Mamiko Nagatomo

Born in Kumamoto in 1961 and grew up in Tokyo, Japan.

Since 2003 she lives and works in the old city center of Dordrecht.

Education

After studying in drawings and paintings, including drawings with charcoal and oil paint Art Institute in Shinjuku, Tokyo, she studied fine arts in painting department at Tokyo Zokei University of Art & Design in Tokyo, Japan.

Sources of inspiration

My beloved dog Tchai (who passed away on February 21, 2020) was a great source of inspiration for me for 15 years. Since 2020, I have been inspired in various ways by my enigmatic and captivating dog, Sofia, who was born in Athens, Greece.

There is something that inspires me when I walk along the Maas River with my dog or walking alone, on the Dutch coast, between the endless horizon and sky. I feel a connection to the mysterious, ever-changing natural phenomena.

Method

I often paint with a combination of different media. Watercolour, acrylic paint, pigment, charcoal and oil paint on paper, panel, cotton and linen canvas. I sketch landscapes, but I don't make preliminary sketches, I just improvise. When I paint, I feel like the landscape that remains in my head flows out. I don't consciously think of myself as painting landscapes instead, I focus on the invisible elements and phenomena of nature, translating them into introspective landscapes, which is why my work is abstract. 

My studio is located between the canal and the shopping street in Dordrecht's old town.