Dreaming of America: The Art of Hiroshi Nagai

Palm trees, beautiful beaches, vintage cars, sparkling pools, and skyscrapers reaching for an ultramarine, cloudless twilight sky. These all feature in the works of Japanese artist Hiroshi Nagai, whose evocative paintings were used for the covers of many 1980s Japanese pop albums. The somewhat nostalgic, dreamy realism of Nagai’s work has captivated many across the world, and more recently, has garnered renewed interest. Many see his serene paintings as a celebration of American prosperity and innovation.

Nagai was born on December 22, 1947, in Tokushima City. His father, an oil painter specializing in landscapes, inspired him to become an artist. Nagai later traveled to Tokyo to study art formally but was rejected from every institution he applied to. To support himself, he took a job as a TV set decorator and began working at his uncle’s design company to hone his illustration skills.

He credits two main events during the 1970s for cementing his unique style as an illustrator: a photorealism exhibition he attended and a forty-day tour of the United States he took with a dozen other artists.

During this visit, Nagai developed a lifelong love for America. He was captivated by the sun-drenched tropical scenery of the Pacific in Guam, Hawaii, and California. While flying over Los Angeles, he was surprised to see swimming pools everywhere, in hotels and residential backyards alike. “At the time,” he explained, “there were no such pools in Japan. I just loved America.”¹

In the 1980s, Japan experienced unprecedented economic and artistic prosperity. Anime and manga became entertainment staples. The video game industry began to produce powerful new computer hardware and popular toys, such as action figures, stuffed animals, and other merchandise based on beloved characters. A new, lighthearted genre of music also emerged, dubbed “city pop.” . . .

About Ligeia Rose

Ligeia Rose is a passionate concert pianist, composer, and writer. She runs a vlog called Bed of Roses, in which she aims to shed light on different ways to romanticize life.

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