“Whispering Breeze” (1980) is an exquisite hand-pulled etching by acclaimed Japanese printmaker Miki Nagano, demonstrating her mastery of atmospheric abstraction and layered tonal movement. Signed and numbered 6/100, this smaller-format version (17 x 22 inches) retains the same compelling visual language as her larger works: undulating horizontal strata that evoke drifting winds, shifting geological layers, and meditative natural rhythms.
Nagano’s technique—rich with intaglio plate tone, layered color, and finely modulated textures—creates a serene, sophisticated work ideal for collectors of contemporary Japanese printmaking, abstract landscapes, and museum-quality etchings. This piece is an early-period work from 1980, created during her highly influential New York printmaking years.
“Whispering Breeze” is composed of intricate, overlapping plate forms rendered in deep greens, slate blues, mineral greys, and soft bone shades. The etching features rhythmic horizontal layers that subtly drift across the surface, suggesting the quiet movement of wind, water, or sediment. The interplay of light and shadow within each band creates a sense of quiet momentum, depth, and meditative natural flow.
Nagano’s intaglio technique involves carefully etched plates, controlled wiping, and tonal layering, resulting in a work that feels both structured and fluid. Signed and numbered 6/100, this impression displays exceptional clarity and plate definition, demonstrating her technical refinement during the formative early phase of her American printmaking career.
This smaller-format version offers a more intimate scale, allowing viewers to appreciate the precision of Nagano’s linework, textures, and subtle tonal transitions.
Miki Nagano (Born in Furukawa, Japan) is a master printmaker whose artistic career spans over four decades and bridges the cultural and technical traditions of Japan and the United States. She earned both her BFA (1976) and MFA (1978) in Printmaking from Tama Art University in Tokyo—one of Japan’s most prestigious art academies—before relocating to the United States to pursue advanced printmaking training. From 1978–1984 she completed postgraduate studies at the Philadelphia College of Art, the Pratt Graphics Center, and the legendary Printmaking Workshop in New York, where she refined her etching, aquatint, monotype, and multi-plate processes.
Nagano’s work is defined by layered abstraction, atmospheric tonal shifts, and a poetic dialogue between natural forms and emotional landscape. Her compositions often evoke wind currents, geological strata, drifting light, and the quiet interplay of control and spontaneity. Her technical mastery of intaglio—combined with a subtle, meditative aesthetic rooted in Japanese visual philosophy—has made her a respected figure in international contemporary printmaking.
Nagano has exhibited widely for nearly fifty years, with solo exhibitions in Tokyo, New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and at multiple gallery institutions including Tenri Gallery, NY Coo Gallery, and the Ai Gallery (Tokyo, 1977). Her work has been featured in major group exhibitions across Japan, the U.S., Europe, and South America, including:
The Boston Printmakers
The Society of American Graphic Artists (SAGA)
The American Color Print Society
The Japanese American Artists Association
International mini print and biennial exhibitions in Spain, Brazil, Taiwan, and Japan
Her long exhibition record spans from early participation in the Japan Print Association Shows (1976, 1985) to contemporary showcases through 2024 and 2025, demonstrating a sustained and active printmaking career.
Miki Nagano has received numerous prestigious awards, including:
Jerome Foundation Award, Printmaking Workshop, New York (1982)
Otis Philbrick Memorial Purchase Prize, The Boston Printmakers (1985)
IBERICA Award, NY Coo Gallery Open Art Contest (2009)
Stan Cluck Memorial Award, American Color Print Society (2013)
Second Juror’s Award, American Color Print Society (2015)
Michael Lasuchin Award, American Color Print Society (2021)
The “In Memory of Gertrude Pherdt” Award, Society of American Graphic Artists (2023)
Her work is held in major museum and institutional collections, including:
Brooklyn Museum, New York
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Portland Art Museum, Oregon
New York Public Library
Free Library of Philadelphia
Boston Public Library
The World Bank, Washington, D.C.
Tama Art University, Tokyo
Corporate collections such as AT&T, United Litho, and numerous private collections worldwide
Nagano is a longtime member of the Society of American Graphic Artists, The Boston Printmakers, and the American Color Print Society, and since 2006 has served on the board of the Tama Art University Alumni Association, New York Club. She continues to work and teach in the United States, contributing significantly to contemporary printmaking culture through her exhibitions, mentorship, and technical innovation.
Today, Miki Nagano is recognized as a luminary in international printmaking, celebrated for her atmospheric etchings, her unique synthesis of Japanese and American influences, and her lifelong commitment to the art of the printed image.
Miki Nagano, “Whispering Breeze,” 1980. Etching, 17x22 in., signed and numbered 6/100. Layered atmospheric abstraction in deep tonal strata; excellent impression.
CERTIFICATE OF VALUE & AUTHENTICATION
Artist: Miki Nagano
Title: Whispering Breeze
Date: 1980
Medium: Hand-pulled Etching
Edition: 6/100 (Signed & Numbered)
Dimensions: 17 x 22 inches
Authenticity: Guaranteed original etching executed, signed, and numbered by the artist.
Condition: Excellent; crisp impression; rich tonal layering; clean margins.
