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Joel NakamuraTribescirca 2004
circa 2004
$1,750
£1,348
€1,539.26
CA$2,496.77
A$2,732.28
CHF 1,432.96
MX$32,656.58
NOK 18,083.84
SEK 16,870.04
DKK 11,495.40
About the Item
Mixed polymers on hand tooled tin panel. Ready for hanging.
Tribes exemplifies Nakamura’s distinctive ability to merge myth, symbolism, and meticulous craftsmanship into a single, mesmerizing image. Executed on a hand-tooled tin panel, the work presents a fantastical creature—part dragon, part serpent—locked in a dynamic relationship with a vividly patterned mask-like face.
The creature’s body is divided into geometric sections filled with intricate dot and line patterns, echoing both tribal art traditions and Nakamura’s signature stylization. The background, etched with ghostly human and animal visages, adds layers of narrative, suggesting ancestral spirits or collective memory rising behind the central figures. The tin border, hammered and scalloped, frames the work like a sacred retablo, reinforcing its sense of ritual and timelessness.
Joel Nakamura is a Santa Fe–based artist celebrated for his intricate, richly layered artworks that fuse cultural storytelling with a contemporary folk-art sensibility. Known for his bold use of color, precise linework, and densely detailed compositions, Nakamura draws on a wide range of influences—from world mythology and anthropology to pop culture and science fiction. His training as both an illustrator and a fine artist is evident in his visual language: each piece is narrative-driven, packed with symbolic forms, and executed with an almost obsessive craftsmanship. While he has worked across many media, his recent explorations with mixed polymers on hand-tooled tin panels reflect both his technical inventiveness and his deep respect for traditional New Mexican materials.
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1983 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Amos Anderson Museum, Helsinki, Finland
1984 'Group Exhibition' Gallery of Denmark
1985 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Danish Volunteer Training Centre, Tanzania
1985 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Tynset, Norway
1985 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Gallery of Sweden
1986 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Danish Volunteer Training Centre, Tanzania
1987 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Gallery Watatu, Nairobi, Kenya
1988 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Vogue Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya
1988 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Centre culturel francais, Nairobi, Kenya
1989 'Julius Njau One Man Show' National Museum of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
1990 'Into the Nineties' Gallery Watatu, Nairobi, Kenya
1990 'Portraits of Kenya' Gallery Watatu, Nairobi, Kenya
1991 'Gallery Artists' Gallery Watatu, Nairobi, Kenya
1991 'The Custodian's View' Gallery Watatu, Nairobi, Kenya
1991 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Nairobi Safari Club, Kenya
1991 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Nagoya City Network Centre, Nagoya, Japan
1991 'Julius Njau One Man Show' National Museum of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
1991 'Julius Njau One Man Show' The German Culture Centers, Goethe Institut, Nairobi, Kenya
1992 'Julius Njau One Man Show' International Gallery, Madrid, Spain
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