Artists’materials

25.03.2026

METAL

Do we truly know which materials we bring into our homes when we acquire a work of art? Their physical properties and symbolic meanings can influence the quality of our lives and, above all, our state of mind.

A work of art is not made solely of ingenuity, creativity, or technique, but also of supports, binders, substances, and material details. The gallerist’s work also involves understanding these aspects, which often require long periods of research to be fully reconstructed.

After our in-depth features on wood and marble, used by the artists Tomonori Toyofuku and Aiko Miyawaki, we continue this journey with a third material: metal.

In the works of Katsumi Nakai, metal hinges transform painted panels into interactive, three-dimensional forms, suggesting movement, change, and a constant tension between surface and volume. At the same time, they evoke the Japanese concept of ma, the meaningful space between things. The hinges thus become symbols of transformation and openness, activating a dynamic dialogue between matter and space and turning static surfaces into ever-evolving forms.

In the image: Katsumi Nakai, Untitled, 1968, acrylic on shaped wood, detail.

ITALY–JAPAN. Japanese artists in Milan since 1960
until April 30, 2026
Corso Monforte 23, 20122, Milan