René Magritte and Katsumi Nakai

13.07.2026

If L’Homme au chapeau melon (Man in a Bowler Hat) René Magritte’s 1964 canvas, embodies the mystery of identity and the tension between what we see and what remains concealed, then the work Untitled by the Japanese artist Katsumi Nakai, 1967 acrylic on shaped wood, reveals one, or perhaps many, possible identities.

At first, it appears as a neutral man in a bowler hat, perfectly defined by the contours of its wooden silhouette. Then, with a simple gesture, it unfolds into space, blooming like a flower in its rightful season. Suddenly, it turns red, then reflects itself in a striped pattern, offering a second way of seeing, and perhaps a second personality.

Works of art are like dreams: they are meant to be observed, experienced, and followed. Let this be an invitation for the summer, to open yourself to the world and to new experiences. As art reminds us, there is always a time to return to a state of stillness and, for a while, gently draw the curtain closed.

Katsumi Nakai, Untitled, 1967, acrylic on shaped wood.

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