Governor Masanori Tanimoto of Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan visited Onishi Gallery to view the artwork by various artists from the prefecture including Mamoru Nakagawa, highly acclaimed Japanese Living National Treasure of Japan.
Mamoru Nakagawa, born in 1947 in Ishikawa Prefecture, is one of the most respected Kaga inlay artists of his time. In 2004, the Japanese government designated Mamoru Nakagawa a “Living National Treasure,” more formally as a holder of important tangible cultural property, for his contributions to the preservation of Kaga inlay, an invaluable art form. Mr. Nakagawa was the youngest person ever to earn the designation, at the age of 56. Mamoru Nakagawa’s work has been exhibited in the Smithsonian Institution as well as the British Museum. In 2008, his masterpiece “Sekisei” became a part of the permanent collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. He is active in the studio today and teaches at the Kanazawa College of Art.