Nakayama, Tadashi
Born: 1927, in Niigata Died: 2014
Medium: Woodblock

Nakayama is best known for creating carefully executed prints, most often with butterflies, long haired girls, or horses as subject matter. The early works used only a few delicate tones of relatively dark grays and browns, with metallics underneath. But the artist may be better known for the more exuberant colors of later prints. The woodblocks require up to fifty different stages of printing, often incorporating gold and silver leaf and metallic inks. He generally provides a wealth of fine lines executed by overprinting in different colors. Quite arduous work is required in both carving and printing the numerous blocks to make the final creation. This means that since 1981, Nakayama has only been able to do two or three prints a year. As a result his work sells out quickly, and is highly valued by both collectors and museums.

The prints of Nakayama are a testament to his skill in producing complex works, sometimes in very large dimensions, and they are also particularly appealing in the choice of imagery. They manage to capture the movements of his subject matter, without having the multitude of colors and lines deteriorate into chaos. Rather, they are presented in a controlled, calm context similar to a tapestry, with the visual appeal of a skillfully woven Oriental brocade.

Exhibitions:
Rome, Italy
CWAJ Exhibits, Tokyo
Krakow International Print Biennial, Poland
Bethesda, Maryland
International Biennial Exhibition of Prints, Tokyo, Japan
Milan, Italy

Collections:
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australia
Cincinnati Museum of Art, Ohio
Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco--Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts
Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Honolulu Academy of Arts, Hawaii
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pennsylvania
Western Australian Art Museum, Perth
National Gallery of Victoria, Australia
Minnesota Museum of Art, St. Paul