Exhibition of contemporary Japanese art dubbed as “Micropop,” June 12 – July 18
Mahomi Kunikata, “Girls’ Festival for Defeated Soldiers” 2007, acrylic on canvas 116.7 x 91 x 2.5 cm. (c) 2007 Mahomi Kunikata / Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
On July 8, Doizaki Gallery opens till 7PM
The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles and Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Los Angeles are presenting “Winter Garden: The Exploration of the Micropop Imagination in Contemporary Japanese Art” at JACCC’s Doizaki Gallery from June 12 through July 18. Admission Free
Renowned art critic Midori Matsui is the curator for this exhibit that boasts a wide spectrum of work, including the world of “Micropop” as embodied by a generation of 14 young Japanese artists who came onto the scene from the latter half of the 1990s throughout the first decade of the 21th Century.
“Micropop,” a word coined by Matsui, refers to the unique worldview of artists who rearrange diverse fragments of information and knowledge to give new meanings and uses to things that are outdated and commonplace.
Matsui explains the name, “Winter Garden,” was given to this exhibit with two contradicting themes. The first theme is “desolate garden” where the environment and the difficulties in contemporary life are represented. Whereas another meaning is meant to symbolize a hothouse where the various organisms and the immense space of the outside world are indicated. The artworks in the Winter Garden exhibit represent fluidity and change.
Artists include: Tam Ochiai, Ryoko Aoki, Hiroshi Sugito, Keisuke Yamamoto , Lyota Yagi, Koki Tanaka, Aya Takano , Mahomi Kunikata, Makiko Kudo, Taro Izumi, Masanori Handa, Hiroe Saeki, Chim/Pom, and Masaya Chiba.
Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, George J. Doizaki Gallery is located at 244 South San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. www.jaccc.org
Galley Hours are Tuesday-Friday, 12-5pm, Saturday-Sunday, 11am-4pm, closed Monday and Holidays.
