Flora and Fauna Unfold in the Multi-Layered Paintings of Nana Funo

japanese art, design and culture

“The Phases of the Moon” (2025) by Nana Funo. All images courtesy Tomio Koyama Gallery

In her latest solo exhibition, “I Can Go There. So Can You.” at Tomio Koyama Gallery, Japanese artist Nana Funo invites viewers into a universe where memory, time, and imagination quietly intertwine. Her paintings unfold like layered narratives—images built upon hidden traces of earlier forms—suggesting worlds where past and present overlap in delicate, luminous harmony.

“Eating the Moon” (2025) by Nana Funo

Funo’s distinctive process involves multiple layers in which initial imagery is then covered with a fresh layer of acrylic, allowing submerged motifs to subtly influence what emerges on the surface. This technique creates works that feel both intimate and expansive, mirroring how personal histories and forgotten moments shape the present.

Her surfaces shimmer with a texture reminiscent of porcelain, embroidery, or engraved metal, yet every nuance is achieved solely through careful brushwork.

“Fish Seed, Fruit Bones and Things I Forget as Time Passes” (2025) by Nana Funo

Recurring symbols like moons, trees, seeds and small animals anchor her recent works,