Jump to content

Draft:Ken Nakajima (artist)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  • Comment: Please see WP:BLP to understand how to write, format, and source biographies of living people. Kind regards, Spinster300 (talk) 19:05, 4 April 2025 (UTC).
  • Comment: FYI: Instagram is not a reliable source. ToThAc (talk) 22:14, 6 February 2025 (UTC)


Born in Tokyo, Japan
Ken Nakajima
Born
NationalityBritish, Japanese
EducationCentral Saint Martins, Middlesex University
AwardsJamie Iddon Award for Emerging Artists
Websitehttps://www.knakajima.com/

Ken Nakajima is a movement director, theatre director, and visual artist working in the fields of theatre, fashion, film, and contemporary performance.

Biography

[edit]

Nakajima's creative journey began with notable roles in productions such as Madam Butterfly, The Barber of Seville, Wozzeck, and Der Rosenkavalier, and more at the N.N.T.T (New National[1] Theatre Tokyo).

He studied at Middlesex University, specialising in performance, direction and scenography. He then pursued a Master's degree in Performance Design & Practice at Central Saint Martins.

Movement Direction (theatre, fashion, film)

[edit]

As a movement director in theatre, his approach is deeply rooted in contemporary dance, Butoh, and physical theatre. His career began at the Royal Court Theatre,[2] where his style quickly garnered attention and led to collaborations with venues, including Colour Factory, Camden People’s Theatre, London Performance Studios, Omnibus Theatre, and Theatre by the Lake.

In fashion, his work has been featured in prominent publications and platforms including The Face Magazine, King Kong Magazine, Vogue, DAZED, SHOWstudio, and brands such as JADED London, Alyssa Marie Groeneveld, and MAX FOUCAUT. His contributions have also been showcased at London Fashion Week, for Estonian designer Johanna Parv.

In film, he began with fashion boutique store MACHINE-A for their Spring/Summer 2024 collection. He then went onto work with independent musicians such as Florence Rose, Lowswimmer[3] and most notably French artist Oklou in collaboration with NTS Radio.[4]

Theatre Direction

[edit]

As a stage director, he made his directorial debut An Odyssey[5] (Teatro di Roma) at the Dominio Pubblico festival in Rome, Italy 2019, in association with State of the Art collective. He then directed his first independent show I’m Going Away Now (Gledališče Koper/Teatro Capodistria) in Slovenia, 2023[6]. He made his debut in London with Seeking Shadows[7] (Rich Mix) in 2024 which earned him a 4/5 star review.

Influences and style

[edit]

His directorial practice (Synthesis) blends dance, theatre, and visual arts into a visual language that conveys the poignant essence of human existence. Inspired by both Western and Eastern mythology, he crafts archetypal narratives that explore iconoclasm, image and philosophy.[8]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "検索結果 - 中島健一郎 | 昭和音楽大学オペラ研究所 オペラ情報センター". opera-tosei--showa--music-ac-jp.translate.goog. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
  2. ^ "Ken Nakajima". Royal Court. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
  3. ^ Lowswimmer (2025-01-22). Lowswimmer - IRL (official video). Retrieved 2025-02-14 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ NTS (2025-02-11). Oklou - obvious, choke enough, blade bird | NTS Session. Retrieved 2025-04-08 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ "AN ODISSEY – MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY/ROMING PROJECT – Dominio Pubblico". www.dominiopubblicoteatro.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2025-02-07. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
  6. ^ Drobnjak, Alenka (2023-07-11). "Vizualni plesno-gledališki spektakel v Gledališču Koper | Mlad.si". Urad RS za mladino - mlad.si (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2025-04-08.
  7. ^ "Seeking Shadows". Rich Mix. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
  8. ^ "About". KEN NAKAJIMA. Retrieved 2025-04-08.


https://www.thestage.co.uk/advice/schools-out-new-graduates-on-how-to-survive-your-first-year-in-the-sector

https://centmagazine.co.uk/synthesis-theatre/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d__m4Lv78o