MARIKA NAGAOKE

Works
・Cling　（2026-2025）
・Run・Dive 　（2021-2016）
・Dance　（2025-2008）
・Blue on Body　（2006）

RUN
2021
oil on panel
107×72 inch（2700×1800ｍｍ）

At the center of the piece, a woman in a suit breaks away from the horizontal flow of the crowd, running directly toward the viewer with a tense and determined expression. She has reached a turning point: refusing to be passively swept along by the masses, she chooses to forge her own path. This artwork visualizes the profound shift in my outlook on life catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Born in 1976 Saitama, Japan
apporo -based

Artist Statement
My paintings are deeply rooted in the art of dance, a discipline I have practiced since childhood. Capturing the dynamism of the human body and the transient movement of the surrounding air through the motif of dance continuously stimulates my imagination, breathing vitality into each canvas. For me, the act of painting is itself a profound form of physical expression. Throughout the creative process, I feel a visceral oneness with the figures taking shape on the canvas. I translate the fluid movements born from my dialogues and creative exchanges with dancers into painterly forms, entrusting the human figure with raw, inner messages: conflict, impulse, loneliness, resilience, and ultimate liberation.

Exhibitions

2026 Solo Exhibition “Clinging Red, Resisting Body” Gallery SOU, Sapporo
2026 “LOADING PLEASE WAIT" Galeria Azur, New York
2026 ART INTERNATIONAL ZURICH – Digital exhibition entry
2024 “Contemporary Venice”, Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello, Venice, Italy

Awards

2026 Finalist, Arte Laguna Prize, Venice, Italy
2026 Finalist, Art International Zurich, Switzerland
2026 Winner, ITSLIQUID Artist of the Year 2025
2024 Grand Prize, 68th New Hokkaido Art Association Exhibition, Japan
2024 Winner, 15th ITSLIQUID International Contest, Italy
2021 Memorial Prize, 65th New Hokkaido Art Association Exhibition,Japan
Edducasion
1998 Graduated from MUsashino Art University

Last Updated 24.10.31