Born in 1923, Masayuki Nagare was interested in swordsmithing and old style martial arts from a young age. In 1955, he opened his first solo exhibition, “Aviation Space.” He moved to New York in 1963, and later continued his creative work in Japan when he invited George Nakashima to “Minguren” in Shikoku. In 1972, he created the “Cloud Fortress” sculpture at the World Trade Center.

In 1978, while in Hokkaido, he met Minoru Nagahara, who managed a furniture making company in Asahikawa. Since then, he strengthened his ties with Hokkaido, carrying out a central role in a project to build sculpture parks on Okushiri Island and Onuma. In 2004 at the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, he opened the “NANMOSA Ryumasa Exhibition,” and reimagined the Cloud Fortress as “Cloud Fortress, Jr.” In 2006, with the cooperation of the people of Asahikawa, he created the NAGARE Chair, which he had been envisioning for many years.