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Tag Archives: Tokyo

Showing: Mike Lee – “Happier Together”

Posted by SAL, December 7, 2017

Up until 23rd of December, Amala Gallery in Tokyo will be showing the first international show by Mike Lee. The works on view were painted exclusively for this exhibition and are meant to be representations of his positive outlook on everyday life. After successful solo shows in LA and Portland earleir this year, the NY-based artist focused on producing a small body of work for his Japan debut show, Happier Together. Taking the local love and appreciation of cartoon and manga culture as a starting point, Lee […]

Previews: Mike Lee – “Happier Together” @ Amala Gallery

Posted by SAL, November 13, 2017

Amala Gallery in Tokyo is wrapping up this year with the first international solo show by Mike Lee. After two successful solo shows earlier this year, the NY-based artist painted a small series of new oils titled Happier Together. Over the last couple of years, Lee has been developing recognizable visual language that is strongly influenced by his professional career as the digital media professional. After working mostly with pencils and creating detailed images that portrayed peculiar spaces and characters interacting with them, he recently […]

Showing: Yoshitomo Nara – “For Better Or Worse” @ Toyota Municipal Museum of Art

Posted by sleepboy, September 22, 2017

Showing through this weekend at the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art is a retrospective of Yoshitomo Nara’s career spanning 30 years. Entitled For Better Or Worse, the exhibition includes wide range of work including installations, paintings, sculptures, and drawings. As stated by the museum – “‘For better or for worse’ is a wedding vow: a lifetime commitment from one person to another. This exhibition is Nara’s promise to his works—they are his past, his present, and his future. They are his destiny.” Photo credit: Keizo Kioku (via Hypebeast). Discuss Yoshitomo […]

Recap: Brendan Monroe – “Mammatus” @ Curator’s Cube

Posted by sleepboy, May 14, 2017

Earlier this year, Brendan Monroe (interviewed) held a showcase in Japan at Curator’s Cube entitled Mammatus. The exhibition in Tokyo featured several of the American artist’s distinctive ceramic sculptures and some of his organic black and white patterned drawings, which were complemented nicely with a wall mural. Take a look at more photos of the event below… Photo credit: Brandon Shigeta. Discuss Brendan Monroe here.

Showing: Haroshi – “GUZO” @ Nanzuka gallery

Posted by SAL, April 25, 2017

Nanzuka Gallery in Tokyo recently opened the long awaited solo by local artist Haroshi (featured). After many successful shows worldwide, Guzo is the first major exhibition for the artist in his hometown. For this showing, the Japanese artist worked on a new concept and created a series of over 20 figurines carved from salvaged skate decks. After trying several different techniques of repurposing old skateboards over the years, Haroshi went back to the original concept of compressing multiple boards together and then using the resulting solid wooden slab as carving material. Through […]

Upcoming: Haroshi – “Guzo” @ Nanzuka

Posted by sleepboy, April 9, 2017

On April 22nd, Haroshi (featured) will be opening a solo show at Nanzuka in Tokyo entitled Guzo. For his first exhibition with the gallery in Shibuya, the locally-based artist has created 20 of his distinctive sculptures made from “salvaged” skate decks. The Japanese artist has long immersed himself in skate culture and has worked with brands like HUF and the skatepark The Berrics. His artwork is just an extension of his love for the sport with this new body of work including what looks to be something new from […]

Upcoming: Tomoo Gokita – “Holy Cow” @ Taka Ishii Gallery

Posted by SAL, March 13, 2017

On March 18th, Tomoo Gokita will be back at Tokyo’s Taka Ishii Gallery for his third solo that will include 15 new paintings. Holy Cow will be a chance for the artist to show how his work progressed in the last 5 years since his last show with the gallery. Inspired by old printed matter and photographs from American professional wrestling and Mexican pornography magazines of the 1960s and 1970s, Gokita’s visual language can be characterized as the collaged reconstruction of found images. This particular exhibition will […]

Showing: Austin Lee – “Serious Works” @ Kaikai Kiki Gallery

Posted by SAL, March 9, 2017

On March 3rd, Kaikai Kiki Gallery in Motoazabu, Tokyo, opened a debut Japan solo exhibition by American artist Austin Lee. Serious Works is sort of a parody title for a show that consists of paintings and sculptures done in Lee’s colorful, naive style. For this showcase, the NYC-based artist created an extensive installation within the gallery space. His large animal mural and chess board floor pattern make an eclectic environment in which his playful and poppy imagery feels at home and well presented. His sculptural piece titled Duo, a bubble gum-like […]

Previews: Sean Norvet – “High on Stress” @ Amala Gallery

Posted by SAL, March 1, 2017

Amala gallery in Tokyo will be opening this weekend a small showing by American artist Sean Norvet. High On Stress will be the first solo show outside the US for the LA-based artist for which he prepared three new paintings. Norvet has been spending the last several years creating works that primarily make him laugh, but also, comment on our modern, consumerist society. Using the classic portrait form as the base for his latest paintings, he composes his “characters” from different foods, drinks or vices. By patching up seemingly […]

Previews: Brendan Monroe – “Mammatus” @ Curator’s Cube

Posted by sleepboy, January 12, 2017

On Saturday, January 14th, Brendan Monroe (interviewed) will be opening a show in Japan at Curator’s Cube. Entitled Mammatus, the new body of work includes ceramic sculptures and black and white ink drawings. While the sculptural work are more figure-based and reference the American artist’s earlier work, the drawings feature graphic shapes and movement like his more recent murals, a few of which will be painted in the Tokyo showspace. Discuss Brendan Monroe here.