Feeling a deep fascination with the ever-changing natural scenery, Nish aims to recreate the optical phenomena embedded within these landscapes through materials and structures, thereby creating new spaces of light. His work is designed to allow viewers to experience the beauty produced by natural forces by leveraging knowledge from optics, meteorology, and mechanics, and by skillfully incorporating geometric forms as well as natural elements such as sunlight and wind. Additionally, Nish places significant importance on the unique atmosphere that his works exude—an element that fosters harmony between the work and its environment. He believes that this atmosphere plays a crucial role in shaping the characteristics of the space. His spatial creations serve as a means to bring the proximity of natural forces to the fore and to offer a renewed appreciation of their beauty. After earning a Ph.D. in Design from the Graduate School of Fine Arts at Tokyo University of the Arts, Nish has navigated various twists and turns and is currently pursuing a second doctorate in the Department of Architecture at the same university.
Journey of Light and Space
Interest in Architecture
Born in Gifu Prefecture in 1989, he experienced more than ten relocations during his childhood. Living in diverse environments, he developed a strong interest in architectural spaces, and by the age of nine, he dreamed of becoming an architect to create his ideal spaces. At the same time, playing in nature—such as forests and rivers—and sometimes napping in deserted shrines provided him with sensory experiences like wind, sound, smell, and temperature, which had a significant impact on his later artistic work.
The Beginning of Exploration
In 2008, he enrolled in Tokyo Designer Gakuin, where he deepened his practical knowledge of architecture and spatial design. Graduating with honors in 2010, the social discord and economic downturn in Japan led him to reconsider his career direction. As a result, he independently pursued studies at Tama Art University's Department of Environmental Design in 2012, seeking to explore unconventional possibilities in space design.
Light and "Mitate"
During his time at Tama Art University, encounters with lighting designer Satoshi Uchihara and Japanese garden designer Shunmyo Masuno profoundly shifted his artistic perspective. Particularly fascinated by the expression of light and the imaginative potential of "Mitate" (the art of seeing something as something else), he explored the role of light in spatial contexts. In 2013, he won the top prize in the "Architect’s Akari" competition for a piece that expressed the interplay of light and shadow, inspired by Jun'ichiro Tanizaki’s In Praise of Shadows. This served as a crucial impetus for exploring new forms of expression regarding the interaction between light and space. Additionally, in 2015, his work "MIRAGE CUBE" identified the relationship between optical phenomena and space.
Research at Tokyo University of the Arts
In 2016, he entered the master's program at Tokyo University of the Arts and co-founded the "Space Production Lab" in the same year, where he served as the head and experimented with new methods of expressing light and space. Over the two years leading up to his graduation in 2018, he completed ten projects, including solo works, deepening his approach to examining the influence of light on the atmosphere and perception of space with each project. His graduation project, "SKY PATH," focused on the relationship between natural scenery and optical phenomena, presenting the perspective that beautiful natural scenes are always influenced by optical phenomena.
Doctorate and International Activities
Starting in 2018, he advanced to the doctoral program at the same university and began participating in international activities. He took part in an artist residency in Malta, where he further deepened his understanding of the relationship between light and space. During his stay, he traveled to various locations in five European countries, including the Netherlands, conducting research. The experience of "Dutch Light" and Peter Zumthor’s architectural works added further depth to his research. In 2020, he earned his Ph.D. with a work titled Ripple, which established three key elements—'Atmosphere', 'Scene', and 'Mitate'—and was highly praised for its expression of the dynamic relationship between natural light and space. This work won 17 titles across 11 awards both domestically and internationally.
Present and Future
Since 2021, he has been pursuing a second doctorate at the Department of Architecture at Tokyo University of the Arts, focusing on research into the phenomena of light and structure. In 2023, he resumed international activities, participating in an artist residency in Finland, where he visited nearly 100 buildings and conducted research on distinctive architectural spaces and nature. Juha Leiviskä’s architecture, in particular, provided him with a profound experience of light in space, leaving a lasting impact. In 2022, he founded the artist duo OSOTO lab., launching a project to explore new possibilities in the phenomena of light and the natural environment. His life and career are a continual journey of evolving toward the ideal of "spaces of light," and this exploration is ongoing.
