Patrick Nagatani

Patrick Nagatani (August 19, 1945 – October 27, 2017) was an American photographer and educator, best known for his work relating to the unique history of Japanese Americans including their experience with internment camps.

Biography

Patrick Nagatani was born on August 19, 1945, in Chicago, just ten days after the atomic blast on Nagasaki. A Sansei, he was the eldest son of John Shuzo and Diane Yoshiye Nagatani. In 1955, the Nagatanis moved to Los Angeles, where they settled in the Crenshaw District, which at one time had the largest concentration of Japanese-Americans in the country.

In Los Angeles, Nagatani attended Coliseum Street School, Audubon Jr. High School, and Dorsey High School. At Dorsey, he was an honor student, ran hurdles, and was an officer in student government. Nagatani's artwork have been exhibited internationally and have been featured in numerous publications and films. 2010– Desire for Magic: Patrick Nagatani 1978–2008, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 2011 – Desire for Magic: Patrick Nagatani 1978–2008, Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles, California 2012 – Desire for Magic: Patrick Nagatani 1978–2008, Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences, Charleston, West Virginia 2018 – Proof: The Ryoichi Excavations, University of Michigan Museum of Art

Group exhibitions Source: 1976 – 1976 Member's Exhibition, Friends of Photography, Carmel, California 1983 – The Big Picture, curated by Barbara Hitchcock and Arthur Ollman, Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, California 1985 – The Big Picture, University Art Gallery, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio; including artists Patrick Nagatani, Chris Enos, Sandi Fellman, Barbara Kasten, Rosamond Purcell, Lucas Samaras, William Wegman, Robert Heinecken, Marsha Burns, Jack Welpott, Jerry Burchard, Suda House, Luciano Franchi de Alfaro III, Frank Gillette, Olivia Parker, Vicki Lee Ragan, John Reuter, John Gutkowski, and Judith Golden 1993 – Schneider-Bluhm-Loeb Gallery, Chicago, Illinois (four artists) 2003 – Bridge: Photographs by Robert Clarke-Davis, Jocelyn Nevel, and Patrick Nagatani, Adrian College, Adrian, Michigan 2013 – Private Universes / Personal Spaces, SCA Contemporary Art, Albuquerque, New Mexico (six artists)