Notes

LOT ESSAY Nagakura Ken’ichi (1952-2018) was a pioneering Japanese bamboo artist known for reimagining the traditional concept of the vessel within contemporary bamboo art. Influenced by Western abstract art and inspired by forms found in nature, Nagakura’s works balance organic vitality with modernist abstraction. While many of his creations take abstract, sculptural forms, several retain a functional dimension as flower containers, reflecting his interest in bridging sculptural experimentation with the long-standing Japanese tradition of bamboo vessels. The present lot, by repute aquired by a collector in 1999, embodies this approach: while functioning as a flower vase, its abstract form also evokes a sculptural presence, and when turned upside down, the vessel transforms into a sculpture resembling a beautiful Calla Lily. In 2000 he was awarded the inaugural Lloyd Cotsen Bamboo Prize, established by the renowned collector and scholar of bamboo art. Today Nagakura’s sculptures are represented in major museum collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco; and the Minneapolis Institute of Art.