Visiting artist Ryuta Nakajima presents exhibition based on ‘cuttlefish camouflage’

Exhibition runs through March 31 in the UMKC Gallery of Art

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The University of Missouri-Kansas City College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Art and Art History Gallery of Art presents “CEPH love YOU too,” an art exhibition by visiting artist Ryuta Nakajima. The exhibit will run from Feb. 16 to March 31, and an opening reception will take place from 5-8pm on Thursday, Feb. 16. The Gallery of Art is located in Room 203 of the Fine Arts Building, 5015 Holmes St., Kansas City, Mo.

Nakajima investigates the effect and implication of visual culture through an exploration of cuttlefish camouflage patterns. Cuttlefish are examples of the cephalopod class of marine animals, which include octopus and squid.

According to Nakajima, “cephalopods are known for their adaptive coloration, which allows them to camouflage into different environments. In this exhibition, cuttlefish camouflage patterns are used as a biological model to code and map visual information. More specifically, the adaptive coloration of a cuttlefish is triggered by replacing natural substrates (sand, mud, seaweed, etc.) with computer-generated images of major 20th century paintings, photographs and videos. Upon collecting data from these experiments, a series of paintings, photographs and videos will be produced according to the information provided by the cuttlefish.”

Nakajima, a master of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism, is currently an associate professor of art at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of California and has exhibited both nationally and internationally. For additional information, visit the Gallery.

The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), one of four University of Missouri campuses, is a public university serving more than 15,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UMKC engages with the community and economy based on a four-part mission: life and health sciences; visual and performing arts; urban issues and education; and a vibrant learning and campus life experience. For more information about UMKC, visit www.umkc.edu. You can also find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and watch us on YouTube.


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