Recently in Paris, Whitewall Projects unveiled an inaugural group presentation. On view alongside Art Basel Paris, nearby the Grand Palais, the exhibition, “From Nature” cascaded throughout a stunning Parisian apartment on 37 Roosevelt 75008 Paris. Deftly curated by Emma Donnersberg, Marion Guggenheim, and Nicolas Dewavrin, the mesmeric show spotlit visionaries Maho Nakamura, Fabien Adèle, Louis Alcaraz, Apollinaria Broche, Mia Chaplin, Eugénie Didier, Daria Dmytrenko, DRIFT, Sasha Ferré, Pandora Graessl, Rafael Y. Herman, Alexandre Lenoir, William Macnad, Ileana García Magoda, Kami Mierzvvinsk, and Roman Moriceau. The elegant presentation was staged by Donnersberg, strengthened by Flos lighting and Diptyque fragrances.
Born in Tokyo in 1971, Maho Nakamura arrived in France at the age of 5. She lives and works in Paris and her work is represented by La Galerie à venir, Paris. After a degree in Foreign Languages and Civilizations from Paris VII – La Sorbonne, she graduated in 2000 from the Ecole nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Paris in the painting department, studying in the renowned studio of Claude Viallat. Initially a painter, she turned, from 2015, to the creation of ceramic sculptures. An artist with an unbridled imagination and great formal freedom, Nakamura produces works whose sources are multiple and varied: echoes of Roman art, grotesque statuary, pop culture and its heroes, science fiction, B-series cinema, rocaille art or the porcelain tradition of the Grand Siècle.
On this stirring occasion, the artist generously spoke to Whitewall about nature’s ability to unlock the hidden dreams of the subconscious, imparting an emotional story through color, and working daily at her studio collective in Paris.
Maho Nakamura; photo by Alexandre Maelst.
WHITEWALL: How would you describe your creative practice?
MAHO NAKAMURA: I make sculptures in ceramic—enameled earthenware most of the time.
Illuminating the Earth, Water, Air, and Fire in Ceramics
WW: How do you see your work in relation to nature? How do you connect with nature?
MN: Nature is a source of great inspiration for many artists. I often represent animals, forest, but water is very present in my work. I am a city dweller, but nature has strong symbols and helps me to express my hidden dreams, it talks to my subconscious mind. Especially water, in this material, there is the surface and underneath, the hidden world. Also, ceramic is earth, water, air (drying), and fire.
“I am a city dweller, but nature has strong symbols and helps me to express my hidden dreams, it talks to my subconscious mind,”
Maho Nakamura
Maho Nakamura, “Ecouter Ensemble (detail),” 2023, enameled ceramic, fimo clay, and paint, 20 x 20 x 25 cm, courtesy of the artist and La Galerie à venir / Laura Tendil, Paris.
A Complex World of Colors Which Tell a Poignant Story
WW: Tell us about your color and material palette. What tones and textures are you drawn to?
MN: I use enamel. I have to imagine the colors, because it is going to change with the fire. Color is a complex world. A teacher I had at the Beaux-Arts de Paris, used to say “color is emotion.” It is true. The composition is essential, but with the colors only you can tell a story.
WW: Can you tell us about the work that will be on view in the exhibition?
MN: I will present two works. The blue one is called Brother Blue, and the white one is Sister White. They were created together for the show, born and put in the kiln together. That is why they are like sister and brother. They represent a vision of submarine life. The inspiration is sea anemone.
WW: What was the starting point for this work?
MN: The invitation of the designer Emma Donnersberg. She likes my work and invited me generously to the event. She is sensitive to the evocation of nature in my work.
Courtesy of Maho Nakamura.
Living and Working in Paris, Naturally
WW: Where do you typically begin with an artwork?
MN: I often start by drawing the ideas. I can also write. It is a bit like writing a book or a film. I can search for some documentation too.
WW: Can you tell us about your studio?
MN: I work in Paris, in a studio collective. We are an association of artists, from different disciplines. There are actors, musicians, craftworkers, etc.
WW: What is a typical day like for you there?
MN: I say hello to people, I work two hours or so, I eat my bentô (japanese lunch box) or a sandwich, then I go back to work till five or six. I don’t like staying late because I have to buy food, prepare dinner and I have to prepare my bentô for the next day. When I am in the studio, I don’t like going outside. I mean in the street, but otherwise there is a garden where I work.
WW: Is there an element of your creative process you make sure to do each day?
MN: Not especially.
WW: What are you working on next in the studio?
MN: I am making a piece with many dogs.
Courtesy of Maho Nakamura.
