Profile


Mitsue Nakamura

Biographical Sketch

She was born in Mie Prefecture. In 1969, she graduated from Kyoto City University of Arts (formerly Kyoto City University of Fine Arts), Department of Fine Arts, Western Painting.
She began learning the craft of Noh masks in 1983. From 1990, she studied under the Noh mask craftsman Mr. Yasuemon Hori, and since then has devoted herself fully to creating Noh masks.
Her masks have been used by many prominent Noh actors, including the Kanze school. She also provides instruction on Noh mask making in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto.

Her works are collected by both domestic and international art collectors. Since 2014, several of her masks have been added to the collection of the Fundação Oriente Museum in Portugal.

She has frequently appeared in TV programs, newspapers, and magazines.

 

Main Exhibitions

  • 1994　The Museum of Kyoto (Kyoto)
  • 1998　The Museum of Kyoto (Kyoto)
  • 2000　Kyukyodo Art Gallery (Tokyo)
  • 2002　Okurayama Memorial Hall (Yokohama)
  • 2004　Shimadai (Kyoto)
  • 2010　Kyukyodo Art Gallery (Tokyo)
  • 2012　Nagoya Nogakudo (Nagoya)
  • 2017　Art Stage 567 (Kyoto)

Awards

  • 2000　Award of Excellence, "Yodogimi" Noh Mask Contest, Osaka Castle Takigi-Noh
  • 2001　Award of Excellence, “Noh-Kyogen Mask Award 21”, Yokohama Noh Theatre
  • 2003　Grand Prize, “Noh-Kyogen Mask Award 2003”, Yokohama Noh Theatre

Television, Media, and Publications

  • 2002　Magazine “TIME TRAVELER 2002 Fall” (TIME Inc.)
  • 2004　“Miyakonokaori (Scent of Towns)” (TV Asahi)
  • 2006　“Tokinotanbou (Exploring Times) No.374”
         Noh Masks – Infinite Facial Expressions (CBC TV)
  • 2006　“Binotsubo (A Pot of Beauty) File 18: Noh Masks”
         (NHK Educational Channel)
  • 2006　Book “KISSING THE MASK” by William T. Vollmann (Ecco)
  • 2007　DVD “Carnet de voyage: Le Japon avec Olivier Martin” (GEDEON)
  • 2008　Photo book “Noumen Jigen (Noh Mask Dimension)”
         (Photographed by Yuto Hirakakiuchi, Seikou Corp.)
  • 2009　“Begin Japanology” (NHK World TV / NHK Educational Channel)
  • 2009　Photo book by Teruo Amachi
         “Nohmen Fuushi (Noh Mask Figures): Mitsue Nakamura – The World of Noh Masks”
  • 2011　Documentary Program “-TAKUMI-: Noh Mask Craftsman” (Sky PerfecTV)
  • 2012　TV and in-train video advertisement, "Kitakore!"
  • 2016　TV Program “DESIGN TALKS Plus: Faces” (NHK World TV & NHK BS1)
  • 2017　Lecture “The Story of Noh Masks”
         (General Assembly and Academic Meeting of the Japan Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery)
  • 2017　TV Program “Various Theories: #9 Who Was Toshusai Sharaku?” (BS-TBS)

In addition to the above, her masks have been featured in educational materials such as school textbooks, as well as in magazines, publications, and corporate advertisements.