Solo exhibition
2025
Floating Through Time, Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London, UK
2024
Solo booth by Althuis Hofland Fine Arts, at Tokyo Gendai, Yokohama, JPN
2023
Walk in the Maze Forest, Sens Gallery, Hong Kong, CHN
2022
Daydreams and Memories, Althuis Hofland Fine Arts, Amsterdam, NDL
2021
Departure and Arrival & Fear and Hope, Dusseldorf, DEU
Two-person exhibitions
2025
With Parmen Daushvili by Althuis Hofland Fine Arts, at Felix Art Fair, Los Angeles, USA
2023
With Plum Cloutman by Althuis Hofland Fine Arts, at Untitled Miami, Miami, USA
Group exhibition
2022
Protectors of Love and Peace (Tentative), with Yoshitomo Nara, Futoshi Miyagi, Kyoko Murase, Lieko Shiga, Erika Kobayashi, Yuya Hashizume, Shomei Tomatsu, YKG Gallery in Tokio, JPN
2021
Youth, with Yoshitomo Nara, YKG Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
»tomodachito« Mit Freund*innen, with Takeoka Yūji, Nara Yoshitomo, Murase Kyōko, Andō Yukako, Kinoshita Ryō, Anca Muresan, Karin Sander, Arakawa Soya and Magdalena Jetelová), Kunsthalle Duesseldorf, DEU
1993
5 Japanische Künstler aus Düsseldorf, with Motoko Aoki, Ai Hagita, O-Jun and Sumiko Naganuma, Kunstraum Neuss, DEU
1991
Zeitgenössische Kunst aus Japan, with Yoshio Yoshida, Stadtsparkasse Neuss, Gallery Sels in Neuss, DEU
1990
KIKKOO 6 Japanese artists from Duesseldorf, with Ai Hagita, Setsuko Ikai, Nobuko Sugai, Takeshi Suzuki and Hiroshi Teshima, Eller / Duesseldorf (D)
De Reizende Zon, 6 Japanese artists with Ai Hagita, Setsuko Ikai, Nobuko Sugai, Takeshi Suzuki and Hiroshi Teshima, Kunsthal Almelo, NDL
1987
Exhibition with Petr Vrána in Exhibitionsforum of GHK (Studio Kausch) Kassel, DEU
1983
Exhibition with Manne Sens in Westermann publishing house in Braunschweig, DEU
1982
Landschaft und Metapher, Group exhibition of the art department of the University Kassel, DEU
1956
born in Saitama, Japan
1978–80
Nihon Art School in Tokyo
1982–83
Braunschweig University of Fine Arts
1983–88
Duesseldorf Art Academy
Painting and Me
My first encounter with oil painting was when I was 10 years old. I started attending a local art class every Saturday. While learning the basics of oil painting, I also got to see oil paintings taller than me in my teacher's studio and freely browse through numerous art books, which allowed me to experience the world of art. The impressions I had back then still live on in my paintings.
After graduating from a pharmaceutical university in Tokyo and studying oil painting at an art school for two years, I moved to Germany in the early 1980s. At the time in Japan, conceptual works dominated contemporary art, and painting seemed like a thing of the past. However, in Germany, painters known as the New Fauvist movement were gaining attention, and the art environment was completely different from that in Japan. Seeing this, I remember feeling relieved and thinking, "It's okay to paint!"
After graduating from art school in Düsseldorf, I got married and had three children. I worked as a German-Japanese translator and gave up painting for over 20 years. I never thought I'd ever paint again. Nevertheless, when I turned 60 and reduced my work as an interpreter, and began to have more free time, I began making small sculptures and gradually began painting as well.
Edward Munch is said to have said, "I don't paint what I see, but what I have seen" and I think that makes sense. I think "what I have seen" refers to things that I remember and have experienced. When I was at art school in Düsseldorf, there was a time when I asked myself what I should paint. I began to think that paintings are like plants that grow from one's own soil (memories and experiences). Furthermore, these days I feel that things that fall from the sky into my soil can also become paintings, sculptures, and drawings.
Legal Notice
pursuant
to § 5 TMG
Owner
Masao Nakahara
Alte Linner Str. 23,
47799 Krefeld (DE)
mail@masaonakahara.com
© 2025
Last updated: 2025/09/01
Design & Development: Nelly Nakahara
Liability for ContentThe contents of our pages have been created with the greatest care. However, we cannot assume any liability for the accuracy, completeness and up-to-dateness of the contents. As a service provider, we are responsible for our own content on these pages in accordance with general laws pursuant to § 7 para. 1 TMG. According to §§ 8 to 10 TMG, however, we are not obliged as a service provider to monitor transmitted or stored third-party information or to investigate circumstances that indicate illegal activity. Obligations to remove or block the use of information under general law remain unaffected by this. However, liability in this respect is only possible from the time of knowledge of a specific infringement. If we become aware of such infringements, we will remove these contents immediately.
