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

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

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

+++

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

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。

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

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

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

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

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