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July 13, 2015
Caro

Takashi Murakami Exhibits New Paintings and Sculptures in Ibiza, Spain

Japanese artist and founder of Superflat, Takashi Murakami, has taken over four venues in Ibiza, Spain for his latest exhibition: Art Projects Ibiza, Lune Rouge Ibiza, the Ibiza Gran Hotel, and restaurant and performance space HEART Ibiza. His presence there coincides with the opening of Lune Rouge Ibiza, the collection of Guy Laliberté, the Canadian philanthropist perhaps best known as the CEO of Cirque du Soleil. The artist will have a selection of older work on display at the Lune Rouge dating back to his “Arhat” series (covered here), including his massive 32-foot long painting “69 Arhat’s “Beneath the Bodhi Tree” (2013). The series was notable for its introduction of more historical Japanese art motifs in Murakami’s works, some of which can be found at Laliberté’s Casino de Ibiza. Being a casino, the venue is a place designed for entertainment rather than exhibiting art – some media have gone as far as to call Murakami’s art a “party crasher.” The artist embraced this space as a sort of inspiration, noting his interests in art as entertainment and correlations to Japan’s otaku culture of which gaming is a huge part.

It could be said that his host’s job as the owner of a circus, a thrilling yet dangerous line of work, also provided Murakami with inspiration. His installation at Art Projects Ibiza, curated by Blum & Poe, combines the thrill of Pop-culture with more grim symbols of death. On display here is a new series of Tondo paintings modeled after the florals of 17th century Japanese painter Ogata Kōrin. Murakami’s abstract iterations combine Kōrin’s aesthetic with his happy sunflowers in varying colors such as silver, black and gold. Another recurring visual from “Arhat” can be found is his gold leaf sculpture of cascading skulls, “Dragon Heads – Gold” (2015). It is a reinterpretation of his 2013 silver version, a wall-mounted mass of skulls overlapping and melting into eachother. While making art engaging enough to stand out in a variety of venues was important, the artist does not sacrifice links to his heritage. It remains one of the most important aspects of his visual story, which continues to combine the past with the future.

Takashi Murakami’s exhibitions in Ibiza, Spain will be on view through September 26th.

Topics

Arhat, Cirque du Soleil, Japanese art, Superflat, Takashi Murakami

Ed Hardy, Japanese art, tattoo, Varnish Fine Art

October 5, 2015

The name Ed Hardy immediately evokes images of tattooed baseball tees with cartoon skulls and studded baseball hats worn by reality TV stars. But before artist Don Ed Hardy became one of the most polarizing brands in history, he was a young aspiring artist whose favorite past time was going down to the beach in Southern California and looking at classic cars. He eventually went on to study under legendary Japanese tattoo artist Horihide, an experience that had a profound influence on Hardy's signature, ornate style. Today, Hardy is retired from tattooing, instead focused on non-tattoo based art like printmaking, drawing, and painting. This also includes new porcelain works and tapestries in his upcoming exhibition curated by Varnish Fine Art gallery in San Francisco, "Visionary Subversive".

On View: Saeborg’s Kinky Rubber Farm at Tomonotsu Museum

Japanese art, Neo-Tokyo, Saeborg, Takashi Murakami, Zingaro Space

February 1, 2015

Back in 2012, latex artist Saeborg (pronounced Cyborg) announced that his dream was to make an entire farm made of rubber. His current show at Tomonotsu Museum in Hirsoshima, Japan realizes that vision. It was previously shown at Takashi Murakami's Zingaro space in Nakano, a mecca for comics, toys and cosplay- Saeborg's inspiration.

Yasuto Sasada’s Drawings of Machine-Inspired Creatures

drawing, Japanese art, Pen and Ink, pop art, Yasuto Sasada

January 2, 2015

Japanese artist Yasuto Sasada, just 27 years old, has already made a name for himself in the modern art and fashion world, through his collaborations with Yohji Yamamoto. Sasada has his own visual language that combines cultural traditions with the future. His detailed pen drawings of creatures mix motifs from modern technology and religion. Their black and white tonality, achieved with a thin 0.3mm pen, is harshly contrasted against bright pink, blue, and green backgrounds. He's created a new form of painting that juxtaposes old and contemporary ideas, taking us into an entirely new dimension.

Late Artist Tetsuya Ishida Continues to Impress with Nightmarish Paintings

Japanese art, Kaiju, surrealism, Tetsuya Ishida

June 18, 2015

The late artist Tetsuya Ishida is still making an impression with his nightmarish paintings of young men in a state of disfigurement. His work has been described as a surrealistic portrayal of every day Japanese life. Of the 180 works he left behind after his death by a train accident in 2005, nearly all include self-portraits. Ishida’s images most certainly link his own childhood experiences with his observations of society. As a child growing up in Japan, Ishida felt constant pressure to meet the standards of young men his age, and was encouraged to study academics over art. Paintings, such as “Prisoner” (1999) which portrays a young boy growing beyond the capacity of his school walls, reflect on his memories. In fact, there are several iterations of the same image, pointing to the extremity of his frustrations as a student. See more of his work after the jump.

Takashi Murakami Exhibits New Paintings and Sculptures in Ibiza, Spain

Ed Hardy Returns to His Artistic Roots with “Visionary Subversive”

On View: Saeborg’s Kinky Rubber Farm at Tomonotsu Museum

Yasuto Sasada’s Drawings of Machine-Inspired Creatures

Late Artist Tetsuya Ishida Continues to Impress with Nightmarish Paintings

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