Naoko Nina Forrest
Artist / Astrologer / Creator of R.Planetes
Naoko Nina Forrest is a contemporary artist and painter whose work explores giving form to invisible structures and relationships.
Born in Tokyo, she spent over twenty years in Australia, with experiences in Egypt and the United Kingdom. Her encounters with diverse cultures and landscapes have shaped the foundation of her distinctive artistic perspective.
Her creative practice draws upon a rich background in architecture, spatial design, graphic design, years of embodied expression, and astrology.
Though seemingly different, these experiences are now beginning to reveal a common thread.
To perceive the unseen, discover its underlying structures, and give them form.
The cosmos, nature, humanity, memory, time, and the relationships between people recur throughout her work, each forming part of this ongoing exploration.
Beneath compositions that appear to emerge intuitively lies a quiet order, shaped through composition, colour, symbolism, tension, and space.
An Architecture of the Unseen
For Forrest, who has spent many years exploring the relationship between humanity and the cosmos as an astrologer, astrology is not a means of predicting the future, but a symbolic language through which to understand the patterns that repeatedly emerge in our world.
In 2026, her solo exhibition Memory Across Ten Billion Light-Years marked a significant development in R.Planetes, revealing the possibilities of bringing together the symbolism and mythology of the stars with art.
The 44 original artworks presented at the exhibition became the foundation of the first R.Planetes Art Card Deck, bringing these works into the hands of people beyond the gallery.
What had once existed as separate experiences and explorations began to converge into a unified visual language.
From architecture to painting.
From the body to symbolism.
From encounters between different cultures to the relationship between the cosmos and humanity.
The paths she has travelled are now beginning to come together in a single form of expression.
This exploration continues to expand beyond the creation of individual artworks, evolving into R.Planetes, an art label that brings art into everyday life through diverse media and experiences.
Giving form to invisible structures.
Artist Statement
There are invisible connections between the cosmos, nature, and the human imagination.
Ever since I was a child, drawing has been a way of connecting with my inner world.
Perhaps it has always been about reaching towards something that has not yet become words, opening a space in which it can quietly take form.
Creating art is a way of opening my own world.
And my greatest joy lies in seeing others experience that world for themselves.
Sensitivity exists within each of us, and no two people experience the world in quite the same way.
It is within this diversity of perception that I see the infinite possibilities of art.
Background
A Creative Journey
Naoko Nina Forrest developed a connection with painting from an early age, later gaining experience across diverse disciplines, including industrial design, architecture, and spatial design.
Through living and working in Japan, the United Kingdom, Egypt, and Australia, she encountered different cultures and perspectives, deepening her understanding of the diversity of humanity and the world.
Her exploration of the symbolic language of the cosmos through astrology, together with the physical and rhythmic expression of Japanese taiko drumming, has also become an essential part of her creative practice.
Space, colour, rhythm, symbolism, and storytelling.
These seemingly distinct disciplines have gradually converged within her practice, shaping the artistic expression that defines her work today.
The artworks and stories emerging from this creative process are now finding their way into everyday life through her art label, R.Planetes.
Career
経歴
Career
Professional Background
Studied Industrial Design at Kindai University, followed by Spatial Design at Kuwasawa Design School.
She subsequently worked in architectural design at the Itsuko Hasegawa Architectural Design Studio.
2000–2001 | London, UK
Studied architecture at the Architectural Association School of Architecture.
2002 | Tokyo, Japan
Worked at NANJO and Associates, contributing to art projects including those associated with Roppongi Hills.
2004 | Cairo, Egypt
Relocated to Cairo, collaborating with local architects on architectural and spatial design projects.
2005 | Tasmania, Australia
Worked at a civil engineering and architectural design firm, contributing to architectural design, structural drawings, and projects informed by the region’s geology and natural environment.
2008 | Australia
Began pursuing painting as a central part of her creative practice.
2010 | Perth, Australia
Organised a cultural event bringing together art, food, and crafts.
2015 | Australia
Founded the Japanese taiko ensemble Taiko On, developing performances, original productions, and stage activities.
Later became involved in teaching taiko drumming on the Gold Coast.
2018 | Australia
Began offering private astrology consultations and has since interpreted more than 1,000 natal charts.
2021–2023 | Australia
Worked with fitness company EMF, overseeing spatial and interior design for more than ten large-scale facilities.
2024 | Japan
Relocated her creative base to Japan and began developing R.Planetes as a project integrating art and astrology.
2025 | Japan
Continued her painting practice alongside performing and teaching Japanese taiko drumming.
2026 | Tokyo, Japan
Held the solo exhibition Memory Across Ten Billion Light-Years at the historic Okuno Building in Ginza, Tokyo.
Launched the R.Planetes Art Card Deck, created from 44 original artworks.
Current Work
現在の活動
Current Creative Practice
Currently based in Japan, Naoko Nina Forrest focuses primarily on painting and storytelling.
Through colour and symbolism, she explores the invisible connections between the cosmos, nature, and humanity.
Alongside the creation of original paintings and exhibitions, she continues to expand the worlds emerging from her artworks through her art label, R.Planetes, bringing them into everyday life in various forms.
From art cards and calendars to new forms of expression yet to emerge.
Her practice continues to explore new creative possibilities, building connections between art and everyday life.
Selected Exhibition
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS｜主な展覧会
2026 — 100億光年の記憶
Solo Exhibition
Galerie La, Okuno Building
Ginza, Tokyo
September 10–16, 2026
