Kengo Nakamura _ Portfolio

Home > 中村ケンゴの美術作品
Speech Balloons

Reconstructed speech balloons from comic books and made patterns on Washi, these uniquely balanced patterns are reminiscent of Jackson Pollock, known as an abstract expressionist. Nakamura’s very first Speech Balloons work is sampled from three actual popular weekly magazines in Japan; Jump, Magazine, Big comic spirits. The title of the art Nakamura made was Jump, Magazine, and Spirits. The images of his arts are derived from the environment and era he grew up with such as comic books, animations and pop cultures rather than Japanese traditional arts.

A single speech balloon without words in it is nothing more than emptiness. However, by putting together a number of speech(less) balloons in the piece to make a sort of hustle and bustle aspect that reflects the everyday grind. Another series of his work, “Speech Balloons in the Hinomaru” (2008), the Speech Balloons were imaged in the middle of Japan’s flag.
Through this, Nakamura’s intention is to remind viewers that the image is of his own country’s difficulty to define itself, the image shows that the flag is fading out without words or being eaten away by the empty balloons, a figurative reflection of what Nakamura feels is happening to the fabric of his country. These subliminal messages behind his works are core for Nakamura.
| "SPEECH BALLOON" |
Speech Balloons in the Hinomaru

"Speech Balloons in the Hinomaru"
2008 66 x 94 cm
Mineral pigment and pigment on Japanese paper

<スピーチバルーン・イン・ザ・ヒノマル>
2008年 66 x 94 cm 和紙、岩絵具、顔料
| "SPEECH BALLOON" |
SPEECH BALLOON -スピリッツ-(部分)

"SPEECH BALLOON -sprits-" (Dateils)
1995 72 x 60.6cm
Mineral pigment and pigment on Japanese paper
photo: Akihiko Matsumoto

《スピーチバルーン -スピリッツ-》(部分)
1995年 72 x 60.6cm 和紙、岩絵具、顔料
撮影:松本明彦
| "SPEECH BALLOON" |
SPEECH BALLOON -cry-

"SPEECH BALLOON -cry-" series
1995 Each 30 x 30cm
Mineral pigment and pigment on Japanese paper
photo: Takashi Makita

《スピーチバルーン -叫び-》 Speech balloon
1995年 それぞれ30 x 30cm 和紙、岩絵具、顔料
撮影:牧田隆志
| "SPEECH BALLOON" |