Underground Vision: How Shinji Nanzuka Made Pop Art Relevant Again
“Art is what you can get away with.”
Shinji Nanzuka shot by Tanase
Andy Warhol nonchalantly dropped this quote a couple of decades back, but it perfectly describes today's art market, where the ideology that “real art is an oil painting on a clean white wall” has been completely shattered.
Artist Keiichi Taanami’s work displayed in NANZUKA UNDERGROUND shot by Tanase
If you take a quick glance at what art pieces have been selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars, it’s anything from Medicom Toy’s ubiquitous Bearbrick designer collectibles [which have produced collaborations with pretty much everyone] to the multitudes of NFTs on OpenSea, such as the infamous collective known as Bored Ape Yacht Club [BAYC] that churned up quite a bit of controversy surrounding their tokens’ artistic/conceptual merit.
A KAWS X Medicom Toy collab
An assortment of NFT collective Bored Ape Yacht Club’s randomly generated characters
People without an art degree or any formal training at all [or perhaps talent], just need an Instagram account and the word “artist” in their bio and then have a creative platform reaching millions of people sans connections, clout, or money. And to be honest, that’s not a bad thing especially when it comes to diversifying the kinds of artists that get attention and financial support. However, others in the creative community offer a clap back, they believe a lot of unconventional art or pop art lacks a sense of skill or even a deeper meaning behind it. However many in the newer generation believe, you can have as many intellectual arguments as you want about what “good art” is, but the simple truth is if audiences like it… in that sense it IS good.
Keiichi Taanami’s work shot by Tanase
Things weren’t always this way, with street artists like KAWS or Banksy [formally viewed as vandals] becoming household names, with cushy solo shows or pieces acquired by the MOMA and The Mori Arts Center.Back in the 80s and 90s, they were just street kids making a reputation for themselves by illegally spraying or placing their work in public property, such as train stations, factories, and even the gallery walls of museums themselves.These pieces were originally viewed as either criminal acts or pure shenanigans by the public/art establishment, and definitely not given the same artists respect that creators like Picasso or Jeff Koons were given during their time.
The same ridicule from those with fancy degrees or "years of art industry experience" was given to untrained artists who often have mental or physical disabilities, like the now famous Henry Darger [a janitor who secretly created a pages-long graphic novel for decades], or The King of Kowloon, [a formerly homeless man who made intricate calligraphy inspired graffiti] until the tide started to change around the mid-2000s and 2010s.
At this point either because it seemed like an edgy trend or because of the art world's genuine desire to show audiences something new [and hopefully make some money off of it in the process] attitudes of art critics, dealers, and gallerists began to grow more appreciative and these works began to be properly showcased. Yet, some people from the very beginning of their creative journeys have dedicated their entire careers to supporting outsider artists long before it was the norm.
Shinji Nanzuka is one of those people. He’s the founder of the Harajuku-based gallery NANZUKA UNDERGROUND, NANZUKA 2G in Shibuya Parco, 3110NZ by LDH Kitchen in Nakameguro, AISHONANZUKA [directed by Aisho Miura and Shinji Nanzuka] in Hong Kong, has built his entire career out of bringing outsider artists and non-traditionally trained creatives to global attention. He started his first gallery NANZUKA UNDERGROUND right out of Uni, with the word “underground” added as a homage to Nanzuka’s penchant for underground outcasts and fringe artists.
It started as “just young kids doing a shit gallery” in the words of Nanzuka-san himself, where aside from showing art there would be all night DJ performances and events run by his circle of creative friends. After over 18 years in operation, however, NANZUKA is definitely in the big boys league of internationally renowned gallerists by consistently showing boundary-pushing work with a pop art tinge, and facilitating artist collaborations with brands such as Dior and Adidas.
Plus, NANZUKA gallery doesn’t charge admission for entry [a pretty admirable fact, in a country where museum tickets are 2000 yen and upwards] which often deters students, starving artists, or anyone simply curious from experiencing art due to the paywall.
