the upside of down solo artshow by yoskay yamamoto @ project:gallery (may 3)
Beau from project:gallery has kindly dropped word of Yoskay Yamamoto's upcoming solo show - THE UPSIDE OF DOWN - which also features Yoskay's "Fish Head"-toy by Munky King dubbed: KOIBITO [tagged] - two colorway prototypes of which will be on display at the opening (prroto-sculpts shown here) as well as Yoskay's vivdly-surreal artwork [peep previews here] and the release of a limited edition print that night -shown image-left, dubbed: "Nightmare Of Daydreamer" - 12"x16" in an edition of only 25.the upside of down is a solo exhibition by Yoskay Yamamoto launching May 3rd (7-10pm) and exhibits thru May 30th. click here for full show write-up, as well as more about KOIBITO.
this is what Yoksay had to say about KIBITO on MK:
"Once upon a time I had a goldfish named Tuna. But he passed away because of my laziness and mistreatment.... So I painted him for his memory....... But at same time Fish Head symbolizes the sense of alienation that I felt growing up in Cali.....It''s kind of like the phrase " fish out of water".... I felt and still feel like I don't completely fit in my environment......both in Japan and the US......"
project:gallery presents
³the upside of down² is a solo exhibition by Yoskay Yamamoto May 3rd May 30th
Opening reception: Saturday, May 3rd, 7-10p
Los Angeles, CA - project: gallery is proud to announce, the upside of down, a solo exhibition from Japanese artist Yoskay Yamamoto. This will be the artist¹s first solo exhibition, and will mark his largest body of work to date. The show represents a breakthrough in work from Yamamoto, and will reflect his most intimate statement of self-expression yet.
The concept for the upside of down is inspired by Yoskay Yamamoto¹s own need to express his emotions, personality and frequent feeling of self-doubt. Yamamoto feels as if he is always in a battle with himself or his alter-ego known as ³Inskay.² The Japanese word ³Yo-³ translates to ³light² while ³In-³ refers to ³dark,² which is where we find YO-skay and his internal struggle with IN-skay. As an artist and as a person, Yamamoto feels this constant struggle of light and dark within himself.
The works in his solo debut are a cohesive series of paintings that confronts both sides of this perpetual struggle between light and dark. The artistic techniques Yamamoto incorporates in his paintings echo this duality in his personality. While utilizing traditional Japanese patterns and techniques, Yamamoto also fuses American pop culture and illustrations into the work.
The emotion that Yamamoto pours into his work has turned him into one of the most buzz-worthy emerging artists working today. With shows booked into 2010 from New York to Los Angeles and Miami, and appearances coming at Art Basel, in Scion¹s Installation Tour and even a designer vinyl toy releasing in the summer of 2008, Yamamoto is undoubtedly on a fast track to being a must own for any collector.
About Yoskay Yamamoto
Born and raised in Toba, Japan, Yoskay Yamamoto moved to the United States at the age of 15. A self-trained illustrator, Yamamoto¹s artistic tastes expanded as he fell in love with the pop culture of California. Yamamoto discovered a way to fuse the two different cultural backgrounds together into his work. Yamamoto nostalgically blends pop iconic characters from his adopted western home with traditional and mythical Japanese elements, balancing his Asian heritage with urban pop art. He has sold out his work recently at shows in New York, San Francisco, Boston and Los Angeles.
About project:gallery
project:gallery is one of the fastest growing galleries specializing in new contemporary art. Dealing in the development of a select roster of emerging talent, project:gallery is fast becoming one of the premier galleries showcasing the next generation of artists.
The gallery opened its doors in December 2006 in the vibrant Culver City Arts District, and has already established itself as a permanent fixture in the scene.
The current roster of artists includes: Yoskay Yamamoto, Nate Frizzell, Tessar Lo, Rebecca Artemisa Urias, Scott Belcastro, Edwin Ushiro, Lisa Alisa, Ogi and more.
project:gallery
8545 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
o. 310.558.0200
[additional images via Yoskay's blog / project:gallery blog]