Liability for LinksOur offer contains links to external third-party websites, on whose contents we have no influence. Therefore, we cannot assume any liability for these external contents. The respective provider or operator of the sites is always responsible for the contents of the linked sites. The linked sites were checked for possible legal violations at the time of linking. Unlawful content was not recognizable at the time of linking. However, a permanent content control of the linked sites is not reasonable without concrete evidence of an infringement. As soon as we become aware of any legal infringements, we will remove such links immediately.
Privacy PolicyThe use of our website is generally possible without providing personal data. Insofar as personal data (such as name, address or email addresses) is collected on our pages, this is always done, as far as possible, on a voluntary basis. This data will not be passed on to third parties without your express consent.We would like to point out that data transmission on the Internet (e.g. communication by email) may have security gaps. Complete protection of the data against access by third parties is not possible.The use of contact data published within the scope of the imprint obligation by third parties for the purpose of sending unsolicited advertising and information material is hereby expressly prohibited. The operators of the pages expressly reserve the right to take legal action in the event of unsolicited advertising information, such as spam emails.
Instagram Privacy PolicyWe have integrated Instagram functions into our website. Instagram is a social media platform operated by Instagram LLC, 1601 Willow Rd, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. Since 2012, Instagram has been a subsidiary of Facebook Inc. and is one of Facebook’s products.The integration of Instagram content on our website is referred to as “embedding.” This allows us to display content such as buttons, photos, or videos from Instagram directly on our website. When you access web pages on our website that have an integrated Instagram function, data is transmitted to Instagram, stored, and processed. Instagram uses the same systems and technologies as Facebook.Below, we would like to give you more detailed information about why Instagram collects data, what data is involved, and how you can largely control data processing. Since Instagram belongs to Facebook Inc., we refer both to Instagram’s guidelines and Facebook’s own data policies.
What is Instagram?Instagram is one of the world’s most popular social media networks. Instagram combines the advantages of a blog with the benefits of audiovisual platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo. On “Insta” (as many users casually call the platform), you can upload photos and short videos, edit them with various filters, and also share them on other social networks. And if you don’t want to be active yourself, you can simply follow other interesting users.
This website is not optimized for landscape mode on mobile devices. Please rotate your phone to portrait.
Thank you!
(Solo exhibition)
(Two-person exhibitions)
(Group exhibitions)
Legal Notice
pursuant to § 5 TMG
Owner: Masao Nakahara
Alte Linner Str. 23, 47799 Krefeld (DE)
mail@masaonakahar.com
© 2025
Last updated: 28.08.2025
Design & Development: Nelly Nakahara
Liability for Content The contents of our pages have been created with the greatest care. However, we cannot assume any liability for the accuracy, completeness and up-to-dateness of the contents. As a service provider, we are responsible for our own content on these pages in accordance with general laws pursuant to § 7 para. 1 TMG. According to §§ 8 to 10 TMG, however, we are not obliged as a service provider to monitor transmitted or stored third-party information or to investigate circumstances that indicate illegal activity. Obligations to remove or block the use of information under general law remain unaffected by this. However, liability in this respect is only possible from the time of knowledge of a specific infringement. If we become aware of such infringements, we will remove these contents immediately.
Liability for Links Our offer contains links to external third-party websites, on whose contents we have no influence. Therefore, we cannot assume any liability for these external contents. The respective provider or operator of the sites is always responsible for the contents of the linked sites. The linked sites were checked for possible legal violations at the time of linking. Unlawful content was not recognizable at the time of linking. However, a permanent content control of the linked sites is not reasonable without concrete evidence of an infringement. As soon as we become aware of any legal infringements, we will remove such links immediately.
Privacy Policy The use of our website is generally possible without providing personal data. Insofar as personal data (such as name, address or email addresses) is collected on our pages, this is always done, as far as possible, on a voluntary basis. This data will not be passed on to third parties without your express consent.We would like to point out that data transmission on the Internet (e.g. communication by email) may have security gaps. Complete protection of the data against access by third parties is not possible.The use of contact data published within the scope of the imprint obligation by third parties for the purpose of sending unsolicited advertising and information material is hereby expressly prohibited. The operators of the pages expressly reserve the right to take legal action in the event of unsolicited advertising information, such as spam emails.
Instagram Privacy PolicyWe have integrated Instagram functions into our website. Instagram is a social media platform operated by Instagram LLC, 1601 Willow Rd, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. Since 2012, Instagram has been a subsidiary of Facebook Inc. and is one of Facebook’s products.The integration of Instagram content on our website is referred to as “embedding.” This allows us to display content such as buttons, photos, or videos from Instagram directly on our website. When you access web pages on our website that have an integrated Instagram function, data is transmitted to Instagram, stored, and processed. Instagram uses the same systems and technologies as Facebook.Below, we would like to give you more detailed information about why Instagram collects data, what data is involved, and how you can largely control data processing. Since Instagram belongs to Facebook Inc., we refer both to Instagram’s guidelines and Facebook’s own data policies.What is Instagram?Instagram is one of the world’s most popular social media networks. Instagram combines the advantages of a blog with the benefits of audiovisual platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo. On “Insta” (as many users casually call the platform), you can upload photos and short videos, edit them with various filters, and also share them on other social networks. And if you don’t want to be active yourself, you can simply follow other interesting users.