PACE GALLERY HOSTS ROBERT NAVA'S FIRST TOKYO SOLO SHOW

## Electric Energy Arrives in Tokyo Pace will host Robert Nava's first solo show in Japan at its Tokyo gallery from February 19 through April 1, 2026. The exhibition, titled "Supercharger," represents a significant moment for both the American artist and the gallery's expanding Asian footprint. The presentation will feature new paintings and works on paper created by the artist between 2023 and 2026, showcasing fantastical scenes of beauty and chaos that invite viewers to reconnect with the limitless imagination of their childhoods. Nava describes his artistic philosophy with characteristic intensity: "I wanted the show to feel like an entrance that hits with motion and charge." ## Mythical Creatures Meet Tokyo Nava's works are populated by real and imagined creatures, angels, witches, and other beings rendered in energetic color. Often imbued with a sense of philosophical and psychological charge, his figures suggest a dark, contemplative, and existential mood despite their vibrancy, liveliness, and humor. The artist's approach balances chaos with careful consideration. "I'm sometimes at the edge where humor and tragedy collide," Nava has said. In his artistic universe, benevolence and malevolence are constantly at odds with one another. ## Pace Gallery's Global Expansion The Tokyo exhibition comes as Pace Gallery undergoes significant transformation. Pace Gallery, Emmanuel Di Donna, and David Schrader today announced the launch of Pace Di Donna Schrader Galleries, which is poised to become the leading global gallery devoted to secondary market sales. Unifying the unparalleled experience and resources of three of the world's leading art dealers, Pace Di Donna Schrader Galleries is creating a boutique gallery that will operate on a global scale. It now operates a gallery in Seoul and opened its first gallery in Japan in Tokyo's Azabudai Hills development in 2024. This strategic Asian expansion reflects the gallery's commitment to serving international collectors and artists. ## The Artist's Rising Trajectory Robert Nava (b. 1985, East Chicago, Indiana) earned a BFA in Fine Art from Indiana University in 2008 as well as an MFA in Painting from Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, in 2011. His journey from Yale graduate to moving truck driver to internationally exhibited artist exemplifies contemporary art world dynamics. "I went from Yale to driving a moving truck, handling boxes and furniture, and bending steel in New York," he says with a slight laugh, remembering the early days. "I mean, I'm responsible for [Brooklyn's] McCarren Park." Nava's first solo exhibition in Asia, Tornado Rose, was presented at Pace Seoul in 2023. His work can be found in the collections of the Musée d'Art Moderne, Paris; Art Institute of Chicago; Pérez Art Museum, Miami; Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, D.C.; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; and other international institutions. ## Creative Process and Philosophy "I usually begin every morning drawing in my sketchbooks, listening to music," he has said. The relationship between his paintings and drawings is fluid: "The drawing impacts the painting, but it isn't necessarily directly related every time." His paintings often begin with no clear subject in mind—just spontaneous marks that evolve into shapes and figures. "Sometimes it's wolves, sometimes tigers, dragons, or death," he said. "I go more for energy than subject." ## Market Success and Recognition In his debut auction at Phillips, his painting The Tunnel (2019), a diptych of the face of a monster with piercing red eyes, sold for US $162,500 despite its estimated valuation set between $40,000–60,000. In the following months, another painting of his, this time featuring a Power Ranger, sold for US $124,195. Two other paintings following these auctions sold for values above US $100,000. The "Supercharger" exhibition positions Nava at the forefront of contemporary painting's global reach, demonstrating how American artists continue to find new audiences in Asia's dynamic art markets.