About Yuko Nogami Taylor
Painter, Yuko has emerged as a 2 dimensional oil painting artist in demand regionally, nationally, and internationally. Inspirations come from modern western art and Japanese historical art images. Her unique style combines two heritages of the southern United States and Japan on canvas, serving to create harmony between nature and humble people.
Born in Tokyo, Japan, Yuko grew up in a prestigious private school, historically attended by family of the nobles. She excelled in her artistic talent and emerged with a unique painting quality as a result of being exposed to high-end cultures of Japan. However, Yuko moved to the Southern United States in 1990, to move away from the pressure of a predetermined life within her expected social boundaries.
After having two sons, one with Autism, she has revisited her passion and expresses her unique experiences in visual art. She is married to a Jazz drummer, Thomas E. Taylor, Jr. Today Yuko finds a niche as she skillfully merges the heritage of southern African American culture and Japanese into oil paintings.
Yuko Nogami Taylor’s series “Majesty Incognito” is based on rare photos of African-Americans taken in the early 1900s. She creates a connection between them and our inner selves using her Japanese heritage to celebrate the strength, honor the humility, and share the beauty that is in all out lives. She learned to develop her techniques of dripping oil paint using linseed oil and other mediums. She has multiple exhibits in galleries and venues every year in cities across North Carolina.
After experiencing the South Eastern US art scene and experimenting with a large variety of colors and materials as a visual artist, she wants to revisit her original heritage and develop her voice to master it. Japanese mineral painting method is a complex technique. These materials all come from the mother earth, and Yuko has a profound appreciation for them. She realized it is not economical nor convenient. However, she feels that this meticulous process is meaningful, important, interesting, and serves to inspire within her the true essence of art. With this new exhibition, Sanctuary, she is venturing out to a new subject, and new application to exploring the meaning of her true art expressions of painting. Yet, her subject and connection to her art and her value to life has not changed at all.
Biography
1965 Born: Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Japan
1990 Moved to Raleigh, NC, USA
2005 Showing artwork in public
2006 Member of Visual Art Exchange, Raleigh, NC, USA
2008 Member of Litmus Studio Gallery, Raleigh, NC, USA
2011 Inaugurate member and owner of Roundabout Art Collective
2012 Joined Moondog Studio, Raleigh, NC, USA
2012 Member of Durham Art Guild, Durham, NC, USA
2013 Joined member of Village Art Circle Gallery Studio
2013 Juried in Member of ArtSpace, Raleigh, NC, USA
2014 Researched and trained for Japanese Mineral Painting method, Tokyo Japan
2015 Built “Atelier Yuko” in her residence 2015 United Art Council Artist Grant recipient
2016 Juried in Pleiades Art Gallery, Durham, NC, USA 2019 Founding Member of 5 Points Gallery in Durham, NC 2019 United Art Council Artist Grant Panelist 2021 A Member of NCMA Community Advocacy Committee
Exhibits
2021 Selected for featuring in ArtSuite,com online show, Raleigh NC 2020 Duo Show with King N Godwin & Yuko N Taylor Meredith College Art Show in Raleigh NC 2019 Solo Exhibit at 5 Points Gallery, Majestic Incognito - Sanctuary, Durham NC 2019 Featured article in ArtGuide Inside Artist bi-annual magazine
2018 The rise of the Pheonix, women in power exhibit at Duke University Jameson Gallery, Durham NC
