Kenjilo Nanao was born in Aomori Japan in 1929. In 1960 he immigrated to the Bay Area to study at the San Francisco Art Institute as a student with Nathan Oliveira. He also was a student at The Tamarind Institute in Albuquerque New Mexico where he distinguished himself as a brilliant printmaker. He has been an influencial figure in San Francisco Bay Area Art since the early 70’s.

An outstanding printmaker, Nanao first became known for his surreal lithographs with their delicate gradations of color. In the 80s, he turned his interest to painting. Interestingly, in the directness of painting, Nanao found that figurative elements fell away, giving voice to the underlying abstract structure.

From his explorations in painting, Kenjilo Nanao has arrived at a sophisticated and very elegant means of expression. His paintings combine materials such as metal leaf used in tradiional Japanese shoji screens with western oil painting to evoke a meditative sense of inward calm that embraces both Eastern and Western cultures.