Osamu James Nakagawa is an American photographer and professor at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana known for his work using digital photography while the technology was still in its infancy. He was born in New York City and raised in Tokyo, Japan from the age of one. At 15, he moved to Houston, Texas. He earned his bachelor's degree in studio art from St. Thomas University in Houston, Texas in 1986, and he earned is MFA in photography from University of Houston in 1993. Nakagawa's work is shown around the world. He's best known for his Okinawa trilogy which includes Gama, Banta, and Remains. His other bodies of work include Mado, his window series, Drive in Theater, and May 15s. In 2009, he won the John Simon Guggenheim fellowship, and in 2010, he won the Higashikawa A New Photographer Award in Japan. In 2014, he also won the Sagamihara Photographer of the Year in Japan In many interviews, he describes himself as being culturally "divided" between Japan and America and therefore turns to photography to express that division.
Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
2008
Course: Osamu James Nakagawa, Banta, SEPIA International Inc., New York, New York.
2009
Banta: Osamu James Nakagawa, Sakima, Museum of Art, Okinawa, Japan
2010
Banta:Stained Memory, Osamu James Nakagawa, Ginza Nikon Salon, Tokyo, Japan, Traveled to Osaka Nikon Salon, Osaka Japan
Remains: Osamu James Nakagawa, Tosei Gallery, Tokyo Japan,
Banta/Gama,Higashikawa : Osamu James Nakagawa, New Photographer of the Year Award Exhibition, Higashikawa Cultural Center, Hokkaido, Japan
2011
Banta: Osamu James Nakagawa, 1839 Contemporary Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan
Kai: following the cycle of life: Osamu James Nakagawa, Tanto Tempo Gallery, Kobe, Japan
SUPERNATUREAL: Osamu James Nakagawa, Ingo Günther, Terry Taylor, Yu Yamauchi, Robyn Voshardt & Sven Humphrey, Miyako Yoshinaga Art Prospects, New York, New York.
Okinawa Painted by Artists, Sakima Art Museum, curated by Michio Sakima, Okinawa, Japan
Yayoi Kusama/Osamu James Nakagawa/Iri&Toshi Maruki, Sakima Art Museum, curated by Michio Sakima, Okinawa, Japan
Reimagining the Landscape and the Future of Nature, curated by Dana Friis Hansen, director, Grand Rapid Art Museum.
Tanto Tempo Collection + Mt.Rokko International Photo Festival Fundraising Exhibition 2013 Vol.1, Hiroshi Watanabe, Osamu James Nakagawa, Patrick Taberna, Ryo Owada, Yoshihiro Hagiwara, Meg Birmbaum, Tanto Tempo Gallery, Kobe, Japan
2014
Nuchidu-takara/Life Itself as a Treasure: Battle of Okinawa- Permanent Collection, Iri and Toshi Maruki, Toyomitsu Higa, Mitstsuhito Yoneyama, Takeki Shima, and Osamu James Nakagawa, Sakima Art Museum, Okinawa, Japan
GRAM Selects Art Prize 2013 Encore, Grand Rapid Art Museum
