TRAVELER Tatsunori Nagura: 30 July – 3 August 2019

The Traveler is a solo exhibition by Tatsunori Nagura. Tatsunori has been in Edinburgh for a year as part of the Programme of Overseas Study for Upcoming Artists by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan.

In his studio at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop (ESW), he surveyed the characteristics of slate and its formative culture. As part of his investigation he visited the ruin of Ballachulish quarry, which is famous for its slate, and one of several in Scotland and the UK. The range of pieces of slates used in this show were all collected in various places within the UK. Additionally Tatsunori researched the visual culture from ancient to the present in a number of cultural facilities to develop this body of work.

This exhibition is a part of his achievement in Edinburgh. The pieces exhibited focus on three sculptural ideas: time, distance and scale. While living in Edinburgh he also investigated an interest in light, wind, humidity, horizon, travelling, voyage, longitude and latitude. His work here was inspired by those keywords and reflect on old skills of making and how they change with time.

“I think that stones speak eloquently in this complicated society. For me, stones are primitive and exist everywhere without drawing special attention to people. Now, I have a small stone in my hand. It is a segment of the world without borders and seas, as well as a surface of the past. It can be a megalith standing on the earth, or it can be a star shining far away. I believe that art speaks to about our imagination and its possibilities.” Tatsunori Nagura

I am so pleased to show his solo exhibition as a new step of his art.
Kida Sayuri

Biography
Nagura was born in Aichi, Japan in 1984, as the sixth generation of artisans for Suzuri硯 (engl: inkstone*). He completed the Master’s degree in Sculpture at Tokyo University of Arts in 2011. In the same year, triggered by the east Japan earthquake and nuclear accidents, he started making minimal stone works and training how to make traditional ink stones in his hometown. Nowadays, besides working as an artist, he teaches contemporary art with stone at the Shizuoka University.
He was awarded many prizes for his work and exhibits regularly.

* Inkstone is a tool for calligraphy. Most inkstones are made of slate. This exhibition invites visitors to enjoy the beauty of this
material by trying calligraphy using those stones.

*Tatsu Nagura will prepare and serve Japanese tea on 3rd August, 11am – 2pm

ESW Research Space
30 July – 2 August 2019, 9.30am – 5pm

3 August, 9.30am – 3pm