Nana Miyagi Artist Statement
I primarily work in abstract painting, with a focus on the expressive and conceptual potential of lines and marks. My earlier practice involved layering traditional Japanese black ink and white pigment made from shells on wooden panels, then scratching into the surface with a needle to create intricate line-based compositions. Over time, my interests have shifted from deliberate mark-making to exploring traces left by the artistic process itself—often unintentional or peripheral.
Recently, I have moved away from wood panels and started experimenting with various supports, including sketchbook paper and walls, and incorporating new materials such as oil paint, watercolor, and pastel. These transitions reflect a broader concern with impermanence and the idea that even when physical forms disappear, thought and emotion can remain—much like a memory.
Living abroad has deeply influenced my practice, prompting reflections on identity, cultural belonging, and the shifting nature of existence over time, as well as the enduring presence of certain philosophies and ideas. These reflections form the foundation of what I seek to express through my work.
Recently, I have moved away from wood panels and started experimenting with various supports, including sketchbook paper and walls, and incorporating new materials such as oil paint, watercolor, and pastel. These transitions reflect a broader concern with impermanence and the idea that even when physical forms disappear, thought and emotion can remain—much like a memory.
Living abroad has deeply influenced my practice, prompting reflections on identity, cultural belonging, and the shifting nature of existence over time, as well as the enduring presence of certain philosophies and ideas. These reflections form the foundation of what I seek to express through my work.
*日本語バージョンは後ほど追加します。
Artist Biography
Nana Miyagi is a Japanese artist born in Tokyo and currently based in Glasgow, Scotland. She studied Nihonga (Japanese painting)* throughout high school and during her undergraduate studies, receiving formal training in traditional materials and drawing techniques. After that, her practice gradually shifted toward more intuitive and conceptual approaches.
Since relocating to the UK, Nana has been exploring the philosophical and visual significance of the “marks” left during the artistic process—especially those that are unintentional or peripheral. For her, these traces evoke memory, thought, and presence beyond material permanence. Her recent work involves experimenting with various surfaces and media, including oil paint, watercolor, and pastel, often prioritizing the process itself over the finished result.
She continues to develop a body of work that, while informed by traditional Japanese aesthetics, interweaves contemporary art notions such as gesture and trace.
*Nihonga: This category does not mean Japanese traditional painting, but the particular way of painting after the end of 19c, Meiji era. Nihonga painters ordinarily paint mineral pigments, animal glue, and water on hemp paper or silk.
宮城 菜々 / Nana Miyagi
1987年 東京都生まれ / Born in 1987 in Tokyo, Japan
経歴 / Experience
2023 - the present
Master of Fine Art, The Glasgow School of Art - Glasgow, The United Kingdom
Master of Fine Art, The Glasgow School of Art - Glasgow, The United Kingdom
2018
金沢工業大学院イノベーションマネジメント専攻 著作権法ゼミ 修了
修士論文「現代美術と著作権に関する一考察 アプロプリエーションの手法を題材として」
Master of Intellectual Property Management in Copyright laws,
Kanazawa Institute Technology ToranomonGraduate School – Tokyo, Japan
Master’s thesis ‘A study of contemporary art and copyright: Subject of Appropriation art.’
金沢工業大学院イノベーションマネジメント専攻 著作権法ゼミ 修了
修士論文「現代美術と著作権に関する一考察 アプロプリエーションの手法を題材として」
Master of Intellectual Property Management in Copyright laws,
Kanazawa Institute Technology ToranomonGraduate School – Tokyo, Japan
Master’s thesis ‘A study of contemporary art and copyright: Subject of Appropriation art.’
2011-2016
有限会社カイカイキキ勤務 主に村上隆氏の絵画作品下図データ作成業務を担当
Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. Mainly in charge of digital drawing work for the artist Takashi Murakami's paintings
有限会社カイカイキキ勤務 主に村上隆氏の絵画作品下図データ作成業務を担当
Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. Mainly in charge of digital drawing work for the artist Takashi Murakami's paintings
2011
東北芸術工科大学芸術学部 美術科日本画コース 卒業
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Japanese Art, Tohoku University of Art and Design – Yamagata, Japan
東北芸術工科大学芸術学部 美術科日本画コース 卒業
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Japanese Art, Tohoku University of Art and Design – Yamagata, Japan
2006
東京都立芸術高等学校 美術科日本画専攻 卒業
Fine Arts in Japanese Art, Tokyo Metropolitan Art High School - Tokyo, Japan
東京都立芸術高等学校 美術科日本画専攻 卒業
Fine Arts in Japanese Art, Tokyo Metropolitan Art High School - Tokyo, Japan
Collaboration