2018 Pleiades Gallery Solo Featuring shows, Durham NC
2018 NC Museum of Art, Monster drawing fundraiser artist, Raleigh NC
2018 Live auction for Works of Heart 27th Annual at Contemporary Museum of Raleigh
2017 Solo Show at Pleiades Art Gallery, Durham NC
2017 Unresolved, Cabarrus Arts Council, Concord NC
2017 Artspace Gala Live Auction Exhibitor, Raleigh NC
2016 Group show Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh, NC
2016 Duo Exhibit of Nihonga Collection with Toya Shigaraki Pottery, Raleigh, NC
2015 Visual Art Exchange Gala Live auction, Raleigh, NC
2015 United Art Council Solo Exhibit, Raleigh, NC
2014 August - Duke University, Mary Lou Williams Center, Art Exhibition, Durham, NC
2014 April - Concord Art Council, Orient Express Exhibition, Concord, NC
2014 March - HaggerSmith Gallery solo show, Raleigh, NC
2014 March - ArtCarolina, Raleigh, NC
2014 January - David’s Dumplings Solo Show, Raleigh, NC
2013 January - Lee Hansley Gallery Holiday Show, Raleigh, NC
2013 December - Visual Art Exchange selected artist for Front Gallery Show, Raleigh, NC
2013 December - Vintage 21 City Gallery group exhibition, Raleigh, NC
2013 November - NC State University, Encore Visiting Artist Program, visiting artist lecture, Raleigh, NC
2013 November - Roundabout Art Collective Annual Member Show, Raleigh, NC
2013 September - Visual Art Exchange selected artist, Duke Raleigh Hospital Solo Show, Raleigh, NC
2013 August - Pleiades Gallery, Juried in for Power for Truth Show, Durham, NC
2013 July - Wake County Richard B. Harrison Library solo show, Raleigh, NC
2013 June - Durham Art Guild Annual Juried Show, Suntrust Gallery Duo Show, Bridgers and Taylor, Majesty Incognito Series
2013 May - Cary Art Loop Exhibition at Coffee and Crepes, Duo Show with Leslie Pruneau, Cary, NC
2013 April - Juried and accepted for ArtSpace artist association member, Raleigh, NC
2013 April - Women’s Club of Raleigh, Majestic Incognito series, special solo exhibition for African American month, Raleigh, NC
2013 March - Selected for NC Raleigh Fine Art Society artists exhibition “One Day II” Progress Energy Center McCain Gallery
2013 February - David’s Dumplings art solo show, Raleigh, NC
2013 January - Visual Art Exchange front gallery exhibition Historical Photography series, Raleigh, NC
2012 December - Cafe Caturra solo exhibition, Raleigh, NC Majestic Incognito
2012 August - NC State University, African American Culture Center solo show, Historical Photograph “Majesty Incognito” series exhibition, Raleigh, NC
2012 May - Community Exchange Gallery show at Duke Hospital by VAE, Raleigh, NC, Historical Photography series
2012 April - Join Moondog Cottage Artist Studio & Gallery, Raleigh, NC
2012 March - Selected for a juried exhibition at Raleigh Fine Art Society annual show at the Betty Ray McCain Gallery at the Progress Energy Center Raleigh, NC, for “Aria for Cotton” and “Happy Mose with Dragon”
2012 February - Selected for the third prize with “CAbbage Man” at the Visual Art Exchange Annual Gala “Love of Art 2012” and for the Live Auction
2012 February - Selected for Visual Art Exchange Front Gallery Group exhibition, Raleigh, NC
2011 November - Join 311 West Martin Street Gallery studio/gallery artist, Raleigh, NC
2011 October - News & Observer Mid/North Raleigh Life section featured article: “Artist merges East and West”
2011 October - Selected for Vintage 21 solo exhibition, Historical Photograph series, Raleigh, NC 7-8 pieces
2011 September - Kaleidoscope Exhibit, group show at Roundabout Art Collective Gallery, Raleigh, NC. Historical Photograph Series 7-8 pieces
2011 July - Selected for Cameron Village Library 10-12 pieces Exhibit by Community Exchange by Visual Art Exchange Raleigh, NC
