Japanese artist Kenichi Yokono was on hand Saturday night for his opening of “The New Suburbs” at Mark Moore Gallery. Yokono’s show is a jarring vision of Japanese suburbia. Matched with Cheryl Pope’s reaction to violence in America, “Chain Reaction”, one could mistake Yokono’s pictures for a murder scene. True, it might look like spilled blood- but if you look closer, you’ll see its just last night’s dinner
Cheryl Pope flips through her art book, inspired by student protest posters.
Everyday objects become exciting in his rather eccentric, yet meticulous wood carvings. His works portray half eaten containers of ramen, a toy E.T. sitting in a bike basket, and a laptop decorated with “kawaii” (cute) stickers to name a few. Other images are intentionally horrific, leaving us to wonder about their mysterious owner. A rack of clothes, teapots, and vase of flowers are just a few items adorned with skulls, while traces of sex and death can be found in larger carvings of the neighborhood. These carvings are in a ukiyo-e traditional woodblock print style that honors old customs mixed with pop culture influence. In the end, what we’re seeing isn’t necessarily specific to Japan, but Yokono’s personal narrative as ‘new’ generation Japanese.
“The New Suburbs” by Kenichi Yokono shows at Mark Moore gallery from June 28 to August 9, 2014.
Cheryl Pope:
Kyosuke Tchinai (b. 1948) is a Japanese artist known for his ethereal paintings made with acrylics and precious metals on washi paper. The artist employs traditional aesthetics and techniques that help pay tribute to his homeland while reflecting his training in Western style painting. Through his unique medium, the artist fuses these two worlds to present a modern interpretation of both Japanese and European art forms.
Numbers of women artists still rank low in gallery rosters, less than 50 percent, across the world. With the exception of a few like Yayoi Kusama and Yoko Ono, women in the Japanese contemporary art world have yet to earn equal recognition. This is largely due to the historical conception that women were not suited to become professional artists. A new exhibition at Jiro Miura Gallery in Tokyo is bringing awareness to 19 emerging international women artists. "Ephemeral: Territory of Girls", which opened on July 25th, showcases new works by Jana Brike, Amy Crehore, Virginia Mori, Ania Tomicka, Emi Adachi, Fuco Ueda, Kaori Ogawa, Miki Kato, Kimi Kuruhara, Kozue Kuroki, Satomi Kuwahara, Atsuko Goto, Yuka Sakuma, Minae Takada, Tsubaki Torii, Yumi Nakai, Yuko Nagami, Yuki Nagayoshi, Mao Hamaguchi, Miho Hirano, Shiori Matsumoto, Eri Mizuno, and Yuko Murai.
The work of Japanese artist 
Hello Kitty mania has hit Los Angeles. On view in conjuction with Hello Kitty Con, which opened yesterday, is her "Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty" 40th anniversary exhibit at