In a seamless blend of individuality and shared vision, Japanese artists Yoshiko and Shintaro Nakahara create a ‘third artist’ through their collaborative work. As they unveil their latest collection at Sanderson, they invite us into their unique creative world.
Exclusive Q&A
Can you tell us a bit about yourselves — your interests, your backgrounds?
Y: We both studied Fine Arts in Tokyo, but at different universities — Shintaro has a bachelor of Arts from Tama Art University and I have a bachelor of Fine Arts from Musashino Art University. We have called Aotearoa home for the past 18 years.
Can you tell us about your individual painting styles?
S: Yoshiko works very intricately and usually with black ink, while I work with bold strokes of colour. Often, people think when looking at our individual styles that my work has a more dynamic personality and Yoshiko is more precise and sensitive. But the funny truth is that it’s quite
the opposite.
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You both have distinct artistic practices, but are known for your collaborative works, can you tell us how you came to make art together?
S: We started creating work together when we moved to New Zealand. When we started working together we knew it was important for us to keep an equal balance. Both of our practices come together on the canvas, and we are often surprised by the outcome.
Your practice has been described as a conversation — how do you communicate with each other on the canvas?
Y: The artworks develop without any verbal communication. We communicate only on the canvas through the painting and drawing process, and nothing is right or wrong. It develops naturally, with us each taking turns adding to the work. Our paintings are constantly changing, and even the person in charge changes during the process.
Your paintings are often philosophical and contemplative, what are some wider themes you are exploring within your practice?
We draw inspiration from everyday life. Our current exhibition at Sanderson, Perpetual, uses waves as the central motif and looks at the concept of deep time.
Outside of your painting careers, you’re both horologists, working with luxury brands like Rolex. How has this influenced your artistic practice?
Working with world-famous horological companies like Rolex continuously teaches us about accuracy and precision. Using waves, our new exhibition has a strong focus on time as a theme. So perhaps our horological thinking has finally interlinked with our artistry.
Shintaro & Yoshiko Nakahara’s exhibition ‘Perpetual’ is on now at Sanderson Contemporary until the 10th of November 2024.