2011 June - DAG Annual Member Show, Durham Art Guild Gallery, Durham, NC “Cabbage Man”
2011 April - Selected for NC Museum of Art Foundation, Art of the auction juried. “Gloaming III”, Auction.
2011 April - Selected for a founding member of Roundabout Art Collective Co-op Gallery, Raleigh, NC
2011 March - Emulous exhibition of Visual Art Exchange, Raleigh, NC. Awarded Honorable Mention, “A Pitcher and Four Apples”
2011 March - Betty Ray McCain Gallery at Progress Energy Center, Raleigh, NC
2011 February - Artists Exhibition for Raleigh Fine Arts Society Finalist Exhibition Stoking the Earth
2011 February - North Carolina University Japan Center, Raleigh, NC, solo exhibition, Spring Dreams, Japanese collection
2010 December - United Art Council, Raleigh, NC, solo exhibition, Historical Portrait Series
2010 September - ArtSpark Gallery featured by SparkCon Raleigh, NC. Juried group exhibition, Historical Portrait Series
2010 August - Taylor’s Reunion Art Exhibit, Hampton VA. Solo exhibit auction Historical Portrait Series
2009 October - Raleigh downtown Progress Energy Performing Art Center front par representation exhibit for Visual Art Exchange, Historical Portrait Collection
2009 July - Cary Senior Center Gallery, Cary, NC. Juried, solo collection show with a lecture all collection
2009 July - Visual Art Exchange, front gallery exhibition, juried group exhibition, Floating Collection
2009 June - Visual Art Exchange - Emulous - juried show “Three Women at the Spring” by Pablo Picasso - oil on canvas 36 x 48”
2009 May - Historical Portrait Solo show Litmus Gallery, Raleigh, NC
2008 July - Visual Art Exchange - front gallery exhibition - juried group exhibition - Floating Collection
2008 June - Visual Art Exchange - Emulous - juried show “Three Women at the Spring” by Pablo Picasso - oil on canvas 36 x 48”
2008 May - Helios - solo exhibition, Japonesque Collection
2008 April - North Carolina State University Art Museum - juried show self portrait - oil on canvas 11” by 14” Brown Still Life - oil on canvas 22 x 22”
2008 April - Green Hill Art Gallery Greensboro - Facing South Portrait - oil on paper 5 x 5”
2008 March - North Carolina Central University Gallery - juried show Brown Still Life - oil on canvas 22 x 22”
2008 February - Apex Art Council - Valentines’ Show - juried show Spring Dream - oil on canvas 30 x 40”
2007 August - Visual Art Exchange - Love of Art Asamayama I - oil on Canvas 14 x 14” - Asamayama II - oil on canvas 14 x 14”
2007 September - Visual Art Exchange - 18th Annual N.E.W. Show - juried show Crane(Tsuru) - oil on canvas 30 x 40”
2007 August - Visual Art Exchange - White Snow- juried show White Flower - oil and acrylic on canvas 30 x 40”
2006 December - Visual Art Exchange - Over and Under - juried show Otomodachi (Friends) - oil on canvas 50 x 11”
2006 August - Pullen Art Center - Instructors Pick Sheep - oil on canvas 14 x 16” Bird Walk - oil on canvas 14 x 16”
2006 July - Visual Art Exchange - Over and Under - juried show Otomodachi (Friends) - oil on canvas 50 x 11”
2006 May - Visual Art Exchange - Emulate Masters - juried show Spring Dream - oil on canvas 30 x 40” Still Life - oil on canvas 30 x 40”
2005 May - NC State Fair - Juried Art Show Pieta - Marie Acrylic on canvas 14 x 16”
Credits
Member of NCMA Community Advocacy Committee Founder artist member of 5 Points Gallery, Durham NC Served as a Jury of United Art Council Art Grant Selection member Juried in Artist member of Pleiades Art Gallery Served as a board member of ArtAccess of NC Juried Art Member of Artist Association at ArtSpace and studio exhibitor
Co-owner of Roundabout Art Collective gallery
Member of Village Art Circle, and exhibitor
Co-founder of APOP - A Pop of Orange Paint
Studio Exhibitor of Litmus Studio Member of Visual Art Exchange, Community and Exchange gallery exhibitor
Member of Durham Art Guild, SunTrust Gallery exhibitor