BOOK: Yu Nishimura-Sadie Coles HQ, Galerie Crèvecoeur, and Buchhandlung Walther König

Yu Nishimura’s First English-Language Monograph Co-published by Sadie Coles HQ, Galerie Crèvecoeur, and Buchhandlung Walther König, the first English-language monograph dedicated to Japanese painter Yu Nishimura offers a comprehensive overview of the artist’s work from 2016 to 2024. This richly illustrated volume captures the breadth of Nishimura’s practice—from luminous figuration to atmospheric landscapes—marking a significant milestone in his international recognition. A graduate of Tama Art University (2004), Nishimura lives and works in Kanagawa, Japan. His paintings explore the conceptual and visual core of portraiture, often departing from traditional figuration to evoke fleeting memory, emotional resonance, and the quiet drama of everyday life. Drawing upon techniques in oil and tempera, Nishimura’s layered brushwork blurs the boundaries between presence and absence, influenced by the aesthetics of Japanese anime and street photography. The monograph includes a selection of Nishimura’s own photographs—intimate, everyday scenes that form the basis of many of his compositions—offering rare insight into his creative process. Texts by Alexis Vaillant and Fabrice Hergott accompany the works, along with an in-depth conversation between Nishimura and celebrated artist Jonas Wood. This landmark publication affirms Yu Nishimura’s place within the contemporary art landscape and invites English-speaking audiences into the quiet, evocative world of his painting. -Dimitris Lempesis