Two artists that encapsulate Nanzuka-san’s philosophy towards art [or art least work he’s passionate about sharing] are now globally recognized names: Keiichi Tanaami and Hajime Sorayama. Nanzuka credits the Pop Art kaleidoscopic fever dreams of Tanaami and the robotic beauties in Sorayama's illustrations as being the artists that cemented his reputation for good taste popular with viewers and art collectors alike, not just in theory because there's some smart meaning behind it but because they are visually striking- easily luring you in no matter what your prior knowledge of art is. However at first, especially amongst international viewers, their art was reduced to being viewed as “kitsch”, a mere craft, or simply just plain weird.
Nanzuka is more daring than many of his fellow gallerists, taking chances on art that is often a fusion of East meet West, a mashup of Pop Culture influences, and pays homage to “low brow” influences like anime/manga. He argues despite what critics have to say, the aspects of outsider artists that he's drawn to are unexpectedly a continuation of Western Art history, building off of Andy Warhol's use of everyday objects and images to say something new or Jean-Michel Basquiat's use of graffiti/street culture in fine art. At the end of the day, Nanzuka likes what he likes, and isn’t afraid to ruffle a couple of feathers in the process.
So what’s next for the art world, now that outsider artists are gaining even newer heights of popularity right now? sabukaru sat down with Shinji Nanzuka while touring his gallery and office space to find out. Along the way, Shinji dives deep into why decided to go down an unconventional path as a gallerist, how censorship is ruining the art world, and why he’s a very big Stanley Kubrick fan.
Shot by Tanase
Hey Nanzuka-san, thanks for sitting down with us. For those who don't know you, could you introduce yourself to the sabukaru network?
I'm Shinji Nanzuka. In 2005 I opened a gallery called NANZUKA UNDERGROUND. At that time, there was a “micro-office” run by Naohiro Ukawa, which was like a creative studio used as a shared office space which was next to the gallery. Originally, this creative studio used to be a recording studio and was soundproofed, so I renovated it to create a private disco/club. The people managing this space were artists, Masato Mori aka MUSTONE and his artist group called “iseneehihinee”. They created a place where creative individuals could gather.
During the daytime, no one visited the gallery but at night many people would come to party. Especially on the weekends the place would be packed by midnight. It became a Nocturnal Gallery [夜行性のギャラリー] I don't think there are any galleries like this anymore. It was also free entry and you could access both the gallery and the creative studio. When I think about it now it was a pretty messy system [laughs].
Can you tell us what you did before you got into art?
I studied art history at university [at Waseda University] and then got my master's degree. I studied “outsider art”, which is art created by people who are handicapped or not formally trained. A lot of these artists can be found in Dan Prince’s textbook that I was shown in university. I was interested in the relationship between human creativity and society. I studied an old Japanese woman named, Suma Maruki [スマ マルキ] [1875-1956],who was the mother of a famous Japanese painter, Iri Maruki. She lived in Hiroshima, so she experienced the atomic bomb. After the war, she would create paintings representing a beautiful world. The art she created was displayed at high-end exhibitions during the 1950s although she was self-taught and illiterate. Her work became very popular and was loved throughout Japan. Her work made me wonder how creativity and art coexist. It also made me want to understand and learn about art more.
However, I had one problem. In university to study art, I had to study art history. But, I was more interested in artists that are still alive, that are from the present day. This was because I wanted to see how art connects to society. I ended up self-studying so I could potentially work with living artists because that's what I wanted to do in the future. Hadaka no Taisho was a very popular TV show about a man [named Kiyoshi Yamashita] who was mentally handicapped and who experienced violence when he was young. He made art out of colored paper by cutting them up and putting them together. However, artists like him [called “outsider artists”] often don’t have any connections to others because professionals in the art world would never take their work seriously.
How would you describe what you are doing now with the gallery?
Nanzuka Underground was the name my senpai from university, Mizuki Takahashi encouraged me to use. She is currently the Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Mills Foundation in Hong Kong. We had a casual dinner one night before I opened my gallery and she suggested that I add “underground” to the name because I try to represent underground artists and creativity. From the very start, I stand against “fine art” which represents the "authority" on deciding what art is traditionally, for example, academic and professional art. I worked hard to find artists by looking into street art and graphic design.
