graphite.

  • STORE
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • FACE BOOK
  • TWITTER
  • E-MAIL
  • mailing list

2011年9月29日

graphite. is pleased to announce “Coonskin 2: Flight to Canada”, a collection of art works by Terrance Hughes.

For Hughes, this upcoming show is a concoction of two inpirations: Flight to Canada, a novel by Ishmael Reed, and Coonskin, an animated film by Bakshi. Flight to Canada tells the story of Raven Quickskill, 40’s, and Leechfield slaves who run away from their master, Mr. Swille, in search of freedom. Coonskin tells the story of Brother Rabbit, Preacher Fox, and Brother Bear, who flee the American South during the 1970s in search of liberation. Using satire, sex, violence, identity, and history to tell the stories of their characters, both Reed and Bakshi make clear that transformation can only come from within—a theme that is the cornerstone of Hughes’ work and that resonates deeply in his life.

Consequently, there is “Coonskin 2: Flight to Canada”, which is Hughes’ vision of a sequel that will never happen. The show serves as homage and “thank you” to the great works of Reed and Bakshi and is a representation of Hughes’ love of the lost art of animation.

Terrance Hughes was born in 1975 in St. Louis, Missouri, and currently lives and works in New York City. He is a self-taught artist, whose work deals with different periods of Black American history and issues surrounding cultural and social identities. Hughes’ works consist of two elements: graphite and charcoal on paper to create rendered portraits and landscapes from photo references, which are meant to mimic the photo itself, complete with imperfections; and animation Cel Vinyl on acetate, providing stark contrast through its vivid color and three-dimensional effect. It is his belief that the lost art of animation deserves a place in the art world.

Hughes has had recent exhibitions at Modern Eden, San Francisco, The Cheaper Show, Vancouver, and Mad Art Gallery, St. Louis. In March, Hughes participated in a group show to benefit Japan relief at graphite., Williamsburg.

terrancehughes.com
oreomanifesto.tumblr.com

details

2011年9月6日

graphite. is pleased to announce “We Are Nocturnal”, a collection of artworks by famed designer and artist Kenzo Minami.

Through works in his upcoming show, Minami portrays a world that has surpassed its time—a world that was destined to end according to Nostradamus, The Book of the Law, the Antikythera mechanism, eschatology, and the like. Somehow, the world has cheated its own death and has moved into nightfall, the eventual midnight hour of humanity. As the hands of the Doomsday Clock continue to tick, we humans have slowly adapted to becoming nocturnal beings.

Originally from Hyogo, Japan, Kenzo graduated from Parsons School of Design with a BFA in product design. He started as a set designer for TV broadcasts such as MTV and Sci-Fi Channel, which formed his career as art director, director, and motion graphic designer for the next 7 years. He also collaborated in multiple projects as interface designer with the media lab of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Minami was featured as an artist in multiple publications including The New York Times Magazine, V Magazine, Men’s Vogue, Dazed and Confused, and W Magazine, among many others. He was the first artist commissioned for a mural painting in Nike’s first art project space in New York City, as well as another show of Nike at Chelsea Art Museum. He had his first solo exhibit “Codex 408”, which included his mural painting, prints, and video work, at The Aquos Project in Soho, New York City. Another solo show “REMAKES” was held at The Gallery at Soho Grand Hotel, presented by Grandlife and Print Magazine in 2009.

For his vision and artistry, Minami continues to be recognized by renowned arts councils. He was selected for the show FAMOUS CARS + FAMOUS PEOPLE, alongside Andy Warhol, Robert Longo, and David Hockney. He was also acknowledged as one of the young minds celebrated in “Johnnie Walker Blue Label Celebrates 35 Under 35,” which shed light to stars across a wide spectrum of disciplines including artists, writers, music executives, comedians, and designers. His design KENZO MINAMI DUNNY, collaboration with Kidrobot, is a part of MoMA permanent Architecture and Design collection. Minami started his own garment project line in the spring of 2004. He currently lives and works in New York City.

kenzominami.com
kenzominami.tumblr.com
twitter.com/KenzoMinami

details

2011年8月28日

graphite. is pleased to announce “Longwave & Hurricane Bells”, the works of photographer Mayumi Nashida, opening on September 1, 2011.

Mayumi Nashida has had a distinguished career taking photographs of a variety of world-famous musicians, from The Rolling Stones to Yo Yo Ma. In 2003, she met the indie rock band Longwave at a venue in New York’s Lower East Side. Their performance sent a thrilling chill down her spine, and their music moved her to the core. Since then, she has followed Longwave for eight years with her camera in hand, not only in New York or in the recording studio, but also on tour in the United States, United Kingdom, and at the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan. Nashida shot numerous rolls of film over the years, capturing the band’s many expressions. “The thrilling moment of seeing a musician hitting just the right chord on stage can never be reproduced”, comments Nashida of her work. “I wanted to capture those special moments with my camera, and I took each photograph with my heart.” In this exhibition, Nashida will be showing over 55 pieces of her work, documenting the development of these two bands.

About Mayumi Nashida

Nashida is a professional photographer based in New York, specializing in portrait photography of musicians, artists and actors since 1993. Born in Japan, she used to work for Sony Music in Tokyo. She was a creative coordinator who was responsible for the CD jackets and promotional materials of musicians. Having moved to New York, she works as a professional photographer. She has taken photographs of Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, U2, Yoko Ono, Celine Dion, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Oasis, Yo Yo Ma, Hank Jones, Steely Dan, Richard Gere, Milla Jovovich, Longwave, Hurricane Bells, and many more.

Nashida’s photographs of Hurricane Bells were used for the worldwide promotion of Hurricane Bells when the band’s music was featured on the soundtrack for Hollywood’s hit movie The Twilight Saga: New Moon.

About Longwave (band)

Since 1999, Longwave has been one of the New York’s leading exports. After the success of their 2000 independent release Endsongs, the band signed with RCA Records and began work with producer Dave Fridmann. Subsequently, The Strangest Things was released in 2003. The following year, Longwave followed up on the success of The Strangest Things by collaborating with famed producer John Leckie and releasing There’s a Fire in 2005. Their fourth album Secrets Are Sinister was co-produced by Peter Katis (The National, Interpol) and released in 2008.

About Hurricane Bells (band)

Hurricane Bells is a new project of Steve Schiltz, singer and guitarist of Longwave. Started in 2009, Schiltz wrote, played, recorded and mixed every note himself, arranging what would become the band’s debut album Tonight Is The Ghost. His song “Monsters” was included on the sound track of The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and his new album Tides and Tales will be released on his own label Invisible Brigades in October 2011.

+++

日本人フォトグラファーMayumi Nashidaが、New Yorkをベースに活動しているバンドLongwave とHurricane Bellsを8年間の歳月を撮り続けた集大成であり、初の写真展覧会を開催します。今回は55点以上の作品を一挙公開します。

The Rolling Stones、Celine Dion, YO-YO-MAなど世界的に有名なミュージシャンを撮っていたNashidaは、2003年にNYのロウアーイーストサイドにあるライブハウスでLongwaveと出会う。彼らのライブパフォーマンスはNashidaの頭に電流が落ちたように衝撃的で、彼らの曲は心の琴線に触れるほど大きく彼女の心を動かした。

それ以降、現在に至るまでの8年間、彼らの音楽活動を追い続け、NYのライブ会場やレコーディングスタジオのみならずアメリカ各地、UKツアー、Fuji Rock Festival(Japan)そして京都などへも同行し写真を撮り続けている。

Steve Schiltz(Singer and Guitarist from Longwave)の新しいプロジェクト、Hurricane Bellsの曲がハリウッドの大ヒット映画、Twilight Saga: New Moon に使用された際、Nashidaが撮影したプレス用写真は、アメリカ国内だけでなく、インドそして世界各地でも大きく使われることになる。

『人生で同じ時間は2度とありません。彼らが作る素晴らしい音楽が写真からも聞こえてくるよう、一瞬、一瞬の輝きを見逃さず、魂を込めてシャッターを押しました。バンドは形を変えながら、これからも進化して行くでしょう。

彼らへのおおいなる尊敬の念と愛情と感謝の気持ちを込め、私はこの写真展を開催します。』

mayuminashida.com

+++

details

2011年8月11日

graphite. is proud to present a solo exhibition, MsFit by Yumi Asai. This projects marks Ms. Asai’s first exhibition displaying her extraordinary work on fabric. With fabric as her medium, Yumi is probing the highly subjective and ever so tenuous line that separates the hideous from the elegant.

Exhibition Details
MsFiT by YUMIASAI
Opening reception with artist: August 20th, 6 – 9pm
Exhibit runs August 19 to August 28, 2011

Yumi Asai is a graphic designer and illustrator based in Brooklyn, New York. Born in Japan, she moved to NYC in the early 90’s at the age of ten, where she was exposed to the city life, with-in-which, things can be fashionably hideous and elegant. In her early teens, she focused her interest in fashion magazines and all things typographical. She remembers cutting pieces of letters from her collection of fashion magazines and making collages that later triggers her to study graphic design. She now works with various mediums to create her projects, dividing her time between designing, drawing, and sewing. Her artwork and compositions typically carry elements using conscious thought rather than following a natural flow. Her influences are artists who master this practice and those who embrace calculated beauty, such as Tom Wesselmann, Guy Bourdin, and Wolfgang Weingart.

Her other works can be seen at
yumiasai.com

details

2011年8月2日

Exhibition Details
“Seeds of Expression”
by Hiromitsu Kuroo
Opening Reception: Saturday, August 6th, 2011, 6pm – 9pm
Exhibition: August 5 – 14, 2011

graphite. is pleased to announce “Seeds of Expression”, works of emerging artist Hiromitsu Kuroo, opening on August 6, 2011.

Displeased with the rigid and competitive world of his youth, Hiromitsu Kuroo set foot in the realm of art, where creativity, individuality, and self-expression are embraced with acknowledgement. As a Japanese expatriate in New York, Kuroo constantly struggles with his cultural identity and current existence in a foreign country, but attempts to bridge these two very different worlds with conviction that a common connection is possible through his work.

Exhibition Details
“Seeds of Expression”
by Hiromitsu Kuroo
Opening Reception: Saturday, August 6th, 2011, 6pm – 9pm
Exhibition: August 5 – 14, 2011

Born in Yokohama, Japan, Kuroo is a collage painter working in the tradition of Origami (the art of folding paper). In his case, the canvas serves as the paper, and the gentle manipulation of its surface is how he conveys intricate textural landscapes. The multiple layers of colors in his folded canvases are revealed through the crafted sanding of the canvas surface. Interested in the juxtaposition and vitality of collaged pieces of canvas, he uses them to accentuate other emerging shapes in his compositions. In “Seeds of Expression”, paintings by Kuroo collaborate with drawings of Origami. It is the wish of the artist for the audience to witness the process of these elaborate works emerging from the traditional Japanese art of Origami.

Kuroo was a featured artist in the Yamagata Rising Artists Exhibition held in 1999, where he was interviewed on Yamagata TV. In 2002, his Yamaguchi Gallery solo exhibit was featured in Kahoku Newspaper. He has exhibited at the Ueno Royal Museum, Tokyo, the Ishibashi Museum of Art, Fukuoka, and the Kouriyama Museum Fukushima. In the United States, he has had solo shows in venues such as Bronx Community College and Gloria Kennedy Gallery in New York. In 2007, he studied in Spain through the Xaveier Gonzalez and Ethel Edwards Grant of the Art Student League. He was awarded the Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant in 2009.

Kuroo’s works are a part of the permanent collections of Miyagi National School of Technology, Tohuku University of Art and Design, and by the city of Yamagata, Japan. Kuroo currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

+++

この度、graphite.では、ブルックリン在住の新鋭アーティスト黒尾宏光のソロショー”Seeds of Expression”を開催させていただきます。オープニングは8月6日土曜日6時から。

若い時に、独特な階級競争社会に対する反発から、自由な創造や発言が出来る芸術の世界へ入る事を決意する。
現在、アメリカ生活の中で日本人としてのアイデンティティーとアメリカ社会における自分の存在についての双方のギャップの狭間で苦悩する一方、芸術を通してこの2つの全く違った世界を繋ぐことが可能だと信じ、制作意欲を燃やす。

折り紙の技法からヒントを得てコラージュ作品を制作し、キャンバスを紙のように折ることにより、表面の多様な絵肌は、複雑で重厚な表現。また、何重にも色が重ねられたキャンバスの表面を削ることにより、明確に痕跡が現れる。作品表現をより強くするために、形の反復や並列を利用し制作している。今回のショー”Seeds of Expression”では、ペインティングと一緒に折り紙のドローイング作品も展示。折り紙からヒントを得て制作している過程を見る事ができる。

日本では、主に、山形新進作家展、テレビ取材(山形TV)1999年。ギャラリー山口個展(東京)、新聞取材(河北新報)2002年。上野の森美術館大賞展 – 上野の森美術館(東京)1999年。青木繁記念大賞展 – 石橋美術館(福岡)、郡山美術館(福島)2000年など。

アメリカでの個展は、ブロンクスコミュニティーカレッジ 2006年。グロリアケネディー画廊NY 2007、08,09年。オウチ画廊2008年。2007年 にザビエルゴンザレス助成金をアートステューデントリーグNYより受賞、スペインへ遊学2008年。2010年、ポロック・クラズナー財団NYより助成を受けるなど、活躍の場を広げている。

また、宮城高等専門学校、東北芸術工科大学および山形県にパブリックコレクションとして所蔵されている。

details

2011年7月21日

graphite. is pleased to announce a exhibition “Report from Japan”, works of emerging photographers Go Nakamura, Cannna Sasa and video artist Hiroaki Sasa, opening on July 30, 2011.

It’s been 4 months….,
What kind of support is really needed in the disaster-stricken area in Japan?
This is the report from the experiences at the scenes with real photos and videos images that are barely shared to us in NY.

Talk event starts at 7:00 PM on July 30th & 31st.
Q: Is it only for Japanese people?
A: Of course NOT! Everyone’s welcome! We will make a speech only in Japanese with a brief English subtitles on the screen. We will also be showing our photographs and films of the stricken area, so we hope that can help you better understand the whole concept.

About Go Nakamura
Born in Japan. Move to Hawaii in 1994. Started his photography career in 2005. Move to NY in 2009 working as a freelance photographer.

About Canna Sasa
Born and raised in Japan. In 2005 she traveled to NYC. and had her first solo Exhibition there. Also she began to work as a freelance photographer based in NYC.

About Hiroaki Sasa
Born and raised in Japan. In 2000 he moved to NYC. Since then he has worked on various creative fields such as documentaries, music videos, motion graphics, graphic design and more.

+++

津波によって倒壊した家屋、流された船、突き刺さった車、、、
壊滅的な打撃を受けた町で、いまだに避難生活を送る住民とその手助けをするボランティアワーカー達。

あれから4ヶ月が経ち、今、被災地はどうなったのか、何が必要なのか。
沢山のニューヨーカーにも支えられ被災地がどう良くなったのか、そして未だにどれだけの支援が必要なのか。メディアからは聞こえて来ない生の被災地の声を皆様へご報告致します。
Go Nakamura/Photographer が、被災3週間目の現場を写真を通じて、
Canna Sasa/Photographer + Hiroaki Sasa/Video Artist が、被災2ヶ月半後から2週間の支援活動を通して写真と映像でお届け致します。

今後、NYから出来る長期的な支援のあり方を皆様と一緒に考えさせて頂ければと思っております。
トークイベント 7月 30, 31日、午後7時スタート
被災地からの沢山の愛、お届け致します!
*当日は日本語での解説になりますが、映像に英語字幕を付けてのトークショーとなります。

Exhibition Details
“Report from Japan”
by Go Nakamura, Canna Sasa and Hiroaki Sasa
Opening Reception: Saturday, July 30th, 2011, 6pm – 9pm
Exhibition: July 29 – 31, 2011

Facebook Page

details

2011年6月4日

graphite. is pleased to announce “FASCINATION”, a collection of artworks and painting by emerging artist Lisa Alisa.

Through paintings in her upcoming show, Alisa exhibits her fascination with life as she knows it: nature, animals, music, sound, human behavior, and interactions between different cultures. The vibrant dynamics and color of her work and the coy but honest expression of her paintings, though fantastical, accurately mirror the artist’s straightforwardness. “I wish I can be perfect to make everyone happy and enjoy my work,” Alisa comments. “But great teachers have taught me that no one can be perfect. Our mistakes are just mistakes, it’s not our personality.”

Alisa’s art is completely sincere. She is heavily inspired by nature—both its magnificence and horror—and is constantly aware that it is the core of true beauty. Other inspirations come from the Japanese culture. “I am impressed with the Japanese sense of composition and color,” she says. “To me, it is perfect. It resembles the Japanese and their ability to work together, respect each other, be completely honest, and share and love everything.”

Originally born and raised in Moscow, Russia, Lisa Alisa has had a diverse upbringing that is comprised of art, public administration, contemporary dance, horseback riding, and even training dolphins. She has had shows in various locations in the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Russia, and Japan, and has worked with the many renowned artists.

Exhibition Details
“FACSINATION”
by Lisa Alisa
Opening Reception: Friday, June 10th, 2011, 7pm – 10pm
Exhibition: June 10 – 26, 2011

http://www.lisa-alisa.com

details

2011年5月22日

graphite. is pleased to announce a two artist exhibition, “Hazy Dolls & Neubauten” by Katja Holtz and Petra Lunenburg, opening on May 28, 6 – 9PM.

Katja Holtz(Frankfurt) and Petra Lunenburg(Amsterdam) have met many years ago in Berlin. Lunenburg had her own fashion label and Holtz was buying her products for the shop she was running at that time in Frankfurt. Both quit their former jobs in order to commit 100% to their artwork and reconnected in New York. It is the first time the present their work together.

Exhibition Details
HAZY DOLLS & NEUBAUTEN
by Katja Holtz & Petra Lunenburg
Opening Reception : Saturday, May 28th, 2011, 6pm – 9pm
Exhibition: May 29 – June 5, 2011

About Katja Holtz

After her successful show at graphite. in 2010, Katja Holtz presents a new body of work. A series of paintings inspired by the decay of urban environments, which derive from her immediate surroundings like walls, billboards and graffiti. The multi layered surfaces, vanishing and reappearing hints of texture, interfere with images and create a graphical abstraction.

Holtz studied fine art at the University of West of England in Bristol, and at Luminy in Marseille, France. She had several exhibitions throughout England, Germany and New York.

About Petra Lunenburg

Established Dutch fashion illustrator Petra Lunenburg, spent two months in NYC. During these months she studied life figure drawing and created Hazy Dolls. Although traditional in terms of technique and subject, the final drawings are far from that. Powerful images show figures, body parts and suggestions of clothing, within an abstract world of lines and squares. A world freed from nowadays beauty standards, ambiguously sweet and provocative, but most of all highly intimate.

Petra Lunenburg obtained a degree in Fashion Design at ARTEZ, The Netherlands. Represented by The Angelique Hoorn Agency in Amsterdam, she has worked for clients such as Adidas, Nike, G-Star, ELLE, Marie Claire and RED. Alongside she showed several times as a fine artist, in The Netherlands, as well as in New York (2010) and San Francisco (2011). Supported by The Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture, Lunenburg is able to study in New York and present herself at graphite.

http://www.drawthing.com

details

2011年5月17日

graphite. is pleased to announce that it will be holding “Re: Japan”, performance art and workshop by renowned calligraphist Horan Yokoyama, May 20, 2011. Participants of the workshop are welcome to join the event for $10 per person, of which all will be donated to relief efforts in Fukushima, Japan.

Exhibition Details
Houran Yokoyama
“Re: Japan”
Opening Reception : Friday, May 20th, 2011, 7pm – 10pm
• Performance starts at 7:30PM
• Workshop: 8:00 – 9:30PM

Exhibition: May 20 – 22, 2011

About Houran Yokoyama
Houran Yokoyama is a Japanese calligraphy artist, born as the third generation of calligraphists in his family. After receiving many awards in calligraphy competitions and exhibitions, he advances his studies in art college, majoring in contemporary art painting. In 1994, he begins calligraphy performance art and is picked up by numerous workshops, TV shows, magazines, and other media. He has shown his work in several solo exhibitions at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the Suntory Museum in Tenpozan in Osaka, Japan, and the Art Museum at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, China. He also draws for notable manga titles, rock band CD album jackets, sake labels, and advertisement. His authored books include “Calligraphy” published by Jitsugyo No Nihon Publishing.

“It pains and worries me to see the effect of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan,“ says Yokoyama. “Just as the eyes of the world are focused on the nuclear situation in Fukushima prefecture, so must our support, as Fukushima is important for Japan and for the world.” Many farming and fishing industries are affected. Many people have lost their homes. Although the people of Japan are keeping calm, the road to recovery is inevitably a long one. Seeing this, Yokoyama believes that now is a time to reflect on what Japan needs to preserve and what it needs to change.

http://www.shodou-art.com

+++

graphite.は、この度、5月20日金曜日に“Re: Japan”と題し、日本で活躍する書道家の横山豊蘭氏をお招きし、パフォーマンスおよびワークショップを開催いたします。ワークショップには、10ドルでご参加していただけます。そして、すべての売り上げは、福島県災害対策本部、義援金窓口に送らせていただきます。

書家の3代目として生まれ育った横山豊蘭は、日本を代表する書道家です。数々の書道展で、受賞。美術大学絵画科に進学し、コンテンポラリーアートを学んだ後、1994年に書道パフォーマンスを開始。その後、日本全国で作品展示、パフォーマンス、ワークショップなどを精力的に開催。ミシガン大学ギャラリーでの個展、サントリーミュージアム天保山そして北京の中央美術学院美術館でのグループ展。その他、有名漫画家の漫画題字や、ロックバンドのCDアルバムジャケット、酒のラベルほか、広告題字などを数多く手がける。著書に「書道」の教科書(実業之日本社刊)がある。

横山氏は言う、「今回の未曾有の地震と津波は痛々しく、今も不安で仕方ありません。今や世界の目は、福島県の原発にのみ向いているのではないでしょうか。福島はサポートが必要です。これは、日本にとって、そして世界にとって重要な問題なのです。」多くの農業、漁業が多大な影響を受け、多くの方々が家を失いました。しかし、私達はパニックにおちいらずに、冷静に行動しています。復興への道のりは遠く長くなるでしょうが、継続して行く事が大切だと思います。そして、この震災によって、今後、日本が守らなければいけないもの、そして変わらなければいけないものが、見えてくるはずです。

http://www.shodou-art.com

details

2011年5月8日

graphite. is pleased to announce “DesignKLYK: New Collections 2011”, opening from May 14th to 17th, 2011.

DesignKLYK is a design collective of two Brooklyn based designers, Kenjiro Yamakawa and Loren Kulesus. The design collective has debuted innovative furniture designs at ICFF 2010. This year, we have an off-site showcase at our home field. We are going to unveil new designs during New York Design Week, along with the works from last year.

Exhibition Details
“DesignKLYK: New Collections 2011″
Design Showcase by DesignKLYK
Opening Reception : Sunday, May 15th, 2011, 4pm – 10pm
Exhibition: May 14th – May 17th, 2011

About Kenjiro Yamakawa
Kenjiro Yamakawa is a designer/fabricator whose interests range from small product design to interior design. His work displays a deep understanding of the process of product design and a rare ability to translate that understanding into radiant new works.
Kenjiro’s solid hands-on experience and knowledge with materials brings innovative design ideas to his own pieces that cannot be achieved through merely on-paper/on-computer design methods.

About Loren Kulesus
Loren Kulesus is a designer based in Brooklyn, NY. Over the past 10 years he has worked in advertising, automotive, branding, personal electronics, furniture, interactive, and product design. He is interested in new design paradigms and manufacturing techniques, such as CNC machining and lasercutting.

About DesignKLYK
DesignKLYK has experience in architectural, automotive, branding, electronics, furniture, and product design, and is therefore capable of a wide variety of output. Kenjiro has extensive experience with a solid hands-on approach to design and manufacturing while Loren uses a digital process and outputs via CNC machines; the two different approaches compose a well-rounded design collective.

http://www.designKLYK.wordpress.com

details

2011年4月19日


©2011 Yoko Naito, All Rights Reserved.

graphite. is pleased to announce “silence of breath”, the works of emerging photographer Yoko Naito, opening on April 29, 7 – 10PM.

Exhibition Details
“silence of breath”
by Yoko Naito
Opening Reception : Friday, April 29th, 2011, 7pm – 10pm
Exhibition: April 29th – May 8th, 2011

In this exhibition, graphite. transforms into a space of serene tranquility. Surrounded by Naito’s photographs of various animals, one may falsely think the room mimics a zoo, but the gravity of the exhibition suggests anything but. The animals, with their sincere silent eyes, seem to be staring at us with a faint yet peaceful omniscience. “The philosophy behind the exhibition is to create a place where we are not disturbed, where we can see ourselves as we are,” says Naito. “The animals are a metaphor of a freedom that we have long forgotten.” According to Naito, after many generations of human self-assertion, these great creatures that once ruled the earth have gradually adapted to becoming the “listener” of human egoism. They are portrayed confined in her photographs, some with legs cut off, symbolizing the restrained state that they have been put in. “We impose ourselves on others too much, without the will or patience to listen to others,” Naito explains. “I wanted to create a time and space where we can reset ourselves to be in harmony with these animals and listen as they do. “

Yoko Naito is a photographer from Japan. She regards her camera as a travel companion on her voyage to find where she belongs. She has visited approximately 100 cities around the world, documenting them and the rapid change they undergo. In her journey, she witnessed the dissolution of human relationships with the advancement of technology—a theme she decided to take on in her art work. Naito has studied photography at the Nihon University College of Art in Tokyo and the International Center of Photography in New York. She has exhibited in several group exhibitions including “J-Art” at the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, “Air” at the SPACE WOMB gallery, and “An Infinite Journey” at Gallery K.

http://www.yokonaito.com

details

2011年4月14日

Listen: Japan Earthquake/Tsunami PSA (English) from Noka Productions on Vimeo.

Directed by Hazuki Aikawa and Andrey Alistratov

This video was created in an attempt to raise awareness of the recent earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2011. Random people were selected to listen to sound bites that were taken from broadcasts and home videos of the tsunami. We recorded their reactions.

details

2011年4月5日

graphite. is proud to present a two person exhibition, The Paradise of Bachelors, featuring works by Robert Karl Blake and Keat Teoh. Both artists have studied and exhibited together in past group shows.

The works in this exhibition explore imagery related to masculinity and the pressures involved. These works acknowledge the obligation of gender roles and question the symbols and objects that define masculinity for the modern male.

Exhibition Details
“The Paradise of Bachelors”
Two – person exhibition by Robert Karl Blake and Keat Teoh
Opening Reception : Friday, April 8th, 2011, 7pm – 10pm
Exhibition: April 8th – 17th, 2011

Robert Karl Blake
Halfway through his study at the Art Institute of Portland for video game design he moved to New York City and completed a BFA in illustration at the School of Visual Arts in 2010. Blake has been exhibiting across the United States prior to any arts education; including Square Root, Culture Fix, the Visual Arts Gallery, and others.
Blake works blindly on the images in ink and wash. There is no sketching process, but instead develops them by covering up portions one at a time. Working in this manner eliminates any interference of the ego.

http://www.robertkarlblake.com

Keat Teoh
Born in New York City, Keat Teoh spent his childhood in Malaysia. He returned to the United States to study Illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Since graduating with a BFA in Illustration in 2010, Teoh has exhibited in several group shows; this is his first two-person exhibition in New York City; he has participated in several group shows including Square Root, Culture Fix, and the Visual Arts Gallery.
Half of Teoh’s process is spent on absorbing and digesting his surroundings, and from that internalized energy he projects it onto paper with layers of ink, gouache and watercolors.

http://www.keatt.com

details

2011年3月23日

Exhibition Details
I Love Japan More Than Ever – Silent Auction and Silent Film for the Earthquake and Tsunami relief in Japan
March 31, 2011, Thursday, 6 – 10PM

graphite. is pleased to announce “I Love Japan More Than Ever”, a silent auction and film screening for the Earthquake and Tsunami relief in Japan on March 31, 2011.

In response to the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, graphite. will be holding a silent auction and film screening on March 31st, 2011. We would like to thank the many artists who have generously donated their work to be a part of this event.

All proceeds from this event will be donated to a non-profit organization, JHelp, which is dedicated to helping earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan. Currently they are working to bring food, clothing, blankets, water, etc. to the people in the Tohoku region where the tsunami hit hardest. They have been granted special permission to use restricted roads for transporting goods, and they are the only non-governmental non-profit organization with a 24hr/7day emergency assistance. We are close with the organizers, and are confident that our donation will be put to good use. The recovery and mourning in Japan has just begun. The crisis could get even worse, depending on what happens next at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Now, more than ever, the Japanese people need our help and support to get through this crisis. Please come and join us for a fun night and a good cause.
http://www.jhelp.com


Exhibition Details

I Love Japan More Than Ever – Silent Auction and Silent Film for the Earthquake and Tsunami relief in Japan
March 31, 2011, Thursday, 6 – 10PM

Contributing Artists

Phoenix
Matthew Waldman
Ryan McGinness
Kenzo Minami
José Parla
Tomokazu Matsuyama
Lady Aiko
Kenji Hirata
Rostarr
Sebastien Agneessens
Motomichi Nakamura
Tomoko Sugimoto
Katja Holtz
Junko Shimizu
Patrick Bradley
Austin Power
Hiroki Otsuka
Shigeko Okada
Keiko Tokushima
Yoko Furusho
Lisa Alisa
Max Steiner
Terrance Hughes
Hazuki Aikawa
Begonia Colomar
Masa Kawamura
Akane Kodani
and more

+++

日本に甚大な被害を襲った地震そして津波、graphite.はサイレントオークションおよびフィルムスクリーニングを2011年3月31日に開催いたします。このイベントのために惜しみなく作品を寄付していただいたアーティストの方々に感謝いたします。

すべての売り上げは、日本で活動している非営利団体、JHelpに寄付いたします。現在、彼らは食料品、服、毛布、水などを最も災害の大きかった東北地方の被災地に供給しており、運搬には緊急災害用道路の特別許可を受け作業しています。年中無休での緊急支援活動を行っている非政府、非営利団体の事務局と私たちは交友関係にあり、今回集まる寄付金を有意義に使ってくれることは間違いありません。日本での復興や哀悼の意は始まったばかりです。福島原子力発電所の今後の動向によっては、危機がさらに悪化するかもしれません。これまで以上に、日本の方々はこの危機を乗り越えるために助けとサポートが必要としています。皆様のご参加を心からお待ちしております。

details

2011年3月1日

graphite. is pleased to announce “Whirl and Swallow”, a solo exhibition by Tomoko Sugimoto, opening on March 12, 2011.

“Whirl and Swallow” debuts the Japanese-born artist Tomoko Sugimoto’s latest stitch and paint works on canvas. The artwork showcased in this exhibition are inspired by Sugimoto’s affinity for delicate line drawing and an experimentation of creating line work with hand and machine stitching. Her new work delivers her vision of our inner feelings, organic movement and thought, that are constantly in motion and exist solely in that moment.

Tokyo native Tomoko Sugimoto graduated from Musashino Art University in her hometown, where she studied graphic design, before proceeding to earn another BFA in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. For the last decade, she’s worked as the Painting Director and a core figure of Takashi Murakami’s Kai Kai Kiki studio, traveling around the world to produce Murakami’s shows and retrospectives. Sugimoto’s personal work has been exhibited in group shows in New York, Miami and Tokyo. “Whirl and Swallow” is her first solo show in the U.S.

Sugimoto currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

http://www.tomokosugimoto.com

Exhibition Details

Tomoko Sugimoto
“Whirl and Swallow”
March 12th – 27th, 2011
Opening Reception: Saturday, March 12th, 6 – 9PM
music by Cerock
http://www.djcerock.com

+++

この度、graphite.にて、ブルックリン在住の日本人アーティスト杉本朋子の個展「Whirl and Swallow」を開催いたします。

「Whirl and Swallow」では、キャンバスにステッチとペインティングを取り入れた新作を発表。ここで展覧される作品はどれも、彼女が最も得意とする繊細なドローイングをもとに、ハンドステッチとミシンを使って形成されたファブリックワーク。表現豊かに縫い出された線と、夢心地の淡い色使いが絶妙なバランスでキャンバス上に共存。作品からは、彼女の目を通して見る自然な動きそして考え、さらには、常に変化しながらもほんの一瞬だけ明確に存在する私たちの”感覚”が見て取れる。

東京生まれの杉本朋子は、武蔵野美術大学でグラフィックデザインを卒業した後、ニューヨークのSchool of Visual Artsでイラストレーションの修士号を修得。その後、過去10年間に渡り、村上隆氏のスタジオ、カイカイキキのペインティング・ディレクターとして活躍、ショーおよび回顧展のために世界中を飛び回る日々を過ごす。同時に自身もアーティストとしてニューヨーク、マイアミそして東京でのグループショーに精力的に参加している。graphite.で今回行われる「Whirl and Swallow」は彼女初のソロ展となる。

details

2011年2月14日

Exhibition Details

Federico Massa a.k.a. Cruz
“copy that.”
February 19 – March 2, 2011
Opening Reception: Saturday, February 19, 6 – 9PM

graphite. is very pleased to present a solo exhibition of new works by Federico Massa.

Federico Massa, alias Cruz, is an Italian artist born in Milan in 1981. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera, in Milan in 2006 . During his first year at the Academy, Federico helped found The Bag Art Factory collective in Milan, of which he is still an active member. This group of artists; including painters, sculptors, and set and designer, collaborates on a variety of projects and constantly organizes exhibitions of their works.

Federico’s years at The Bag Art Factory were formative in his artistic growth. During this time, key elements of his vision were developed through the exchange of ideas, of discussion, and contamination with other artists of the collaborative.

Federico’s work has been presented in numerous exhibitions all over Europe, and has been published in catalogues as well as art books. In addition, he works in collaboration with well-known fashion brands. The most recent collaboration was with Marc Jacobs in September 2010, during Paris fashion week. The artist painted and personalized 60 designer bags belonging to the collection “Marc by Marc Jacobs” with specific designs and styles which referenced New York City.

In his first personal exhibition in NYC at the graphite., entitled “copy that.”, Federico presents his last series of “Homages”. The collection consists of his personal reinterpretation of posters affixed by the city of Milan to promote exhibitions of internationally acclaimed modern and classical artists at Royal Palace of Milan. Federico detached the posters from various locations throughout Milan, and completely reinterpreted the works, maintaining some fundamental details, paying homage to the masterpieces of the original artists.

In his last works, produced ad hoc for the exhibition organized by graphite., Federico presents his vision of his adopted city, New York, as a place of creation and inspiration. In these pieces, the artist pays homage not only to other artists but also to the city that inspires him on various levels.

http://www.ienacruz.com

Exhibition Details

Federico Massa a.k.a. Cruz
“copy that.”
February 19 – March 2, 2011
Opening Reception: Saturday, February 19, 6 – 9PM

special thanks, aurora Restaurant!
http://www.auroraristorante.com

details

2011年1月20日

Six Jewelry Artists
Kim KADISH + Regina KIM + Akane KODANI + Aco SATO + Keiko SHIODA + Max STEINER
“All you need is Love”
January 29 – February 14, 2011
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 29, 6 – 9PM

graphite. is pleased to announce a jewelry trunk show “All you need is Love”, opening on Jan 29, 2011, 6 – 9pm.

As the Beatles put it, “All you need is Love”. Around Valentine’s Day of this year, Six New York based Jewelry artists, Kim KADISH, Regina KIM, Akane KODANI, Aco SATO, Keiko SHIODA and Max STEINER show their hand-crafted lovely jewelry pieces to represent their small art world.

Exhibition Details

Six Jewelry Artists
Kim KADISH + Regina KIM + Akane KODANI + Aco SATO + Keiko SHIODA + Max STEINER
“All you need is Love”
January 29 – February 14, 2011
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 29, 6 – 9PM

Kim KADISH
Kim Kadish discovered that she enjoyed using her hands in building three-dimensional structures. She took metalsmithing classes at 92-Y and FIT and worked for two highly reputable jewelry companies. Kim was accepted into the Rhode Island School of Design’s jewelry program in 2006. Upon graduation, Kim partnered in establishing a Manhattan studio practice and has been producing commissions for private clients. She currently teaches jewelry fabrication classes at Benlolo Jewelry Academy and trains with Full Throttle, a triathlon team. She likens herself as an art jeweler- this gives her the freedom to express her convictions (political, sociological, environmental, philosophical, etcetera) and create pieces of jewelry that perform a role beyond adornment.

Regina KIM
Regina Kim is a human living and working in New York City.
After graduating from Parsons The New School of Design in Illustration, she continued her education at Kristin Hanson Fine Jewelry School in Brooklyn. With this knowledge, she is now able to represent her ideas three dimensionally and create wearable narratives. Currently, she is working as an artist assistant by day and jewelry designer by night.

Akane KODANI
Akane Kodani is a graphic artist in New York. While studying graphic design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), she met New York based artists and started as their assistant, delving into the world of New York design and art. After graduating, she has been vigorously active in various fields as graphic designer and as participant of illustration group shows. In 2007, Akane met jewelry designer David Benlolo, and as a new project, established her jewelry line “a-dorn”.
http://www.adornnyc.com

Aco SATO
After graduation from a fashion collage in Japan, Aco Sato worked for an American fashion brand for three and a half years. Aco moved to NYC and started making jewelry. In 2009, Aco started her own jewelry brand “ibuki JEWELRY”.
http://www.ibukijewelry.com

Keiko SHIODA
Keiko Shioda has been working at David Benlolo Studio in New York since 2009, creating custom-made jewelry primarily using semi-precious and precious stones. She had her first trunk show in Ebisu, Tokyo in December 2010.

Max STEINER
Max Steiner is a jewelry designer, architectural modelmaker, sculptor, product designer, and 3d modeler. A native of New York, he lives and works in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
Max’s design inspiration comes from his surroundings, his experiences, and his vast assortment of hobbies and interests. The son of an elementary school art teacher, he was introduced to many artistic methods, materials, and had loads of encouragement from a very young age. With his background in engineering and design, he’s been developing his various jewelry lines using many materials and techniques to express his vision.
www.maxsteinerdesign.com

(in alphabetical order)

WHY SIX ARTISTS?
According to wikipedia, Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is, on average, approximately six steps away from any other person in the world. It is based on the hypothesis that if A knows 44 people, and those 44 people each knew 44 other people with no overlapping acquaintance, A will have 446=7,256,313,856 “friends of friends”, which would exceed the global population. As such, you too will be connected to the world, stating with these six artists.

+++

graphite.では、ジュエリートランクショー”All you need is Love”を開催いたします。オープニングは2011年2月29日土曜日6時から9時。

ビートルズの名曲”All you need is Love”をあなたに。今年もバレンタインがやってきます。NYで活躍する6人のジュエリーアーティスト、Kim KADISH, Regina KIM, Akane KODANI, Aco SATO, Keiko SHIODAそしてMax STEINERのとっておきのハンドメイドジュエリーをお楽しみください。

Kim KADISH
立体的なモノを自分の手で制作する楽しさを発見後、金属細工師のクラスを92-Yおよびファッション工科大学(FIT)で学ぶ。有名なジュエリーブランド2社で働く。2006年、Rhode Island Schoolのジュエリーコースに入学。卒業後、マンハッタンのスタジオの設立にパートナーとして参画、個人のクライアントのカスタムジュエリーを手がける。現在、Benlolo Jewelry Academyで教鞭をとるかたわら、トライアスロンのチームでトレーニングを欠かさない。自身をArt Jewelerと例えることで、彼女の信念(政治的、社会的、環境、哲学など)と装飾品となるジュエリーを自由に表現している。

Regina KIM
パーソンズニュースクールのイラストレーション科を卒業後、ブルックリンのKristin Hanson Fine Jewelry Schoolで学ぶ。発想を立体的に演出し、身につけられる物語としてのジュエリーを制作している。現在、昼はアーティストのアシスタント、夜はジュエリーデザイナーというふたつの顔を持つ。

Akane KODANI
ニューヨークのファッション工科大学(FIT)でグラフィックデザインを学ぶ。在学中に著名なアーティスト数名と出会い、アシスタントをスタート。彼らにニューヨークのデザインとアートを叩き込まれる。卒業後、グラフィックデザイナーとして活躍するかたわら、イラストのグループ展に参加するなど、精力的に多方面で活躍中。2007年、ジュエリーデザイナーDavid Benloloと出会い、新しいプロジェクトとしてジュエリーライン”a-dorn”を立ち上げる。
http://www.adornnyc.com

Aco SATO
専門学校でファッションを学び、卒業後、アメリカのファッションブランドにて3年半のキャリアを積む。その後、NYに拠点を移し、ジュエリーの制作を始める。2009年、自身のブランド”ibuki JEWELRY”をスタート。
http://www.ibukijewelry.com

Keiko SHIODA
2009年からNYのDavid Benloloスタジオでジュエリーを学ぶ。貴重なさまざまな宝石を使い、カスタムメイドのジュエリーを制作。2010年12月には東京、恵比寿で初めてのトランクショーに参加するなど、発表の場に広げている。

Max STEINER
ジュエリーデザイナー、モデルメーカー、彫刻家、プロダクトデザイナーそして3Dモデラーと多彩な顔を持つ。NYで生まれ育ち、現在ブルックリン在住。デザインのインスピレーションは、周りの環境、経験そして幅広い雑学と好奇心によるという。小学校の先生だった父から多くのアーティスティックな手法、素材を教わり、多大な刺激を受ける幼少時代を過ごす。発表されているさまざまなジュエリーラインは、彼のビジョンを表現するため、多種多様の素材とテクニックが使われている。
http://www.maxsteinerdesign.com

どうして6人のアーティストなの?
ウキィペディアによると、人は自分の知り合いを 6人以上介すると世界中の人々と間接的な知り合いになれる、と言われている。六次の隔たり( Six Degrees of Separation)と呼ばれるこの仮説は、例えば、Aさんが44人の知り合いを持つとする。その44人、全員がお互いに重複しない知り合いを44人持つとすると、Aさんの六次以内の間接的な知り合いは 446=7,256,313,856人となり、地球の総人口を上回ってしまう。このショーで出会った6人のアーティストからあなたも含め世界中の人と繋がって欲しい。

details

2010年12月26日

Keiko Tokushima + Shigeko Okada
“Time Traveler – 記憶への道しるべ(kiokueno michishirube)”
January 8 – 16, 2011
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 8, 7 – 10PM

graphite. is pleased to announce “Time Traveler – 記憶への道しるべ(kiokueno michishirube)”, works of two emerging artists Keiko Tokushima and Shigeko Okada opening on January 8, 2011.

In this exhibition, the works of Tokushima and Okada trigger a travel back in time. Their paintings and drawings mirror a specific period when nothing was dispensable, and everything was used to its very end with appreciation —a spirit that has faded in the current era of digital technology and mass production. “Back then in Japan, people treated objects with great care, repairing them when necessary. When something could not function anymore, it would be thanked for its many years of usefulness,” says Okada. Created entirely by hand, with generous use of mnemonic patterns and colors, the works of Tokushima and Okada portray a lifestyle where heart-felt design won over convenience, and when slow but sincere relationships were cherished over quick communication. Through a visual storytelling of the good times then, the exhibition invites viewers to be immersed in a warm nostalgic air.

Keiko Tokushima is an illustrator from Hiroshima, Japan. Having been drawing and painting since an early age, she has always counted on art as a means of her communication with others. After college she worked as a graphic designer; she then proceeded to study illustration at the School of Visual Arts and graduated in 2010.
http://www.keikotokushima.com

Shigeko Okada is an illustrator from Saitama, Japan. After working in Financial field for 14 years, she switched gears to pursue her ultimate dream of becoming an illustrator. Raised in an environment full of green nature with her beloved cat, she often themes the bridge between reality and fantasy in her work. She graduated in 2010 from the School of Visual Arts with a degree in illustration.
http://www.shigeko-okada.com

Exhibition Details

Keiko Tokushima + Shigeko Okada
“Time Traveler – 記憶への道しるべ(kiokueno michishirube)”
January 8 – 16, 2011
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 8, 7 – 10PM

+++

graphite.では、若手アーティスト徳島恵子と岡田茂子の”Time Traveler – 記憶への道しるべ”を開催いたします。オープニングは2011年1月8日土曜日7時から10時。

このエキシビジョンで、徳島と岡田はオーディエンスを過去への旅路へと誘います。彼女たちのペインティングおよびドローイングは、使い捨てという意識がなかった頃、道具は感謝とともに最後まで使った時代を描写しています。この精神は、近年のデジタルテクノロジーや大量生産時代の到来とともに次第になくなりつつあります。岡田は言います、「私の祖父母を含め、当時の人々は、物を大切にし、修理し、本当に機能しなくなった時は「よく働いてくれてありがとう!」と言ったらしい。」と。記号的なパターンと色の組み合わせ、コンピュータを一切使わず、すべて手で制作する彼女たちの作品は、古き良き時代のデザインが便利さよりも快適、そして早い伝達方法よりも遅くても誠実な関係を大切にする徳島と岡田のライフスタイルを的確に映し出しています。足を一歩踏み入れると、古き良き時代の物語を語るとともに観客を暖かく、そしてノスタルジックな空気に包み込むでしょう。

徳島恵子は広島生まれのイラストレーター。幼い頃からドローイングやペインティングに慣れ親しみ、アートは彼女のひとつのコミュニケーション手段だった。大学卒業後、グラフィックデザイナーとして働くが、School of Visual Arts(SVA)に進学し、2010年卒業。
http://www.keikotokushima.com

岡田茂子は埼玉生まれのイラストレーター。14年間働いた金融関係の仕事を辞め、イラストレーターになる究極の夢に向かって動き出す。大好きな猫と緑のたくさんある環境で育つ。しばしば現実とファンタジーの狭間の作品が登場するのは、幼い頃の経験からだろう。SVAのイラストレーション科を2010年に卒業。
http://www.shigeko-okada.com

details

2010年12月9日

Austin Power
“Austin Power”s November”
December 10 – 26, 2010
Opening Reception: Friday, December 10, 7 – 10PM

graphite. is very pleased to present an exhibition of new works by Austin Power. In a series of minimal watercolor portraits on paper, Power continues to explore the difficulty and discomfort in fully understanding a person for his first solo exhibition with Graphite. Using the physicality of his subjects as a guideline, Power employs intuitive emotional color to create snapshots of his personal relationships. Each of Power’s portraits is not a simple rendering of a friend, but a measure of the distance between the subject and himself. Power leaves his subjects incomplete to highlight their limitations, as well as his own inability to see the subject beyond the influence of himself.

“Austin Power’s November” is a survey of watercolor portraits created in the month of November 2010. Though each portrait stands alone as an intimate impression of one of Power’s personal relationships, the group of portraits presented creates a greater self portrait of Power preparing for his debut solo show.

Power is currently participating in “Dark Days” at Eyelevel BQE Gallery in Brooklyn New York, on view until January 2, 2011. Other recent notable shows for the artist include: a three person show “Vanishing Point” at Tommy Crow Studio in Rosemary Beach Florida by curator Caroline Taylor, Silent Noise at RABBITHOLESTUDIO in Brooklyn New York, “Born to Die…” at Secondhome Projects in Berlin Germany, “Point” at the Sweet Loraine Gallery in Brooklyn New York by Radar Curatorial, among others.
http://www.withapower.com

Exhibition Details

Austin Power
“Austin Power”s November”
December 10 – 26, 2010
Opening Reception: Friday, December 10, 7 – 10PM

details

2010年11月15日

“TSCHÜSS BERLIN”
by Katja Holtz
November 21 – December 5, 2010
Opening Reception: Sunday, November 21, 6 – 9PM

graphite. is pleased to announce “TSCHÜSS BERLIN”, new paintings and collages by Katja Holtz, opening on November 21, 2010.

This recently produced body of work mirrors Katja’s impressions of leaving Berlin behind and arriving in New York City. Her work has always been inspired by the visceral decay of urban environments – but upon moving to New York City – twist, color and pop toons mingle the structure. Inspiration still derives from her immediate surroundings – as in the past – walls, graffiti, old poster billboards, electricity poles and housing projects mark the nuisances of process. Vanishing and reappearing hints of texture layer, rip and crack her body of work “Tschüss Berlin”. Materials used for the collages bound dirty blissful snippets of civilization – a collection of “Hallo New York”.

This exhibition is a part of an artist-in-residence program provided by graphite. Her focus during the period will be collage work.

Exhibition Details

Katja Holtz
“TSCHÜSS BERLIN”
November 21 – December 5, 2010
Opening Reception: Sunday, November 21, 6 – 9PM

About Katja Holtz

Katja was born in the U.S. but moved to Germany in an early age where she grew up. With the age of 20 she moved to England where she began to paint under the influence of Terence Fletcher who became her mentor and teacher during her fine art education in Bristol.
After graduating University she moved back to Germany. She had her studio in Frankfurt but depicted her inspiration in Berlin.

details

2010年10月28日

PATRICK BRADLEY
“CONSTRUCT”
November 6 – November 20, 2010
Opening Reception: Saturday, November 6, 7 – 9PM

“CONSTRUCT” is a series of industrial screenprints by Brooklyn based artist and photographer Patrick Bradley. Inspired by a fascination of assembly, these pieces reflect the graphic nature of building construction. This fascination began at a young age through exposure to carpentry by a woodworking father and it continued to grow through studying architecture.

“Most of my art is influenced by the principles of architecture. I consider architecture to be the highest form of art because you can inhabit it. I am just as much inspired by the process as i am the end result. I like to think of my approach to building an art piece the same as constructing a building. There are multiple layers, starting with a foundation and ending with a finish. I use the camera as my tool to build the process.”

graphite. is pleased to present “CONSTRUCT”, Bradley’s first solo exhibition. Through the use of traditional and more contemporary artist techniques Bradley pushes the graphic nature of construction. He creates compositions and perspectives while free associating with his camera, later bringing them together through a mixture of digital media and traditional screenprinting.

Exhibition Details

Patrick Bradley
“CONSTRUCT”
November 6 – 20, 2010
Opening Reception: Saturday, November 6, 7 – 10PM

About Patrick Bradley

Patrick Bradley was born in Monroe, Louisiana in 1966, and currently resides in Brooklyn, NY. Passionate about all things creative including architecture, fashion, and furniture design, his art is currently focusing on photography and screenprinting. He studied architecture at Louisiana Tech University, and now works as a graphic designer at R/GA, a Manhattan based digital agency.
http://www.toolshed.us

+++

“CONSTRUCT”はブルックリンで活躍するアーティストで写真家のPatrick Bradley(パトリック・ブラッドリー)のインダストリアルシルクスクリーンプリントのシリーズです。モノが組み立てられていく事の魅力にインスパイアされたこれらの作品はビルの工事現場をグラフィカルに表現しています。大工である父親の影響、そして建築を勉強することにより、若いパトリック少年の中でこの魅力は大きくなっていきました。

「ボクのアートは建築主義に影響されてるんだ。建築は最高のアートだと考えるよ、だって、そこにボクたちは住めるんだから。ボクは、完成品と同じぐらいプロセスにインスパイアされている。それにボクのアートを作る時のアプローチは、ビルの工事と似てる。また、そうやって考えるのが好きなんだ。たくさんのレイヤーがあって、ベースからスタートして、フィニッシュで終わる。ボクはツールとしてカメラを使い,そしてプロセスを組み立てていくんだ。」

graphite.はPatrick Bradleyの初のソロエキシビジョン”CONSTRUCT”を開催します。伝統的な技法とコンテンポラリーアーティストのテクニックを駆使し、建築のグラフィカルな本質を全面に打ち出しています。彼は構成と遠近法をカメラを通して自由自在に操り、それらをデジタル加工後、伝統的なシルクスクリーン技法で仕上げていきます。

About Patrick Bradley

Patrick Bradleyは、1966年ルイジアナのモンロー生まれ。現在ブルックリン在住。建築、ファッションそして家具デザインなどあらゆるモノづくりに情熱を持ち、特に最近の彼のアートは写真とシルクスクリーンにフォーカスが当てられています。ルイジアナ工科大学で建築を勉強後、現在はマンハッタンベースのデジタルエージェンシーR/GAでグラフィックデザイナーとして働いています。

http://www.toolshed.us

details

2010年10月15日

Junko Shimizu
“Lost Days and Girls in Revolt”
October 23 – November 3, 2010
Opening Reception: October 23, Saturday, 6 – 8PM

graphite. is pleased to announce “Lost Days and Girls in Revolt”, a new series of paintings and drawings by Junko Shimizu.

In this exhibition, Shimizu includes a collection of essential drawings and paintings that mirror her childhood, accumulating rebellious spirit, and self-revelation. As an artist, Shimizu catches herself witnessing the fundamental differences in standards that belong to the generation before and after her. Situated somewhere between illustration and portraiture, Shimizu’s characters are staged in the most simple and modest situations of Japanese children’s play, vividly colored but subtly portrayed. Deceptively naïve, Shimizu’s art is a quiet but potent reflection of a coming-of-age discovery.

Junko Shimizu is a contemporary artist born and raised in Japan. From the age of 3 to 5, her family lived in Honduras, where Shimizu spent her childhood years among people of different ethnicities. Influenced by her grandmother, also an artist, Shimizu was no stranger to painting and started drawing at an early age. She moved to New York City at age 19 to study at the School of Visual Arts. After graduating in 2003, she became paint assistant to pop artist Takashi Murakami, and moved on to exhibit a series of her art at galleries in Chelsea, New York City, and several group exhibitions in California. Shimizu claims that her art is inspired by Ukiyo-e (Japanese paintings produced between 17th-20th centuries), particularly brocade pictures by Harunobu Suzuki, and Japanese literature, notably those of Yasunari Kawabata.

Exhibition Details

Junko Shimizu
“Lost Days and Girls in Revolt”
October 23 – November 3, 2010
Opening Reception: October 23, Saturday, 6 – 8PM

+++

graphite.では、NYで活躍するアーティスト清水順子のペインティングとドーローイングの新作展「Lost Days and Girls in Revolt(失われた日々、少女一揆)」を開催いたします。

同展覧会では、アーティスト清水順子の反骨精神に満ちた幼年期の暴露、さらにはそれを表象した作品をご覧いただけます。彼女は、同世代と異なる世代との狭間にある抜本的な価値基準の違いを記号化し制作し続けています。彼女の描く日本の子供たちのいわゆる一般的な遊びをするキャラクターは、イラストと肖像画の両方の要素を持ち備えています。時に作家自身であることも。シンプル且つ謙虚に捉えられ、色鮮やかながらも繊細に描き出されています。一見無邪気ではあるものの、彼女の作り出すアートは凛とし、我々が成熟したということを思い知らせてくれます。

清水順子は、日本で生まれ育ったコンテンポラリーアーティストです。彼女は父親の仕事の都合で家族と共に3歳から5歳までホンジュラスに住むこととなる。様々な人種と幼少期を過ごし、画家でもある祖母の影響も手伝って、幼い頃から絵を描く事は自分自身を表現する一部となっていきます。19歳で、イラストレーションを勉強するため、スクール・オブ・ビジュアル・アーツ(SVA)に入学、New Yorkに移り住むことになります。2003年SVAを卒業後、ポップ・アーティストの村上隆のペイントアシスタントに。その後、チェルシーのギャラリーでの個展、カルフォルニアでのグループ展参加など、活動の範囲を広げていきます。彼女は浮世絵とりわけ錦絵の祖と呼ばれた鈴木春信、近代日本文学の川端康成などに大きな影響を受けていると語っています。

http://www.junkojunko.com

details

2010年9月13日

ABOVE BROOKLYN by THOMAS MURPHY SEPT 17 - OCT 3 2010

Thomas Murphy
“Above Brooklyn”
September 17th – October 3rd, 2010
Opening Reception: September 17th, 7 – 10PM

For Immediate Release (Sept 9, 2010)

According to Wikipedia, ‘Mankind has practiced pigeon keeping for about 10,000 years in almost every part of the world’ – who would have guessed that this could be probable on the rooftops of Brooklyn. Thomas Murphy met a group of neighbors in the Spring of 2009 when he moved into an apartment adjacent to a pigeon coop. Mesmerized by a flock of up to 500 or so pigeons, Murphy formed a friendship with the pigeon flyer, only to uncover an underground subculture of pigeon fanciers.Talking to this group of men aged from 50 to 70 years old, visiting a number of local rooftops, Murphy explored a friendship as a means of garnering a first hand understanding of this dying past time. Under threats from a new generation who deem flying pigeons as ‘uncool’ combined with increased costs and new residents moving to buildings distasteful of this movement, the pigeon fancier community demanded to be preserved as a slice of Brooklyn history.

Thomas Murphy has chosen to exhibit a series of 24 images to represent over a years worth of documented encounters; each are sized at 12 x 18. Only two larger images are printed at 24 x 36, both of which, for him center the collection as the most powerful portraits of the story. The full body of work encapsulates the rapture of a hidden if not unknown example of man’s relationship with nature.

Exhibition Details

Thomas Murphy
“Above Brooklyn”
Sept. 17 – Oct. 3, 2010
Opening Reception: Friday, September 17th, 7-10pm

About Thomas Murphy

Thomas Anthony Murphy was born in New Jersey in 1978, and currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. His two great passions in life are travel and photography. Holding a strong passion for the arts since he was a young child Murphy fell in love with photography at a young age yet only re-ignited this love affair following a 10 year professional career in the design field. Self-taught, distressed at corporate life, he picked up his camera only to travel for 7 months to places Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Burma, shooting every day and solidifying his relationship with this visual medium. Through his photography, Thomas seeks to document his own personal experiences by capturing scenes and events as he sees them, to share with others the beauty and sometimes ugliness of the world he’s seen. As the images of other photographers have inspired him to explore the world, he hopes his own contributions will inspire others to do the same.
http://woodenkimonos.com
http://blackandwhitecities.com

details

2010年8月1日

Hiroki Otsuka a.k.a. Pirontan“Super Ero Manga Bros.”August 14th – September 9th, 2010 Opening Reception: August 14th, 6 – 9PM

Hiroki Otsuka a.k.a. Pirontan
“Super Ero Manga Bros.”
August 14th – September 9th, 2010
Opening Reception: August 14th, 6 – 9PM

Hiroki Otsuka a.k.a. Pirontan
“Super Ero Manga Bros.”

August 14th – September 9th, 2010
Opening Reception: August 14th, 6 – 9PM

[For Immediate release]

“graphite.” will be presenting a collection of new paintings, drawings, and prints by New York’s flourishing Japanese artist Hiroki Otsuka. Otsuka, who began drawing as a young child, was already making manga by adding stories to his own pictures even before he entered elementary school, and he became a professional manga artist in 1994. Several years later, he decided to put an end to that chapter of his life and relocate to the U.S. After spending some time in San Fransisco, he soon found himself drawn into the contemporary art scene and moved to New York City to immerse himself in it. Since coming to New York, he has not only had the opportunity to work at Japanese pop artist Takashi Murakami’s studio, he has also exhibited alongside famous artists such as Yoko Ono, Yasunao Tone, and more. He has had shows in galleries all over the world including the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Kunstraum Richard Sorge in Berlin, MOCA in LA, as well as galleries in Tokyo and New York.

In Otsuka’s paintings and drawings, we continually see examples of how he has beautifully accomplished a transition from ero-manga into the fine arts. For a peek into some of his inspiration and recurring themes, take a look at Plato’s written work, Symposium. At one point the character Aristophanes explains that original humans were much different than those of today. They were double bodied with double genders and much more powerful: complete woman, complete man, and the androgyne. One day these double bodied super-humans severely angered the gods, and in retaliation, Zeus split them in half, weakening them. He explains that the reason we feel whole when we fall in love is due to our desire to find that other half-self. You can certainly see this idea playing a role in Otsuka’s work, in his relentless impulse towards the questioning of gender which seems to wander about in search of that other body half.

“Japan Society has enjoyed a creative relationship with Hiroki since fall of 2007, when his sumi ink composition Evening Calm Union graced the cover of our Making A Home exhibition catalog and the walls of our Gallery. It’s an extraordinary work that grew out of his long years as an inventive, witty pornographic manga artist, combining female figures and sexy dripping lines with the bridges and skyscrapers of Manhattan. In 2009 he provided the illustrations for the Japan society world premiere of Jeremy Wade’s dance piece there is no end to more. This year he was back in action at Japan Society as manga artist in residence, making waves in our building and online with his brilliant story Samurai Beam which turns a visit to the Kuniyoshi Utagawa (1797 – 1861) woodblock print exhibition into a mini New York epic with clever commentary on contemporary America.” Vice-President of Japan Society and Director of the Japan Society Gallery Joe Earle has written.

+++

graphite.ではNYで活躍する日本人アーティスト大塚弘樹のペインティング、ドローイングおよびプリントの最新作展を開催します。

幼い頃からドローイングを始めた大塚弘樹は、小学生になる前にすでに自身の絵にストーリーを付けマンガを作っていました。1994年に日本でプロの漫画家としてデビュー。その後、13年以上におよぶ活動に終止符を打ち、拠点をアメリカに移します。サンフランシスコで数年間活動した後、まるでアートの魔力に吸い寄せられるようにしてニューヨークへと移り住みます。ニューヨークに来てからは、ジャパニーズポップアーティスト村上隆のスタジオで働くチャンス、さらにオノヨーコやトネヤスナオらとのグループショーの参加など、ビックネームとの共演が待っていました。さらに、ピッツバーグにあるAndy Warhol Museum、ロサンジェルスのMoCA、ベルリンのKunstraum Richard Sorgeそして東京、NYのギャラリーなどでショーを精力的に行っています。

大塚弘樹のペインティングやドローイングには、エロマンガからファインアートへと見事に遂行し続けているのが見て取れます。プラトンが『饗宴』で説いたアリストパネスのくだりは、「男と女(男と男、女と女)もと背中合わせの一体(アンドロギュロス)であった。しかし、ある時、神ゼウスの怒りによって二つに切り裂かれてしまった。このため、失われた半身を求めるために人は恋をするのだ」と。まさに大塚弘樹の容赦ない性への探究心は、一体であった時の半身を求めて今も彷徨い続けています。

「2007年秋以降、ジャパンソサエティは大塚弘樹とのクリエイティブなリレーションシップを楽しんでいます。彼の墨絵Evening Calm Unionは、Making A Homeのエキシビジョンカタログの表紙およびギャラリーの壁を美しく飾りました. 彼の創意的でウィットに富んだエロマンガアーティストとしての長年のキャリアが生んだ墨絵は、セクシーなドリッピングラインで描かれたマンハッタンのブリッジや高層ビルと女性とが融合し、素晴らしい作品になりました。2009年ジャパンソサエティのワールドプリミアJeremy Wadeのダンス “there is no end to more”のイラストレーションを担当。同じ年、初めての漫画家アーティストレジデンスに選ばれ、漫画ワークショップを開催。日本を代表する版画師のひとり宇田川国義(1797 – 1861)の作品を取り入れたすばらしい漫画”Samurai Beam”をジャパンソサエティのために制作。現在、”Samurai Beam”はジャパンソサエティのホームページで読む事ができます。」 ジャパンソサエティバイスプレジデント/ジャパンソサエティギャラリーディレクター Joe Earle

details

GRAPHITE. all rights reserved.