Yumi Nagata "Patch・Work"

GALLERY ROOM・A is pleased to present "Patchwork," a solo exhibition by Yumi Nagata. Having studied Japanese painting techniques at Tama Art University, Nagata developed a deep interest in the grain and color of traditional materials. Utilizing primarily Japanese Washi paper and mineral pigments (iwa-enogu), she translates unique colors and expressions onto her canvases. Nagata's works are constructed with pale, delicate colors and sophisticated line work. Her primary motif is girls with large, clear, impressionable eyes. While these figures resemble the anime and manga characters we encounter in daily life, they also possess a fleeting, ephemeral beauty. The exhibition title, "Patchwork," refers to the needlework technique of sewing together small fragments of fabric to create a single large cloth. Within this act of "piecing together," two conflicting perspectives coexist: Nagata’s pure desire to depict the lovely images of girls she has adored since childhood, and her objective gaze as an artist attempting to view this desire through the lens of contemporary art. Fragments of emotion and memory may seem mismatched or scattered at first glance. However, by carefully stitching them together like a patchwork, Nagata seeks a new form of painting—one that is instantly accessible, yet deeply captivating. These works, where seemingly contradictory elements seamlessly meet and take on new meaning, feel as though they gently accept and embrace the fragments of the viewers' own inner memories.