Kenjilo Nanao

Kenjilo Nanao: 1929 - 2013, was born in Aomori Japan . In 1960 he immigrated to the Bay Area to study at the San Francisco Art Institute as a student with Nathan Oliveira. He also was a student at The Tamarind Institute in Albuquerque New Mexico where he distinguished himself as a brilliant print maker. He has been an influential figure in San Francisco Bay Area Art since the early 70’s.

An outstanding print maker, Nanao first became known for his surreal lithographs with their delicate gradations of color. In the 80s, he turned his interest to painting. Interestingly, in the directness of painting, Nanao found that figurative elements fell away, giving voice to the underlying abstract structure.

From his explorations in painting, Kenjilo Nanao arrived at a sophisticated and very elegant means of expression. His paintings combine materials such as silver leaf used in traditional Japanese shoji screens with western oil painting to evoke a meditative sense of inward calm that embraces both Eastern and Western cultures.

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Exhibitions & Collections

Selected Solo Exhibitions

 2011

Triton Museum of Art, "Pacific Paintings" Exhibit
Santa Clara, California

2011  

Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery, "The Roots of a Painter" Exhibit
San Francisco, California

2009

Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery, Twenty Five year Survey
San Francisco, California

2006
Elins Eagles Smith Gallery, San Francisco, California

2005
Art Forum, Kyoto, Japan
Yougen Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

2004
"Retrospective Exhibition", Aomori Prefectural Museum, Japan
Aomori Prefectural Museum, Japan
Galerie Dionisi, Los Angeles, California

2001
Durka Chang Gallery, San Francisco, California

1999
Brookings Gallery, San Francisco, California
Smith Andersen Gallery, Palo Alto, California

1998
Smith Andersen Gallery, Palo Alto, California
Brookings Gallery, San Francisco, California
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Rental Gallery,
San Francisco, California

1994
Aomori Gallery, Aomori, Japan

1992
Don Soker Contemporary Art, San Francisco, California
Dubins Gallery, Los Angeles, California

1991
Sun Gallery, Hayward, California

1990
Smith Andersen Gallery, Palo Alto, California
Dubins Gallery, Los Angeles, California

1989
Eva Cohon Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
Dubins Gallery, Los Angeles, California

1987
Don Soker Gallery, San Francisco, California

1986
Dubins Gallery, Los Angeles, California

1985
Dubins Gallery, Los Angeles, California

1983
Osaka Formes Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

1979
Aomori Gallery, Aomori, Japan

1978
Gallery Huntley Canbera, Campbell, Australia
Smith Andersen Gallery, Palo Alto, California

1977
Richmond Art Center, Richmond, California

1974
Smith Andersen Gallery, Palo Alto, California

1973
Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, California

1972
Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, California

1971
Smith Andersen Gallery, Palo Alto, California

1965
Tsubaki Kindai Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

1964
Brooklyn Museum Art School, Brooklyn, New York

Selected Group Exhibitions

2003
Ten Days in Bern, Smith Andersen Gallery, Palo Alto
Wet Paint, Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery, San Francisco, California
American Academy of Arts and Letters Invitational Exhibition,
New York, New York

1997
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Rental Gallery,
San Francisco, California
The Old \'91New Guard, J.J. Brookings Gallery,
San Francisco, California

1994
16 California Artists, Galerie Show, Tokyo, Japan

1992
Directions is Bay Area Printmaking, Cultural Center, Palo Alto, California

1989
Then and Now, Jeremy Stone Gallery, San Francisco, California

1988
Landscape Visions, Office of the Chancellor, California State University, Long Beach, California

1983
Nationial Invitational Exhibition, University of Hawaii at Hilo

1981
7th University of Dallas, , National Print Invitational,
University of Dallas, Dallas, Texas
Beyond Words, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art,
San Jose, California

1980
First Prize, California: Printmaking & Paper, Reese Bullen Gallery,
Humbolt State College, Humbolt, California
The Colored Print, Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, California

1978
Grabdores Norte Americanos, Museo Del Arte Moderno,
La Tutuila, Colombia, South America
Eight West Coast Printmakers, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York
New Faces In Printmaking, Marjorie Kauthman Graphics, Houston, Texas

1977
Night Landscapes, Oakland Museum of Art, Oakland, California

1976
Tenth International Biennial Exhibition of Prints, Anchorage Historical
and Fine Arts Museum, Anchorage, Alaska

1975
24th International Exhibition of Prints, Library of Congress,
Washington, D.C.

1974
New Talent in Printmaking, Associated American Artists, New York, NY
Modern Printmaking, Rochester Institute of Technology,
Rochester, New York
West Coast Printmakers Show, Van Straatan Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
California Exhibit, Linda Parris Gallery, Seattle, Washington

1973
The Philadelphia Print Club Show, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
23rd International Exhibition of Prints, Library of Congress,
Washington, D.C.
2nd Hawaii National Print Exhibition, Honolulu Academy of Art, Hawaii
San Francisco Area Printmakers, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio
Purchase Prize, Eighteenth National Print Show, Brooklyn Museum of Art

1972
Realism-1972, Contemporary Gallery, Dallas, Texas

1971
California Printmakers, Palace of the Legion of Honor,
San Francisco, California

1971-1976
Gump's Gallery, San Francisco, California

1971
Felix Landau Gallery, Los Angeles, California

1970
Purchase Prize, Deca Lithographers, San Francisco Art Festival,
San Francisco, California

1968
Northwest Printmakers 39th International Exhibition,
Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington

1967
The Printer's Art, San Francisco Museum of Art, San Francisco, California

Selected Public Collections

Biblioteque National, Paris, France
Cincinnati Museum of Art, Cincinnati, Ohio
Achenbach Foundation for Graphics, Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, California
Brooklyn Museum of Art Brooklyn, New York
Home Savings and Loan Corporations, Los Angeles, California
City of San Francisco, California
Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, California
Pasadena Art Museum, Pasadena, California
Los Angeles County Museum, Los Angeles, California
Grunewald Collection, University of California, Westwood, California
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York
Minnesota Museum of Art, St. Paul, Minnesota
Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oakland Museum, Oakland, California
Library of Congress, Washington, DC
National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
Royal Park Sapporo Hotel, Sapporo, Japan
De Saisset Museum, University of Santa Clara, Santa Clara, California