Nobuko at Gallery Max

Nobuko’s work “Coffin of Happiness” (2023) received an honorable mention at the exhibition Japan Contemporaries Series 5: Juried Open Call, Stepping Into A World II, curated by Motoichi Adachi and Kyoko Sato. The exhibition was held from February 15-21, 2024, at Gallery Max in New York’s SoHo district.

On February 20, 2024, Nobuko performed Coffin of Happiness accompanied by Cleek Schrey’s violin. Nobuko’s piece was deeply personal, reflecting her journey through grief after losing both of her parents. The work is rooted in the moment she saw her mother’s peaceful smile in the coffin, an image that helped her come to terms with her sorrow.