While Usugrow began his career making flyers and album covers for punk bands, Toshikazu Nozaka was a pro skater turned tattoo artist. The two artists now focus on pen-and-ink drawings with rich, detailed line work, making them perfect collaborators for their two-person show, “Oriential Elements II,” a short pop-up exhibition that was on view November 5 – 10 at Gallery COMMON in Tokyo. A continuation of “Oriental Elements,” their 2011 two-person show in Australia, the new exhibition is an ostentatious display of Usugrow and Nozaka’s prowess with ink. Some of the pieces in the show hearken back to traditional forms of calligraphy, using the writing as both a textual and decorative element. But the work of both artists is also deeply rooted in the cultural milieu skateboarding and punk rock. Take a look at some photos of the work by Matt Wagner below.
Usugrow and Toshikazu Nozaka (left to right)
Toshikazu Nozaka:
Usugrow:
