Born in Chiba Prefecture in 1956, Kazumi Nakamura is an artist representing the contemporary Japanese art scene. He finished the graduate program of Tokyo University of the Arts in 1984. Nakamura debuted in the 1980s and his early paintings with Y forms using the tree shape as a motif attracted attention. Subsequently, Nakamura produced Diagonal Grid, C Opened, Ranging Difference – Broken Shelter, Broken Hermitages, Saisoro, and Shokusocho (Phoenix) series. Nakamura explores creation of paintings in a new dimension and his own theory of paintings by referring to classical Japanese art and Chinese art in an attempt to critically overcome American Abstract Expressionism. With more than 1200 works to this day, he continues to practice creation of paintings at the level different from formalistic abstract paintings.After examining paintings confronting death in two series, Saisoro and Mourning for the Dead, Nakamura addressed the theme implying rebirth. Nakamura’s first series to address rebirth was represented as “Shokusocho” in writing but “Phoenix” in reading and pronunciation. Facing the world of non-ending terrorism, wars, and natural disasters, Nakamura continued exploring the meaning of painting pictures, and arrived at paintings of birds signifying flight. The theme evolved into his A Bird in its Existence series from the middle of 2000, which has become his largest series with more than 300 works.