Omoi Zakka Shop

This shop is amazing! Metallic Fafi cosmetic bags, Yoshitomo Nara planners, and other super cute stuff- available both online and at the Omoi Zakka Shop in Philadelphia!

'SugiPOP!: The Influence of Anime and Manga on Contemporary Art'

Fantastic lineup of artists including many TokyoBunnie favorites!

'SugiPOP!:
The Influence of Anime and Manga on Contemporary Art'
October 13th 2010 - January 16th 2011
Portsmouth Museum of Art :: LeBasse Projects Curated Exhibit


Features the work of approximately 30 artists tracing the origination of manga, the rise of Japanese Contemporary Art and shows how the art forms have influenced artists around the world.

The exhibition features an international roster of artists including Japanese mastersHokusai and Kuniyoshi in a display of original Edo period woodblock prints. The exhibitalso features Japanese Contemporary artists Takashi Murakami, Yoshitomo Nara,Yoshitaka Amano, Mr., Ai Yamaguchi, Junko Mizuno and Hisashi Tenmyouya. International artists contributing to the exhibit include KAWS, Gary Baseman, SimoneLegno, Audrey Kawasaki, Tomokazu Matsuyama, Yumiko Kayukawa, Seonna Hong, Hush,Morgan Slade, Edwin Ushiro, Luke Chueh, Andrew Hem, Mike Shinoda, SharkToof,Yoskay Yamamoto and more.

Yoshitomo Nara's Ceramic Works

Yoshitomo Nara's recent show at Tomio Koyama Gallery featured a foray into ceramics, and the results were fantastic. Not only do these pieces maintain a sensibility of the past, but Nara was able to imprint his signature style to make them clean and modern as well. Absolutely wonderful!

Royal-T Cafe

I'm sorry posting has been a little behind this week. I got chosen for jury duty for the next three weeks, so I have been at court all day and then working at night. It's been a long week! (2 more to go!)

I realized I mentioned that I went to the Royal-T cosplay cafe, but I never posted any photos! We went a few months back, and the art collection there was just amazing. I took a few photos but you really should pay the cafe a visit if you are in Los Angeles!



The cafe features pieces by artists like Yoshitomo Nara, Aya Takano, Chiho Aoshima, and Takashi Murakamai, among others.

This weekend in LA

There's a few cool events happening this coming weekend in Los Angeles. The first is Poketo's 'Islands in LA' presented by both Poketo and Islands Fold. This is a group show for this Friday only, and you can read about the event further on Poketo's blog.

The second event is a free screening of the documentary "Traveling with Nara", featuring Yoshitomo Nara, at the awesome cosplay cafe 'Royal-T' in Culver City. More info about that event can be found here. While there, be sure to check out the Kaws curated show "I can't feel my face", which is on display at Royal-T through September.

Yoshitomo Nara @ Blum & Poe!!

I played hookey today and headed over to Blum & Poe to see the Yoshitomo Nara show. I forgot my camera, but I had my iphone! See all the photos I took on my Flickr page, or check out my favorites after the jump.

This is the second Nara show I have seen in person. The first was a few years ago in San Jose. I have been a Yoshitomo Nara fan for a long time, and his work always astounds me in person. First of all- it's HUGE. Three of the paintings in this show were wall sized. Secondly, his work always appears childlike on the surface, but when you are seeing it in person, it takes on such a different feeling. Many of the pieces are on rough, nailed together pieces of wood, or are showcased in old scratched frames. The girls often are beat up, bleeding, or maimed in some way. Not to mention that the paintings usually always have some form of profanity scrawled next to the characters in Nara's signature penmanship.

In this show in particular, Nara built a wagon and filled it with what I assume to be are trinkets and items of inspiration from his studio. It really did feel like a studio- even though it was such a small space. The fact that it was in a wagon made you feel like the art was heading in a new direction, like it was waiting for new events to unfold on it's path. It was a truly wonderful installation- complete with a loop of the Vandals song "My Girlfriends Dead." Aside from the toys and sketches, it was filled with coffee cups, ramen packets and empty beer bottles. I'd guess those are also items that are prevelant in Nara's Tokyo studio.

Nara was born in Japan but he studied in Germany and many of the pieces have German writing on them. I wish I knew German so I could read what they say.

There was a wall with 6 pretty detailed sketches of girls. I haven't seen such detailed sketches by Nara before- the ones in this show were really quite intricate up close. I tried to take some close ups so you could see all the fine lines and shading.

His plexi-glass peace symbol was filled with the most amazing handmade toys. I wanted them all! I wish I could take them out and see each one- but I guess it's part of the allure that they so crowded that they are nearly undecipherable as individual items.

The show is at Blum & Poe till the end of the month- check it out if you are in Los Angeles!