Nanae Momiyama

Nanae Momiyama (1924-2002) worked in New York and Greenwich, Connecticut as a painter, calligrapher, and educator.

In 1924, Nanae Momiyama was born in Tokyo, Japan. In 1944, she graduated from Bunka Gakuin College in Tokyo, where she later taught painting and drawing. In 1954, under the sponsorship of the Japanese government, Nanae Moimiyama attended the Art Students' League in New York City, where she was mentored by the painter, Morris Kantor. During this period, Momiyama participated in exhibitions organized by the cooperative galleries on East Tenth Street in New York City that were promoting the works of Abstract Expressionist artists.

Nanae Momiyama's artistic interests extended to the teaching of Japanese calligraphy and Sumi-e paintings at colleges, universities, and art institutions, including the National Teacher's Convention for Asian Studies at Brooklyn College, Columbia University, and Japan Society. During her career, Momiyama received commissions to design posters for movies, plays, and concerts and to illustrate books and magazines. In addition, she wrote Sumi-e, An Introduction to Ink Painting that became a standard text on the subject.

Nanae Momiyama participated in many solo and group exhibitions in the United States and abroad: Brata Gallery, the Bruce Museum, Gima Gallery, Ligoa Duncan Gallery, and Seibu Galleries, among others.

Nanae Momiyama was a long time resident of Greenwich, Connecticut. She died in 2002.

From the guide to the Nanae Momiyama papers, 1928-circa 2000, bulk 1948-1990s, (Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution)