Virtual Exhibition

March 18 - August 31, 2021

NOBUO ANZAI: HOMAGE TO A NOMADIC STORYTELLER
 

Artist Nobuo Anzai (1935-2019) was born and raised in Fukushima, Japan. His lifelong journey began at age of 23 when he departed from his hometown and immigrated to Brazil and served two years as an farming contractor.  Upon completing his obligation as a farming contractor, he trained to become a sushi chef and opened his first restaurant in São Paulo, Brazil.  Over the next 4 decades, he immigrated to Colombia, Spain, and then Los Angeles, California serving Japanese cuisine to those communities.  He deeply connected with local people and their culture through food and paintings.

Painting had always been a part of his life and an instrument of expression since childhood when he had trained as an artist.  His unique ability to observe things around him with a keen eye and vibrant sense of color captured the lives of everyday people and depicted them vividly in his numerous paintings.

The exhibition “Nobuo Anzai Homage to a Nomadic Storyteller” is a tribute retrospective that features 38 paintings from his prolific body of work through the series: “Brazil,“ “Colombia,“ “Madrid,” “Home in the Seasons,“ and “Late Works.”

The exhibition was originally scheduled to open to the public in March 2020 in the gallery space of The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles. However, it was postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  We are now excited and delighted to virtually showcase the late Nobuo Anzai’s works and welcome visitors from around the globe.

**Related Program**

Conversation between Kio Griffith, a curator of the virtual exhibition "Nobuo Anzai Homage to a Nomadic Storyteller" and Mikoto Anzai, a daughter of the late artist . They will delve into the works and life of the late artist. Click here to watch the program.