Nobuho Nagasawa

Nobuho Nagasawa is a Professor at Stony Brook University's Department of Art, College of Arts and Sciences. Previously, she served as an Associate Professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She holds an MFA from Hochschule der Künste Berlin and advanced studies at California Institute of the Arts in art, critical theory, and music. Her work integrates sculpture, installation, and public art, focusing on ecology, social justice, and community participation. She has exhibited globally, including at the Prague Castle, Ludwig Museums, and the Getty Center.

Education:

• M.F.A., Hochschule der Künste Berlin
• Advanced Studies, California Institute of the Arts

Research Interests: Nagasawa creates site-specific works exploring space, politics, and ecology. She engages with socially interactive sculpture, environmental sustainability, and cultural memory. Recent projects use light, sound, and natural phenomena to provoke perceptual and historical reflection on justice and ecology.

Key Projects: Over 30 public art installations, including collaborations with architects and engineers for city halls, plazas, and transportation infrastructure. Notable projects include the Austin City Hall with Antoine Predock (2005) and a fiber-optic waterfall sculpture at John Jay College (2013) synced with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches.

Awards:

• DAAD Grant
• Rockefeller Grant
• Art Commission Awards for Excellence in Design (New York, San Francisco)
• Design Excellence Award (Los Angeles)

Grants & Collaborations: Recipient of Japan Foundation Grants, Brody Arts Fund, and Marie Walsh Sharpe Foundation support. Her work balances temporary installations with permanent public art, emphasizing interdisciplinary and community-driven practices.

Labs/Teams: Leads interdisciplinary projects involving engineers, architects, and communities to create site-responsive public art interventions.