Tomoko Nagai depicts the magnificent narrative world with abundant motifs that could be said as the eternal girlishness. All the animals, bears, cats, sheeps, horses and young girls along with strange imaginary animals, and colorful trees and mushrooms scatter around like a toy box turned upside down, onto a theatrical stage with classical ballet theater-like backdrop. The artist’s imagination expands forever and ever, from the decorative interior that resembles one that the artist herself used to daydream in her adolescence playing with dolls, to dark forest that we often see in fairy tales, to outer space. Nagai seems to ardently create the one and only “doll’s house” for her, since she not only paints on flat surfaces but also challenges herself to making installation works. She is patiently waiting for us spectators to open the door and enter her dramatically and freely directed cosmos, placing props like a fake fur, shining chandelier, stuffed animals, beautiful mirror, playing cards and world map. In this first solo show by the artist at Tomio Koyama Gallery, we will be showing 10 large scale paintings and many small paintings and drawings. There will also be various doll houses on display that seems to have been popped out of the artistic world of hers, and drawings in decorative photo frames that are usually used to display family portraits, and installation of miniature dolls. Please come see them on this occasion. Tomoko Nagai was born in Aichi Prefecture in 1982. She graduated from Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music in 2006, majoring in Oil Painting. She now works and lives in Tokyo. She won a prize at Tokyo Wonder Wall in 2006, and her exhibition highlights are “Bara mo Uma ni Uta ni Midori mo Niwa” at Tokyo Wonder Site Hongo, Tokyo in 2007, “Project N33” at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, Corridor, Tokyo in 2008. From November 22, 2008 to March 1, 2009, her works will be included in a group show curated by Vik Muniz in Tokyo Wonder Site Shibuya, that’s accompanied by a solo show by this Brazilian artist. * The text provided by Tomio Koyama Gallery.