6.20-7.25.2025

Nakatsuji, who seeks to grasp the existence of human beings by depicting “the shape of people,” and Kate who attempts to approach the essential beauty of subject matters while communicating with nature and substances. Although their gazes seem to be directed toward different objects, human and material, we can sense a shared consciousness in their creative journey of finding “new” forms in things that constantly fluctuate and change beyond the visible form and shape. Through showcasing their work in a juxtaposing manner, we explore the uniqueness of each artist in this exhibition.

Etsuko Nakatsuji  CV

Nakatsuji was born in 1937 in Osaka. Upon graduating from high school, she started working for Hanshin Department Store and later became a graphic designer in the Advertising Department. While working, Nakatsuji joined an art club and created mainly human body sketches and oil paintings. Nakatsuji left the company in 1962, the same year she exhibited in “The 5th Contemporary Art Exhibition,” and began her career as a full-time artist.

Kate Van Houten  CV

Kate Van Houten is an American artist based in Paris who works in a wide variety of mediums. In her early paintings, Van Houten began with abstracts and landscapes using sewing thread and employed a variety of expressive methods including drawings and prints. After a series of powerful abstract paintings in blue and yellow, she broke new ground in the 1990s with stone sculptures. Van Houten’s sculptures, which are formed by “finding” the shape of stone, have a graceful, organic quality that evokes a sense of life despite their abstract nature. By using various mediums, Van Houten continues her endless exploration of nature and matter. Van Houten’s works, created in response to her own inspirations and diverse materials, resonate with each other in a single space and strongly represent her imagination and worldview.