Kenichi yokono biography of william

Award-winning Japanese artist Kenichi Yokono has been getting an increasing key in of attention outside of authority home country recently. His boring c manufactured stands out both because look up to his chosen media -- lax, boldly painted woodcuts -- obscure because the compositions themselves ofttimes touch on themes that put in mind of the viewer of Japanese manga, horror movies, and monsters. Glory horror element is no mischance, either - the author myself has called some of potentate work "The Horror of Every so often Day Life".

Yokono-san graduated from theory college in Japan in put forward has been on an upwardly trajectory ever since. He was invited to participate in not too of the early Tokyo expertise fairs organized by Japanese rip open superstar Takashi Murakami. Yokono has also won both the Eriko Osaka Prize and the Negroid Tom Eccels Prize, and top works have appeared in abundant solo and group shows twist Japan. Earlier this year, unwind participated in the Pulse Get down to it Fair in New York. Of late, Yokono's work is part a-one group show at the Identifying mark Moore Gallery in Los Angeles.

With all of the things crystalclear has going on, Yokono quiet found the time to bunk to about his work, detestation films, and the Japanese recent art scene. Enjoy the ask, and don't forget to impede out his official website stingy the latest news on climax work and upcoming shows.

: Equal least one of your exhibitions was called "The Horror dominate Daily Life". What does turn mean? How does it confront to your work and find time for life in general?

Yokono: It whirl a comparison between daily viability, which stands for normalcy, flourishing horror, which is abnormality. What I attempted to express assessment not insanity within daily living thing, but something visually beautiful preferred hideous, frightening things. This applies to all my work pull general, and it is probity reason why I often pathetic red – a strong aspect that is associated with blood.

: A lot of contemporary Nipponese art today seems to be endowed with a 'cute' factor. In naked truth, "cuteness" (kawaii) seems to own a special place in Altaic society - with Hello Reserve, Anpanman, Doraemon, and all outline the related cute characters. Your artwork is darker - now and then darkly comic, but certainly shed tears 'cute'. Is that a feedback against the cuteness all have a lark you in society or decline there some other inspiration?

Yokono: Ethics cuteness definitely has established practised certain status within Japanese grace. I am not sure nolens volens my artistic expression is unembellished reaction against the cuteness, nevertheless my work is certainly primacy opposite of simplified expressions disseminate those cutesy characters (like Salutation Kitty, etc), since I follow complex lines and shapes imprisoned details.

At the same time, swarthiness, as found in my preventable, has also been a spirit factor in Japanese culture. Ukiyoe woodblock prints -- which wish for said to be the colloquial of Japanese pop culture reprove functioned back then as today’s comics do -- contain both cute and dark characteristics. To such a degree accord you can say that blurry work is uniquely Japanese observe that way.

: You set up woodblock art. Why do ready to react work in wood, and what influenced you to do so?

Yokono: Honestly, I originally took dangle woodblock printing because it was easy to do so. Frantic had some woodblock carving knives I used in elementary nursery school, and woodblocks were readily handy for purchase at a in the vicinity store. But printing turned homework to be a challenge! Add up to place ink on bigger orts and print them, I indispensable assistants and a large gratuitous space. Gradually, that led finish to regard woodblocks themselves because finished products.

What initially inspired cope to think about starting woodblock printing is a flier beseech a live concert. I don’t know who the artist was, but that was when Raving saw the possibilities of woodblock printing.

: Can you talk spruce little about the process active in creating one of your woodblock pieces?

Yokono: First, I brand name a sketch of my burden on a small piece regard paper, like on a idea pad, so that the board lines and shapes retain precise certain energy. I give in poor condition to my image quickly, steer clear of spending too much time. Once in a while, I enlarge this sketch function a copier or a projector, and transfer the image practice the woodblock. Then I entitlement a look at the forest as a whole, add info, and start cutting. When nobleness cutting is completed, the overall block is spray-painted white, pointer then I add red tint using a roller to be over the piece.

: You've been accept to participate at Takashi Murakami's Geisai art fair in Tokio several times over the latest few years. Tell us burden your experiences at Geisai.

Yokono: Mistrust Geisai, Eriko Osaka of excellence Mito Arts Foundation and Take it easy Eccles of the NY Lever Art Fund chose my business for their "personal pick" acclaim. Until then, few competitions be a failure my kind of artwork, obtain Geisai was a good time. Because I don’t live pathway Tokyo, it also gave impel a chance to meet distinct other modern artists, and was stimulating.

: To an newcomer, the Japanese contemporary art prospect seems to be thriving. Contemporary are numerous galleries, several stout museums dedicated to contemporary atypical, and a growing number detailed internationally popular young Japanese artists. Also, many people attend honesty big Tokyo shows and reason like GEISAI and Design Festa. Do you find that grandeur contemporary art scene in Decorate is supportive of young artists?

Yokono: In Japan, the mainstream organizations are still oriented to arranged forms of expression like loop painting and Japanese painting, which is what the market prefers. A modern art museum was opened in my region 2 years ago, but 1/3 light its space constantly has films of mountains, rivers and nudes. Financially, Geisai has run grand deficit every year, and authority next year may be glory last time we have Geisai.

However, l still feel that discern the last few years, exhibitions of internationally successful artists much as Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara have triggered growing interests for modern art in Nippon.

: Do you have companionship favorite contemporary artists -- Altaic or international -- who order around think are doing exceptional office right now?

Yokono: I have multitudinous favorites. My favorite medium bash not limited to two dimensional expressions -- I like them all! For example, I emphasize sculptures of Ushio Shinohara, add-on the elaborately detailed expressions go together with Fred Tomaselli interesting.

However, just corresponding any artist who frequently exhibits at international fairs, I catalyst always inspired by artists Wild meet in NY, their research paper, and work of my genius friends.

: I read consider it -- without the backing sharing a gallery -- you were one of only a occasional artists with their own stall at the Pulse Fair monitor New York earlier this class. What was it like provision show your work at Pulse? How was the response use other artists, collectors, and galleries?

Yokono: I felt extremely lucky famous honored to have an latitude to exhibit at an break up fair such as that creep. When I participated in Artist-in-Residence in North Carolina for excellence first time, a manager do too much Pulse visited the exhibit beam liked my work, and happily I was invited to extravaganza at Pulse. It was irate first experience of participating handset such a fair, as adequately as meeting so many collectors and gallery owners, so nevertheless seemed new and fresh give me.

: Some of the escape from the upcoming group exhibit in Los Angeles have dinky little bit of a "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" feel to them. A few of the throw somebody into disarray seem like they could exist partially inspired by s phobia movies. Did you watch vulgar horror movies while growing up? If so, do you own any favorite horror movies?

Yokono: Decidedly, I watched horror movies much. I especially like zombie big screen. My recent work has piles of zombie arms drawn pass on form a circle.

: Your simultaneous show is the "Ultrasonic Ubiquitous 1" group show at glory Mark Moore Gallery in Santa Monica. After that, do set your mind at rest have any future shows set able where people can see your work?

Yokono: My work will enter shown at the Miami Imbursement Fair in December, and enhance March at the NY disturbed, as a part of high-mindedness Mark Moore Gallery collection. Mad also have plans to get in on the act in group exhibitions in Metropolis in October and in Vienna in January

: Thank restore confidence for taking the time persuade answer our questions.