MASAYA NAKAYAMA


SUNRISE & SUNSET
LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES


12 FEBRUARY - 12 MARCH 2022


            LIFE : To The Moon And Back (2022), Acrylic, Color Pencil, Gold Leaf on Washi Paper, Mounted on Wood Panel, Approx 36” x 48” (91.5 cm x 122 cm)
It’s Ok To Not Be Ok: Naomi Osaka (2022), Acrylic, Color Pencil, Gold Leaf on Washi Paper, Mounted on Wood Panel, Approx 36” x 48”  (91.5 cm x 122 cm)


Peter Augustus is pleased to present SUNRISE & SUNSET, LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES, by Brooklyn-based Japanese artist Masaya Nakayama.

The show presents a wide range of artworks by Nakayama detailing his life in America as an immigrant on the path to citizenship. Iconic images of American life, as well as his take on contemporary society, will be on display. The themes represent what the artist equates with American culture through the lens of an artist of color living in New York. With a new life in the dynamic borough of Brooklyn, Nakayama developed his unique painting style drawing upon the energy of the city. This lead to the artist recently having completed a mural at the headquarters of Brooklyn Brewery and creating the company’s logo for the Japanese market.

Nakayama (b 1983) graduated from the Osaka University of Arts (2005), followed by a stint as public junior high school art teacher. He is also the co-founder of Coperus, a Japanese artist collective based in New York and Tokyo. The group formed in 2018 when four creatives — a painter, an illustrator, a photographer, and a hair stylist— came together with a goal of leaving a brighter future for the next generation.

In this spirit, Peter Augustus will release a special edition art pack for children to mark the exhibition opening. Each silkscreened tote featuring Nakayama’s Smiley motif includes art supplies and will available at the gallery for budding artists.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Masaya Nakayama was born in 1983. He is a graduate of the Osaka University of Arts, Department of Fine Arts Painting (2005). His work has been featured at the Dallas Art Fair (2021); and in solo exhibitions including: "A world on paper", Shibuya Hikarie, 2021 (Tokyo Japan); ”YES” Kitano Kitanagaya, Osaka, Japan; and group exhibitions including: “Brooklyn collected: Artists Next Door”, The Watermark Brooklyn Heights, 2020, (Brooklyn, NY); "Shadow of Olympus", Soil gallery, 2018 (Seattle, WA);"Ode To Spring" Walter Wickiser Gallery, 2018 (New York, NY); "Time difference vol. 3” Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, 2018 (Tokyo, Japan).

Old Friends (2022), Acrylic and Color Pencil on Washi Paper, Mounted on Wood Panel, Approx. 36” x 36” (91.5 cm x 91.5 cm)

-


For all inquiries, please contact:

Peter Augustus Owen
peter@peteraugustusgallery.com

︎︎︎