Solo Exhibition Summer Next Door
LURF GALLERY (LURF GALLERY) 1st floor is pleased to present "Summer Next Door," a solo exhibition by Aika Nagano.
Aika Nagano has been exploring the expression of space, which has been considered a "blank space" in Japanese painting, by capturing it as light and depicting it as the "ground" of the picture plane. In addition to the subject to be painted, she also creates a delicate layer of light on the canvas that represents the air surrounding the subject and the shimmering of light, which are signs that do not have form.
The title of this exhibition, "Summer Next Door," is a term used to describe the transition of the season, with signs of summer approaching close at hand. In this exhibition, we will present new works that focus on seasonal changes and signs of time hidden in everyday scenes. We hope you will take this opportunity to view them.
EXHIBITION OVERVIEW
Aika Nagano Solo Exhibition "Summer Next Door
| Meeting Period | Friday, April 10 - Sunday, May 17, 2026 |
| Venue | LURF GALLERY 1F |
| Hours | 11:00 - 19:00 |
| Address | Roob1, 28-13 Sarugaku-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0033, Japan |
For inquiries, please contactthis way (direction close to the speaker or towards the speaker)
STATEMENT
"Summer next door."
At the time of the grain rain, we feel a hint of summer.
It looks like we are getting close.
The air is warmed by the bright sunshine, and a gentle breeze passes by, carrying the smell of moist soil and fresh greenery.
The soft breeze caressing my cheeks reminds me that the seasons are slowly changing.
Even in everyday life, there are moments when the slightest flicker of light or humidity in the air makes a familiar scene suddenly seem different.
I would like to continue to look at and paint daily landscapes, keeping an eye on such small changes.
Aika Nagano
ART WORKS
Stardust underfoot, 2026, oil on canvas, H41×W53(cm)
Spring is Heralding, 2026, oil on panel, H9 x W24(cm)
Morning Picking, 2026, oil on canvas, H33.3 x W53(cm)
ARTISTS
Aika NAGANO
Aika Nagano
| 1995 | Born in Urayasu City, Chiba Prefecture |
| 2022 | Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Painting, Oil Painting |
| 2024 | Completed the Master Course in Painting, Oil Painting Laboratory 4, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music |
The infinite space “between” as a finite one.
In Japanese painting, “ma,” or the space between the figure and the blank space, is considered important in the composition of a painting, but in his own work, he considers the space between the blank spaces to be light, and focuses on the ground of the painting, or the “finite space. By giving a white ground as light to the infinite space that was originally untouchable, he aimed to include subtleties such as time, humidity, and seasons, and to give the viewer a sense of the artist's flesh. By painting in white, the seemingly infinite space is illuminated by light and transformed into something finite, rather than leaving the distance between things and objects as they are on the canvas.
The ground, which is light, influences the figure, and the relationship between the two becomes richer, expressing the lingering harmony of space with things.