Opening June 28 at Nanzuka Underground, Go Figure marks the latest solo exhibition by Nagano-based artist Tetsuya Nakamura. Known for fusing traditional Japanese lacquer techniques with futuristic forms, Nakamura crafts sculptural works that oscillate between lifeforms and machinery, imagination and engineered precision.

On view are new additions to his Flame Line series—monumental, vehicle-inspired sculptures—and Flame Beast, a newer body of work in which Nakamura pushes his visual language into more biological territory. Upstairs, viewers encounter creatures that look like they might breathe, evolve, or roar—though they remain suspended in perfect stillness.

While his early work drew comparisons to Italian Futurism through its fascination with speed, customization, and man-made structure, Nakamura’s recent pieces invite viewers to imagine lifeforms of the distant future. By merging the mechanical with the organic, his work hints at a future populated not just by robots, but by entities with unknown instincts and emotions.

The exhibition title Go Figure is a double entendre—referring both to sculptural form and to the elusive, inexplicable pull of aesthetic experience. As Nakamura puts it, “I sometimes feel I’m sensing things beyond what my brain can process. I’d be happy if viewers could also approach these works with a ‘Go Figure’ attitude.”

An opening reception will take place at Nanzuka Underground on Saturday, June 28 from 16:00 to 19:00. Complementing the main show, a selection of Nakamura’s preparatory drawings will be on view at Sushi Saito Hanare Nanzuka starting July 2.