Masayuki Nagare (1923-2018) was one of the most important Japanese sculptors of the twentieth century, whose distinctive stone sculptures brought together the deep traditions of Japanese craft and spiritual practice with the vocabulary of international modernism. Born in Nagasaki, Nagare pursued an unusual and richly formative education that included the study of Zen Buddhism, traditional Japanese swordsmithing, and the aesthetic principles of the tea ceremony, all of which would inform his mature sculptural practice at every level.

Nagare believed that stones embody spirits. After selecting a stone, he allowed it to dictate the sculpture's form rather than imposing a predetermined shape onto an unyielding material. This deeply held belief placed his practice within an ancient East Asian tradition of respecting the intrinsic character of natural materials, and it distinguished his approach from the more strictly conceptual practices of many of his Western contemporaries. Given his religious background and spiritual beliefs, it is not surprising that his first sculptures were inspired by the Jizōs, the Buddhist guardian deities of children whose small stone figures are found throughout the Japanese countryside. Later, his works reflected the timelessness of life, and he often created sculptures that, although fully abstract, are reminiscent of traditional Japanese forms.

Nagare often worked in granite, leaving part of the stone rough and untouched while polishing other passages to a high finish. This method creates a peaceful equilibrium that nonetheless exudes real energy, and it became the signature technique for which he is now most recognized. The contrast between the raw and the refined mirrors fundamental Japanese aesthetic principles of wabi-sabi, and it gives his sculptures their particular meditative presence.

Nagare received major international commissions throughout his career, including the monumental Cloud Fortress, which stood in the plaza of the World Trade Center in New York City until its destruction in 2001. His sculptures are held in significant Japanese and international museum collections, where they remain among the most refined expressions of the transpacific dialogue between Japanese tradition and postwar modernist sculpture.