Fuji Nakamizo -Nude with a Clown-1940s Crayon-Japanese American Modern Artist
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Description
Nude with a Clown – Fuji Nakamizo-Japanese-American Modern Artist – 1940s
About the Artist
Fuji (Fugi) Nakamizo (1889–1950) was a Japanese-American painter, printmaker, and illustrator. Born in Fukai, Japan, Nakamizo moved to New York City in 1910, where he trained at the Art Students League and Cooper Union Art School. There, he studied under master landscape painters such as Frank Vincent DuMond, as well as prominent printmakers and illustrators like Joseph Pennell. I could not find information about his training prior to emigrating to the United States, but many of his works clearly reflect the influence of East Asian watercolor traditions.
By the 1930s, Nakamizo began to gain broad recognition for his prints and paintings. In 1934, the Montross Gallery in New York hosted his solo exhibition. His works were also included in the Annual Exhibition of the Brooklyn Society of Miniature Painters and in the International Exhibition of Watercolors, Pastels, Drawings, and Monotypes during the 1930s. Today, his works are held in major collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
After World War II began, Fuji Nakamizo was detained in the Japanese American internment camp at Topaz, Utah, which disrupted his career. He passed away shortly afterward, in 1950.
About the artwork:
Fuji Nakamizo was a versatile artist. His prints—especially his avian etchings—often adopt a complex, meticulously executed style, while most of his paintings from the 1930s display a blend of Western and Eastern sensibilities. However, this current crayon painting of a female nude with a clown almost completely abandons his Japanese artistic heritage. The surreal subject matter and modern/expressionist style are markedly different from nearly all of his early works.
While Nakamizo’s pieces are typically distinguished by a calm and peaceful mood, this painting’s constrained composition and clashing colors convey tension, desolation, and anxiety. Symbols of America are noticeable: the blue, red, and white on the woman’s figure, and the silhouette of the Statue of Liberty on the wall. These details lead me to believe this work may reflect Nakamizo’s contemplation of his identity as a Japanese-American. The clown imagery here is ambiguous—personally, I see it as a symbol of façade. The painting is undated, but I suspect it to be one of Nakamizo’s rare post-war works due to its mood and style. Intriguingly, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, his fellow contemporary Japanese-American painter, also frequently used the clown motif in his post-war works, making me wonder whether they may have influenced one another.
The work was painted on laid paper and is in fair condition. All the corners and edges are largely intact, but there is a ~ 1X1 inch tear at the near center of the image (above the woman’s elbow, taped on the back). Because it was painted about 80 years ago, the paper has minor discoloration.
Painting Details
Size: 16 × 12 in
Technique: Crayon
Paper: Laid paper
Condition: Fair – 1 inch tear near center, minor coloration, unframed
Provenance
South Bay Auctions Inc., NYC
Signature
Signed lower left, Fuji-Nakamizo with monogram