Group show, “Direct Translation”

LA ARTCORE GALLERY AT THE BREWERY ANNEX

(650A SOUTH AVE. 21, LOS ANGELES CA 90031)

Featuring Tomoaki Shibata, Pranay Reddy, Nyguen Ly

December 7 – December 30, Thur-Sun, 12-5PM
Reception, December 11, 1pm-3pm   (Artist conversation: 2 pm)

Closed: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Dec. 24-25

Direct Translation exhibition

By Tomoaki Shibata

  According to a guy I talked at the gallery, it is an apocalypse. My art crystallizes Japanese pop culture, Japanese tradition and the street. For this group show, I used black lacquer on my visual art first time. In my designated room at the end of the exhibition route I tacked my large size posters over walls. The posters used junk paper I encountered on a street.

   The saturated characteristic of my art is its intentional Japanese cartoons taste. In my childhood, I was making drawings copying method of Japanese comic everyday because I wanted to be a cartoon artist. Now as a mature artist, I sometimes use this cartoonish drawing sense as a very Japanese element intentionally in order to show my nationality. My practical artistic foundation is what I learned in Japanese Painting major.

   I practiced hard Japanese Painting style drawing practice that artists capture the forms of moving figures correct in a moment and describe them with strict lines in seconds. We Japanese Painting students daily practiced it by drawing moving models such as dancing Butho dancers and Chindonya marching band in action. These impressive models are associated unique Japanese art and culture since Showa era.

  I appreciate the Japanese Painting major made my drawing style itself an inspiration associating my home country`s culture as background where my identity has developed.

  I work on mainly one person shows in a contemporary art gallery in Tokyo. And also I experienced a lot of AIR (Artists In Residence) programs at local areas in Japan. AIR means some activity that someone calls international or local artists and lets them work around specific place during some decided duration.

   In 2014, I achieved the greatest grant in Japan, “the Agency of Cultural Affair Government of Japan, the Program of Overseas Study for Upcoming Artist”. It completely helps talented Japanese artists under 35 years old with helping their special overseas artistic research. So I have been LA since 2015, because the Japanese government honored me an opportunity to try my possibility in my LA artistic research as a talented artist.

     My plan in this grant program is to seek new artistic inspirations in Chicano Art or art of Latino in LA and to advance my art with knowing LA artistic environment in very direct and practical way such as having my exhibitions in order to feedback reactions of LA local viewers including artists, art journalists and curators. I already joined several group shows with local artists in Los Angeles. And now, I plan my solo exhibition at East LA in February 2017.

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Tomoaki Shibata CV

b.1981 Tokyo, Japan

Education
2005 BFA Japanese Painting course Musashino Art University Tokyo

Grant
2014-2016 the Program of Overseas Study for Upcoming Artists
Japanese government, The Cultural Affair

Solo Exhibitions

2/2014 Kunugi Garou Gallery, Ginza, Tokyo
1/2014 Guru Guru House Takayanagi Gallery, Kashiwazaki, Niigata
6/2013 Akkun Baito Yamerutteyo,Sakuragi Fine Arts,Sakuragi, Tokyo
7/2012 Gallery Q, Ginza, Tokyo
7/2010 Gallery Q, Ginza, Tokyo
2/2009 The Tommy Gererou Speech about P.Y.T, Art Space 88, Tokyo
2/2008 Gallery Q, Ginza, Tokyo
2/2007 Gallery Q, Ginza, Tokyo
2/2007 Art Space Rashinban, Ginza, Tokyo
6/2006 Part 2 Gallery Q, Ginza, Tokyo
2/2006 Part 1 Gallery Q, Ginza, Tokyo

Group Exhibitions

12/2016 Faux Sho:’ REAL, Barconi Coffee Company Los Angeles
11/2016 Faux Sho’: DADA Centennial Part 2, Muzeumm, Los Angeles
9/2016 Faux Sho’: Land Art, Coffee Company Los Angeles

6/2016 Faux Sho’: Chinese Landscape, Coffee Company Los Angeles

4/2016 Faux Sho`:Dadaism, The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles
3/2016 Faux Sho`:Shunga, Barconi Coffee Company Los Angeles
2/2016 Faux Sho`:California Abstruction, Barconi Coffee Company, Los Angeles
2016 “Shikishi Exhibition” Japanese American Cultural Community Center, Los Angeles
10/2015 Faux Sho`: Japonism, Barconi Coffee Company, Los Angeles
6/2015 “FLOWER BIRD WIND MOON”, Arena 1 Gallery, Santa Monica Los Angeles
5/2014 “Mature” Gallery Q, Ginza, Tokyo
3/2012 Fukushima .after 365 days, Nanjo House, Tokyo
2010 “Wonder Seeds” Tokyo Wonder Site Shibuya, Tokyo
2/2009 “Crosscurrent 2nd” Exchange show of US and Japan

Selection shows

2/2013 “Golden Competition 2012” Turner Gallery, Ikebukuro, Tokyo
6/2011 “HOPE” Art Space Rashinban, Tokyo
4/2010 “Possibility of Water and Ink” Art Space Rashinban, Tokyo
8/2008 “Suga Tatehiko Taisho Tenn” Kurasiki City Art museum, Tottori, Japan
2009 Biennale Ushiku, Ibaraki, Japan

Artists in Residences

10/2013 2014 Guru Guru House Takayanagi, Kashiwazaki, Niigata
8/2011-2012 “Art Island Tokyo” Habu Elementary School, Oshima island, Tokyo
2011 “BankART AIR 2011” BankART studio NYK, Yokohama
2010 “Shiwaku HONJIMA~Cultivate the fields, and ARTS~,Gallery Arte, Kagawa, Japan