Nick West was born in Brighton in the UK, and currently lives and works in Tokyo. He is a lecturer at Joshibi University of Art and Design, a writer for Genso, Tokyo Art Beat and Metropolis Magazine, the organiser of Canvas Artist Talks, and a member of the artist collective Art Byte Critique.
Nick studied Fine Art at Kent Institute of Art & Design, where he specialised in Graphic Fine Art. His artworks are among the collection of artist books at The British Library, London.
Recent Exhibitions
May 2018 On Paper, Clouds Art + Coffee, Koenji, Tokyo. Clouds Art Coffee
May 2018 World Book Day Exhibition, World of Glass Museum, UK. World of Glass
Apr. 2018 World Book Day Exhibition, Eccleston Library, St. Helen’s, UK.
Oct. 2017 Tokyo Art Book Fair 2017, Tokyo. Tokyo Art Book Fair 2017
Aug. 2017 Volumes at ONCA, Brighton, United Kingdom. ONCA Gallery
Apr. 2017- Subway, Tacchi Studios, Shibuya, Tokyo. Tacchi Studios
Mar. 2017 Surfaces, Nishimachi Artist Space, Tokyo. Surfaces Tokyo
Sep. 2016 Tokyo Art Book Fair 2016, Kita-Aoyama. Tokyo Art Book Fair 2016
Recent Projects
Jul. 2017- Artist Talks Organiser A series of talks with artists in Tokyo: Canvas
Sep. 2015- Presenter A presentation about murals in and around Tokyo: Pechakucha
May 2015- Art Researcher A blog about contemporary art in and from Japan: Genso
Dec. 2015 Guest Writer A review of the 2015 Nissan Art Award: Iki-mono
May 2013- Art Reviewer A series of articles and reviews: Tokyo Art Beat
Selected Writing
Apr. 2018 Hello World, Hello Now, Art and technology at Art Tower Mito.
Mar. 2017 Different Circles, Ei Arakawa presents Gutai as musical theatre.
Jul. 2016 Ceramic Grenades, Emiko Kasahara at Parasophia: Kyoto International Festival of Culture
Mar. 2015 Control Room, Thomas Demand, ‘Control Room’ at MOT
Mar. 2015 A Liberty Statue for Tokyo, Pipilotti Rist, ‘A Liberty Statue for Tokyo’
Aug. 2013 Looking Skyward, Kazuhiko Hachiya at 3331 Arts Chiyoda.
Jun. 2013 Public Art #2: Masatake Kouzaki’s Tougen, Anjin, Masatake Kozaki’s in Daikanyama.
Employment
Apr. 2018- Lecturer at Joshibi University of Art & Design
Feb. 2018- Art Writer at Metropolis Magazine
Aug. 2011-Mar. 2018 Art & English Teacher at Shoto Junior High School, Shibuya.
Education
Jul. 2015 An Introduction to Curating, University of the Arts London
Jul. 1999 Fine Art (BA Hons), University of Kent
Other Experience
Nick’s research on public art in Tokyo was cited in the book Art Place Japan by Fram Kitagawa.
He curated an exhibition by Sam Frith at the Sky Gallery in Kumamoto, Japan.
Nick presented an exhibition appraisal at the Royal Collage of Art, London.
Associations
Nick belongs to PONJA, an online discussion group of students, art professionals, artists, and individuals interested in contemporary Japanese art across the globe.