Provenance: Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC
Prepared For: Insurance, appraisal, and gallery documentation
Artist: Miki Nagano
Early private collection
Secondary market
Current Owner: Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC
“Whispering Breeze” (1980) is an exquisite hand-pulled etching by acclaimed Japanese printmaker Miki Nagano, demonstrating her mastery of atmospheric abstraction and layered tonal movement. Signed and numbered 6/100, this smaller-format version (17 x 22 inches) retains the same compelling visual language as her larger works: undulating horizontal strata that evoke drifting winds, shifting geological layers, and meditative natural rhythms.
Nagano’s technique—rich with intaglio plate tone, layered color, and finely modulated textures—creates a serene, sophisticated work ideal for collectors of contemporary Japanese printmaking, abstract landscapes, and museum-quality etchings. This piece is an early-period work from 1980, created during her highly influential New York printmaking years.
“Whispering Breeze” is composed of intricate, overlapping plate forms rendered in deep greens, slate blues, mineral greys, and soft bone shades. The etching features rhythmic horizontal layers that subtly drift across the surface, suggesting the quiet movement of wind, water, or sediment. The interplay of light and shadow within each band creates a sense of quiet momentum, depth, and meditative natural flow.
Nagano’s intaglio technique involves carefully etched plates, controlled wiping, and tonal layering, resulting in a work that feels both structured and fluid. Signed and numbered 6/100, this impression displays exceptional clarity and plate definition, demonstrating her technical refinement during the formative early phase of her American printmaking career.
This smaller-format version offers a more intimate scale, allowing viewers to appreciate the precision of Nagano’s linework, textures, and subtle tonal transitions.
Miki Nagano (Born in Furukawa, Japan) is a master printmaker whose artistic career spans over four decades and bridges the cultural and technical traditions of Japan and the United States. She earned both her BFA (1976) and MFA (1978) in Printmaking from Tama Art University in Tokyo—one of Japan’s most prestigious art academies—before relocating to the United States to pursue advanced printmaking training. From 1978–1984 she completed postgraduate studies at the Philadelphia College of Art, the Pratt Graphics Center, and the legendary Printmaking Workshop in New York, where she refined her etching, aquatint, monotype, and multi-plate processes.
Nagano’s work is defined by layered abstraction, atmospheric tonal shifts, and a poetic dialogue between natural forms and emotional landscape. Her compositions often evoke wind currents, geological strata, drifting light, and the quiet interplay of control and spontaneity. Her technical mastery of intaglio—combined with a subtle, meditative aesthetic rooted in Japanese visual philosophy—has made her a respected figure in international contemporary printmaking.
Nagano has exhibited widely for nearly fifty years, with solo exhibitions in Tokyo, New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and at multiple gallery institutions including Tenri Gallery, NY Coo Gallery, and the Ai Gallery (Tokyo, 1977). Her work has been featured in major group exhibitions across Japan, the U.S., Europe, and South America, including:
The Boston Printmakers
The Society of American Graphic Artists (SAGA)
The American Color Print Society
The Japanese American Artists Association
International mini print and biennial exhibitions in Spain, Brazil, Taiwan, and Japan
Her long exhibition record spans from early participation in the Japan Print Association Shows (1976, 1985) to contemporary showcases through 2024 and 2025, demonstrating a sustained and active printmaking career.
Miki Nagano has received numerous prestigious awards, including:
Jerome Foundation Award, Printmaking Workshop, New York (1982)
Otis Philbrick Memorial Purchase Prize, The Boston Printmakers (1985)
IBERICA Award, NY Coo Gallery Open Art Contest (2009)
Stan Cluck Memorial Award, American Color Print Society (2013)
Second Juror’s Award, American Color Print Society (2015)
Michael Lasuchin Award, American Color Print Society (2021)
The “In Memory of Gertrude Pherdt” Award, Society of American Graphic Artists (2023)
Her work is held in major museum and institutional collections, including:
Brooklyn Museum, New York
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Portland Art Museum, Oregon
New York Public Library
Free Library of Philadelphia
Boston Public Library
The World Bank, Washington, D.C.
Tama Art University, Tokyo
Corporate collections such as AT&T, United Litho, and numerous private collections worldwide
Nagano is a longtime member of the Society of American Graphic Artists, The Boston Printmakers, and the American Color Print Society, and since 2006 has served on the board of the Tama Art University Alumni Association, New York Club. She continues to work and teach in the United States, contributing significantly to contemporary printmaking culture through her exhibitions, mentorship, and technical innovation.
Today, Miki Nagano is recognized as a luminary in international printmaking, celebrated for her atmospheric etchings, her unique synthesis of Japanese and American influences, and her lifelong commitment to the art of the printed image.
Miki Nagano, “Whispering Breeze,” 1980. Etching, 17x22 in., signed and numbered 6/100. Layered atmospheric abstraction in deep tonal strata; excellent impression.
CERTIFICATE OF VALUE & AUTHENTICATION
Artist: Miki Nagano
Title: Whispering Breeze
Date: 1980
Medium: Hand-pulled Etching
Edition: 6/100 (Signed & Numbered)
Dimensions: 17 x 22 inches
Authenticity: Guaranteed original etching executed, signed, and numbered by the artist.
Condition: Excellent; crisp impression; rich tonal layering; clean margins.
Provenance: Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC
Prepared For: Insurance, appraisal, and gallery documentation
Artist: Miki Nagano
Early private collection
Secondary market
Current Owner: Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC
