imitate the appearance, gestures, or movements of the constellations, but they quickly realize that even if they imitate others or follow the trajectory of the past, they will not be able to achieve their original desires. Only by working hard to carve their own path in life can they leave a distinct mark and a place for themselves after they meet the end of their lives.
2017
Mix media on paper
116.7(H) x 182(W) cm
Courtesy of the artist
THE KAWS ALBUM, sold for HK$116 million at auction, made a big splash on the art market in the spring of 2019. Nakahara Chihiro thus composed Pay Tribute to KAWS, which comprises over 100 characters created by the artist. It took her more than two months of drawing from sketching to finalizing the work.
2019
Acrylic on canvas
227.2(H) x 227.2(W) cm
Courtesy of the artist
The painting is inspired by Chan Ho-Kei, one of Nakahara Chihiro's favorite mystery novel writers from Hong Kong, and his work The Diogenes Variations, Op.5. Nakahara has transformed her understanding of the book into the language of a painting, expressing the depth of her identification with the story.
2022
Mix media on paper
72.7(H) x 91(W) cm
Courtesy of the artist
The sculpture of Nakahara Chihiro is developed based on the characters depicted in the artist’s paintings.
2017
Resin, stainless wire, acrylic hand-colored
42 x 62 x 16 cm
Courtesy of the artist
2018
Resin, mixed media, acrylic hand-colored
36.5 x 27 x 27 cm
Courtesy of the artist
2018
Resin, stainless wire, mixed media, acrylic hand-colored
30 x 19 x 33.5 cm
Courtesy of the artist
Solo Exhibitions
2023, Fantastic Trip to Dreamland: Drifting Objects of Dreams in Fuly Art Gallery, Tainan
2022, Chihiro Nakahara Fantastic Travel in Taiwan in ART SOLO 2022, Taipei
2021, 2021 Creative Art Exhibition of Chihiro Nakahara Solo Exhibition in Shin Kong Mitsukoshi A11,Taipei
2019, Chihiro Nakahara Solo Exhibition in Art Central 2019, Hong Kong
2019, Imaginary World of Chihiro Nakahara in China Academy of Art, Hangzhou
2015, Who is Telling the Forgotten Story: Chihiro Nakahara Solo Exhibition in Chuan Cheng Art Center, Taipei
2015, Bustling Silence: Chihiro Nakahara Solo Exhibition, Kyoto
2014, It Starts in the Evening: Chihiro Nakahara Solo Exhibition, Nagano
2014, To the World which Jumps: Chihiro Nakahara Solo Exhibition, Osaka
Group Exhibitions
Her works have participated in international exhibitions and group exhibitions such as ARTTAIPEI, BANK ART FAIR, ART FORMOSA, ART BEIJING, SHENZHEN INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR, ART OSAKA, and more.
This article is sourced from Chuan Cheng Art Center.
