I am a self-taught artist who began painting in early 2019, despite not attending art school. My work features vivid, colorful compositions that merge cuteness and anger in a unique pop-culture style. Each piece is created by meticulously mixing colors by hand, showcasing my distinctive painting techniques. Inspired by Japanese Shoujo Manga (少女漫画) and contemporary pop art, I blend delicate flat painting with dynamic, childlike strokes to develop my signature pop art style.
My art goes beyond simple portraits—it tells stories of daily life through rebellious, young female figures. By using Appropriation Techniques, I reinterpret familiar imagery to comment on deeper themes like social anxiety and loneliness. While the bright, playful colors evoke happiness and charm, a closer look reveals hidden layers of dissatisfaction, sadness, and anger, reflecting the struggles people face in a society where true self-expression is often suppressed.
“My girls may look like little children, but they embody both you and me in the real world.”
I am a self-taught artist who began painting in early 2019, despite not attending art school. My work features vivid, colorful compositions that merge cuteness and anger in a unique pop-culture style. Each piece is created by meticulously mixing colors by hand, showcasing my distinctive painting techniques. Inspired by Japanese Shoujo Manga (少女漫画) and contemporary pop art, I blend delicate flat painting with dynamic, childlike strokes to develop my signature pop art style.
My art goes beyond simple portraits—it tells stories of daily life through rebellious, young female figures. By using Appropriation Techniques, I reinterpret familiar imagery to comment on deeper themes like social anxiety and loneliness. While the bright, playful colors evoke happiness and charm, a closer look reveals hidden layers of dissatisfaction, sadness, and anger, reflecting the struggles people face in a society where true self-expression is often suppressed.
“My girls may look like little children, but they embody both you and me in the real world.”
EDUCATION
AWARDS
2021: 1st Okuno Building Galleries Art Competition Awards 2020: 58th Toyota City Art Competition Awards 2020: 2020 Aichi Tsukushi Art Grand Prize Awards 2019: 29th All Japan Art Salon Painting Sakura Craypas Awards 2019: Tokyo Sky tree Art 2020 2018: Tokyo Postcard Awards 2019
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022 “Through Her Eyes” Contemporary Tokyo(当代東京), TERRADA ART COMPLEXⅡ, Tokyo, Japan 2021 Bell Nakai ”GIRLS”, The Waluso Gallery London, London, UK
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024:
Cross Encounter, 333Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
2023:
“Hawaii Walls Mural Festival 2023” from Thinkspace Gallery, Art Festival, Hawaii, USA (2023/5/10-5/13)
“Friendship & Ocean” Group Exhibition, Galleria Benetti, Bangkok, Thailand (2023/4/29-5/27)
“Art Central Hongkong” from Medel Gallery Shu, Art Fair, Hongkong (2023/3/21-3/25)
“Art Fair Phillipines 2023” from YOD Gallery, Art Fair, Manila, Philippines (2023/2/17-2/19)
“STUDY Osaka Kansai International Art” Art Fair, Osaka, Japan (2023/2/10-2/13)
“Art Shinsaibashi 2023” from YOD Gallery, Art Fair, Osaka, Japan (2023/1/18-1/23)
2022:
“Interaction” Group Exhibition, Gallery Zberro, Paris, France (2022/12/3-12/17)
ART MIAMI 2022 from YOD Gallery, Art Fair, Miami, USA (2022/11/29-12/4)
ART 021 Shanghai from Contemporary Tokyo, Art Fair, Shanghai, China (2022/11/10-11/13)
ART TAIPEI 台北國際藝術博覽會 2022 from Galerie Ovo, Art Fair, Taipei, Taiwan (2022/10/21-10/24)
“NIJIGEN-HA 2次元派展” Group Exhibition, Daikanyama Hillside Forum, Tokyo, Japan (2022/8/24-10/1)
“Through Her Eyes” Solo Show, Contemporary Tokyo, TERRADA ART COMPLEXⅡ, Tokyo, Japan (2022/7/16-8/6)
“It’s Gonna Be Awesome!!! PART1” Group Exhibition, YOD TOKYO, Tokyo, Japan (2022/7/13-7/17)
“Kobe Art Marche 2022” Art Fair, Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel, Kobe, Japan (2022/5/13-5/15)
“EYES” Group Exhibition, Medel Gallery, Tokyo, Japan (2022/4/20-5/3)
“What`s your dream” Group Exhibition, Gallery Zberro, Paris, France (2022/4/16-4/30)
“BLOOM” Group Exhibition, Maison Ozmen Gallery, Paris, France (2022/4/2-4/13)
【Special Project】 2022: Avant Arte：Studio Project（Bell Nakai with Avant Arte) https://avantarte.com/artists/bell-nakai
PUBLISHED
2023: (Magazine) Art Collectors March 2023, “Sold out Artist Speacial Feature” Seikatsunotomosha, Japan 2022: (Magazine) Art Collectors July 2022, Seikatsunotomosha, Japan 2021: (TV) “Earthshot” Interview, TV Tokyo, Japan (2021/11/29) 2021: (Magazine) MIGHTY KIND Issue 6, MIGHTY KIND An Anti-Bias Education Company, USA(2021/4/11)