How do you feel now being able to open such a beautiful gallery in Harajuku?
I don't know, it's even surprising for me! My generation has very similar tastes in culture and the types of art we respect whether that be in music, fashion, graphics, and sports. I think street culture really represents our generation. I had wished in the future to have the opportunity to open something like Nanzuka, [laughs] it was a very tiny expectation at that time... but yeah to do something exactly just like this.
NANZUKA also represents legendary artist Harumi Yamaguchi
Artist Javier Calleja’s work displayed in NANZUKA UNDERGROUND
There were only about 10 contemporary international art galleries in Tokyo at that time and they called themselves the G9 or G11 [G standing for the word gallery]. These international art galleries had to fight against the norm of what fine art was defined as and create a new market. Independent galleries have to destroy the classic gallery market, based on associations and department stores. They have to deconstruct the art market. I opened my gallery right after I graduated from university, and I didn’t know anybody. They told me “this is just young kids doing a shit gallery” when I just started. Yeah so when I began, I had no connections to these other galleries.
Who were the first artists that came to visit your gallery?
It was Masato Mori and then Keiichi Tanaami next.
We read that Keiichi Tanaami was an important figure in your life. What was his impact on you?
Tanaami’s career started in the late 1950s and he represented the first generation of Japanese Pop Art. He worked in the graphic design editorial scene, yet his work represented a very important aspect of Japanese radical expression at that time. The 1960s were only 20 years after WWII, so he experienced the war when he was a young boy. Tanaami's work is based on his opposition to American Pop Culture. His creativity is very important to Japanese people and for me, his art is “real”. I think he is the only artist that was able to bring a Japanese underground context into the contemporary mainstream.
There are many galleries now which represent a similar style that I do. But what makes mine different from the other galleries is I have Tanaami. He’s the person standing on top of Japanese post-war history and art. The context in which he made his art brought me to connect to museums and other popular galleries, putting me in the position I am in now.
Comparing Nanzuka Underground and Nanzuka 2G at Shibuya Parco, would you say there is a big difference between the two spaces?
They both are pretty different. I have more of an academic attitude towards curation at Nanzuka Underground, but at 2G I want to be able to also connect to a younger audience. The reason is: the younger generation now is not interested in art, they are more interested in fashion. I want to be able to showcase art and make it more popular for them.
Shot by Tanase
You have a balanced mix of buying and looking at art at Nanzuka Underground, but what is the importance of selling art in your opinion?
To show art at a gallery is like volunteering because it is free of charge. I see exhibiting art as my contribution to society. Showing an individual's art pieces at my gallery shows my attitude and appreciation I have towards their work. Selling art on the other hand is a business and it is very difficult to sell art pieces. It was only 6 years ago when I finally started making a profit. This shows that the art industry is based on trust and reputation. Finally, after 10 years of working, people started to trust my taste in art. Some people are never able to reach this stage where they can gain trust, so their business fails. This is why there are not many galleries that are more than 20 years old.
How would you describe the artists that exhibit at Nanzuka?
I like fishing, I enjoy going to the sea, or watching people fish on TV. There is one documentary I watch every year about fishermen going out to hunt tuna. These men stay in the sea for about 10 months every year. While running Nanzuka I imagine myself to be the captain of my fishing boat. My artists are riding on this “boat” and if I steer the boat in the wrong direction, we will have no fish to catch. However, if I steer the boat in the right direction they can get lots of fish and become rich.
Many artists now rely on social media to promote themselves, what is your opinion on social media in the contemporary art scene?
I think that social media has broken a wall and definitely created a big impact on making art more popular. It kind of destroyed the art hierarchy. I think my recent success is based on the revolution of social media because it has allowed me to meet with new people. I think censorship is the biggest risk within social media for art. I kind of understand why Elon Musk doesn't want any censorship on Twitter [thus far] but many people don't understand what this means. Art represents mankind's free mind and this is why it is so expensive and treasured.
Is there currently any developments or artists that have drawn your attention?
I am still trying to find real and radical young artists because the world is so horrible [laughs]. Artists can use the disasters in the world and use them as nutrients/substances to create something valuable. I am searching for these kinds of artists from the younger generation.
