@julesvanhagen: This piece is called Nakata. Nakata is a character from the book “Kafka on the Shore” by Haruki Murakami, which I was reading during the creation of this painting. He is an old, gentle man who lives a simple life. As a child he was struck by a mysterious accident that left him in a deep coma. When he woke up, he had lost all his past memories, his intellect, and the ability to read and write. Yet he gained a magical ability to talk to cats. In his first conversation with a cat, Nakata asks for its name. The cat responds, “I don’t remember. I don’t really need it either. You humans make life complicated. Cats don’t need names.” With his intellectual mind gone, Nakata operates on pure instinct. The cats represent a different, hidden layer of reality. Living free of complex human thoughts and judgments, Nakata can tune into this spiritual realm effortlessly. I love that story, because it’s how I want to paint and how I want to live. Forgetting the ways of the world and letting instinct lead the way. Each moment new and fresh. Leaving the past and the future as human concepts I don’t need to worry about. Nakata 120 x 200 cm Commission piece #fyp #art

Jules van Hagen

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Region: NL

Wednesday 08 July 2026 14:14:46 GMT