Keita Morimoto
OVERVIEW
Keita Morimoto is best known for his cityscapes and portraits painted with theatrical light that is reminiscent of Rembrandt and Edward Hopper. He brings classical techniques into the present and transforms mundane streets into extraordinary worlds. Through his practice, Morimoto questions the structural fragility and moral codes of contemporary life by focusing his attention on everyday subjects such as vending machines, fast food restaurants and parking lots. Using the historically symbolic motif of light, he combines its natural and sacred connotations with products of consumerist and industrial culture. His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada (MOCA), Art Gallery of Peterborough, The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, and Fort Wayne Museum of Art.

HISTORY
2022
‘In Between Shadows’, ATM Gallery, New York, USA
‘Contrasting Memories’, Nicholas Metivier Gallery,
Toronto, Canada
2021
‘After Dark’, KOTARO NUKAGA, Tokyo, Japan
2020
‘Garden of Lights’, Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2018
‘Light Passage’, Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2016
‘Strange Guild’, Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2014
‘Oasis’, Galerie Youn, Montreal, Canada
‘The Nightwatchers’, Museum of Contemporary Art, Toronto, Canada
2023
‘The Midnight Hour’, The Hole, New York, USA
2022
‘Crossing’, KOTARO NUKAGA, Tokyo, Japan
‘Under Current’, Powerlong Museum, Shanghai, China
‘Seasons in the City’, Palazzo Capris by Artuner, Turin, Italy
‘What It Could Be’, Theaster Gates Stony Island Arts Bank,Chicago, USA
‘Escape From New York’, Another Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
‘Romancing Relevance’, WOAW Gallery, Hong Kong, China
2018
‘These things I have seen’, Art Gallery of Peterborough,
Peterborough, Canada
2016
‘RBC Canadian Painting Exhibition’, The Power Plant
Contemporary Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada
‘About Face’, Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2015
‘Invisible College’, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, USA
2014
‘Superhuman’, Plus Gallery, Denver, USA
High Museum of Art, Atlanta
Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Italy
Bell Trinity Square Permanent Public Installation, Canada
Urban Nation Museum, Germany
The Bora Family Collection, Turkey
Stikeman Elliot LLP, Canada
Ninepoint Partners LP, Canada
Loyalty One, Canada
Infor Financial Group, Canada

WORKS
NEWS
’Under Current Satellite Exhibition’ at N&A Art SITE
Under Current Satellite Exhibition” will be held at N&A Art SITE (Meguro-ku, Tokyo) from December 3 (Sat) to 17 (Sat), 2022. This exhibition is an abstracted exhibition in Japan of “Under Current,” an exhibition by 16 Japanese artists currently being held at the Powerlong Museum in Shanghai. The exhibition will feature one work from each
Group exhibition curated by artist Keita Morimoto 'Crossing'
From November 26 (Sat) to January 28 (Sat), KOTARO NUKAGA, Roppongi is pleased to present ‘Crossing,’ a group show curated by the artist Keita Morimoto. The exhibition will showcase the work of nine emerging talents who are currently garnering international attention. Morimoto, who studied art in Canada and recently returned to pursue an artistic career
KOTARO NUKAGA to participate in Art Collaboration Kyoto (ACK)
KOTARO NUKAGA will participate in “Art Collaboration Kyoto” (ACK), an art fair themed on “contemporary art and collaboration” to be held in Kyoto from November 18 (Fri) to 20 (Sun), 2022.(HP:https://a-c-k.jp/) KOTARO NUKAGA will be exhibiting with Chicago-based Kavi Gupta. Starting with Tomokazu Matsuyama, who is represented by both galleries, KOTARO NUKAGA will bring Kyoto-based
’Under Current’, an exhibition of 16 Japanese artists, opens at Powerlong Museum in Shanghai, China
From November 11, 2022 to January 29, 2023, the Powerlong Museum in Shanghai, China will present ‘Under Current,’ an exhibition of 16 Japanese artists. (URL: http://www.powerlongmuseum.com/exhibition_detail/80.html) KOTARO NUKAGA is proud to announce that Yuichi Hirako, Tomona Matsukawa, Mariko Kobayashi and Keita Morimoto participate in this group exhibition. Regarded as the largest private museum in Asia, the
Summer Show ‘KOTARO NUKAGA Ensemble #1’
KOTARO NUKAGA (Tennoz) is pleased to present “KOTARO NUKAGA Ensemble #1,” a Summer Show featuring the works of 7 artists from August 6 to September 30 2022. The exhibition will feature neon works by Joseph Kosuth, who questioned the nature of art through the relationship between words and images, opening the horizon of conceptual art
Exhibition Announcement - Art Fair Tokyo 2022
KOTARO NUKAGA will be exhibiting at ART FAIR TOKYO 2022, held at the Tokyo International Forum from March 11 (Fri). At this art fair, KOTARO NUKAGA will exhibit works by Tomokazu Matsuyama, Yuichi Hirako and seven other artists. Tomokazu Matsuyama’s new work “People With People,” is a large-scale work from his signature series “Fictional Landscape.”
Notice of Extended Exhibition: November 20, 2021 – January 29, 2022
KOTARO NUKAGA is pleased to announce the current exhibition ‘After Dark’ by Keita Morimoto has been extended to Saturday, January 29 (Sat). Morimoto extends the motif of “light” not only to natural and sacred phenomena, but also to the objects that attract people in today’s consumer society, such as vending machines, fast food restaurants, or electric signs
West Bund Art & Design 2021
KOTARO NUKAGA is pleased to announce that we will be participating in the international art fair West Bund Art & Design 2021 in Shanghai from November 11, 2021 (Thursday). For our first art fair in 2 years, KOTARO NUKAGA will be exhibiting works by six artists, including New York-based artists Tony Matelli and Tomokazu Matsuyama.
Keita Morimoto ‘After Dark’
From November 20 to December 25, 2021, KOTARO NUKAGA, Tennoz is pleased to present ‘After Dark,’ a solo exhibition by Keita Morimoto. After 15 years in Canada, the artist has returned to Japan this year to unveil 21 new paintings at his first ever solo exhibition in his home country. Learn more Exhibiton Outline