Is there a particular country that stands out and interests you in the art scene?
I see that in the United States censorship destroys art more than in China and it leaves me very concerned. For example, when I participated at an art fair in the US, they didn't want me to show a certain artist's work, because the fair committee said it was sexist against women. I understand that perspective but I also think an artist should be able to push back and explain the work's intended meaning/its artistic value. If we ban nudity in art, it means we kill art history.
When I created the show Tokyo Pop Underground, I tried to explain Japanese radicalism by including work with sexual and violent content. This was based on the mentality of 「やけくそ」art, [literally meaning burnt shit in Japanese but actually meaning something like a "screw it all mentality”]. When I did the show at Jeffery Deitch I thought I’d have a big argument with some of the journalists present but instead, I got nothing… just silence.
American people think Japanese art is like a cult and the journalists did not have enough knowledge about it to critique my exhibition. This is why I think Japan is a very good country, we have freedom in showing and displaying the things we believe in [even if it looks stupid…ha]. I can comfortably present work in my gallery because I can show anything without being afraid of cancel culture.
You've mentioned this concept of "the depths of Japanese culture and society", where do you think this strong faith in Japan’s creative talent and depth comes from?
I think there are reasons like Japan's island mentality and maybe even curiosity. I think Japanese people are a very interesting race. This comes from history such as The Tale of Genji [源氏物語- a classic epic novel written in the 11th century] which represents Japanese hentai culture in some ways. There are also many funny ancient underground stories made by monks which talk about sexuality, because for a long time, Japan has not hidden gay culture and instead embraced it as something natural.
Some don't consider manga artists Katsuhiro Otomo and Osamu Tezuka as proper artists. Why do you think that is?
The reason why? I think it is because no one has explained what their art pieces mean in English in a way that art critics can understand. By putting Japanese art in some sort of Western art context. For example, for Tanaami, I explained his art and connected it to art history. I explained the connection between his art with Andy Warhol and Walt Disney as well as the Japanese ukiyo-e. This kind of mixing and connecting is necessary to explain their art pieces but no one has done that for Tezuka and Otomo. I do think it is possible to show them these connections, but at my gallery, I do not have their pieces to show and sell, so right now I can't do it.
Are there any anime, movies, or subcultures you're specifically interested in?
I was born in 1978 right when Japanese subcultures were booming. When I was around 5 or 6 years old the Family Con/ファミコン game console came out and I had many comics as well. I learned a lot about “conceptual humor” from these Japanese comics such as Tensai Bakabon/天才バカボン by Fujio Akatsuka or Obocchama-kun/おぼっちゃまくん by Yoshinori Kobayashi. When Gundam first came out everyone freaked out its deep Sci-Fi drama, and truly was a favorite of mine.
How do you think young people can start to find their own taste/sense and some sort of context in understanding the art world?
Context means your own history. For example, for me, it was manga, anime, game, sports and also movies. One movie I like that not many people respect is Eyes Wide Shut by Stanley Kubrick. This movie is all about exploring the mental issues within people during the last years of Kubrick's life. Where a handsome and rich doctor can’t win against his curiosities and desires, whether it be sex or knowledge. This paradox is the adventure of our life. Another one of my favorite movies is 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Whatever you like, you begin to have a curiosity and deepen your understanding of it, that’s why context can start with anything.Your interests bring context for yourself. So if you like fashion, you can create art through fashion. Or if you like manga you can create art through manga. It can be anything you want. What is important is that context can be a story. I think what's most interesting is being able to read a story through art.
What do you want to say to young artists starting out in their creative careers? What do you think is a good vision for young artists to have?
Good art can not be produced in a minute. For artists, daily practice is really important. Even if it is just playing games or reading manga they can become a source of curiosity and creativity. Also, you have to trust yourself because an artist is always alone. You have to be strong and you have to be lucky because even if you can’t sell anything during one moment even 10 years after you can become successful.
Interview by Adrian Bianco and Casey Omori
Words by Ora Margolis
Layout by Seb Paez and Henry Vieler
Select photos by Tanase
