⑯Artist Profiles NAKAGAWA Mamoru

Nakagawa Mamoru studied industrial design at college and after graduation worked as a designer for an electronics manufacturer. He then returned to his hometown of Kanazawa, where he encountered Kaga zogan (inlay) and set his mind on a career in metal carving. In 2004, he became the first person born after World War II to be designated as a holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property in the field of “metal carving.” Underlying his creation is concepts of design. In Kaga inlay, a metal support is carved, and other metal materials are fitted there to form patterns. Because of the meticulous process of “carving” and “fitting” hard metal, it is difficult to make improvisational changes during production. Therefore, ingenuities at the stage of designing a work is the key to diversity in expression. Having worked as an industrial designer, Nakagawa often stresses the importance of f lexible design. The artist internalizes the landscapes he has encountered so far and transforms them into designs. Although his coverage has varied from the surrounding areas to overseas, his abstracted scenes have a universality that has attracted many sympathizers beyond national borders. Nakagawa’s works are in the collections of the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art and are highly praised internationally.