Collection: Nakagawa Mamoru 中川 衛

Nakagawa Mamoru (born 1947) is a celebrated Japanese craftsman and master metalworker recognized as an Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure) for the art of decorative metal inlay. Born in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Nakagawa initially studied design at Kanazawa College of Art, graduating in 1971 before entering the world as a designer with Matsushita Electric Works. In an unusual career shift, he returned to Kanazawa several years later and, at the age of twenty-seven, encountered the refined beauty of Kaga zōgan metal inlay, an experience that led him to abandon design entirely and pursue metalwork despite having no prior training in the field. In 1974 he became a disciple of Takahashi Kaishū, marking the beginning of his career as a craft artist. Nakagawa first received acceptance into the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition in 1979, and in 1996 was appointed professor in the crafts department of his alma mater, Kanazawa College of Art, where he devoted himself to educating younger generations of artists. In 2004 he was designated a Living National Treasure, later receiving the Chunichi Culture Award in 2006, the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2009, and the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Middle Ribbon, in 2018.