Masao Yamamoto: Nakazora

‘Nakazora’ is a Buddhist term that has multiple meanings, including “the space between sky and earth; a state when the feet do not touch the ground; the center of the sky; the zenith.” This combination of definitions and implications leads one to think of the spiritual, and in particular, how the physical world can reflect that ‘other’ world. It is a perfect word to use in relation to Yamamoto’s work, for he is seemingly not concerned so much with subject matter as he is with allowing the subject to be a signpost to the immaterial, to that ‘other’. Nakazora is the second publication on this Japanese artist’s work, but it is not a book. Yamamoto designed an 18-foot scroll that has been printed in process color on uncoated Japanese stock. It is limited to 1,000 copies and is housed in a wood-and-acrylic presentation case.