All posts tagged: Kenji Nakayama

Woodward Gallery Presents: “Detail” A Group Exhibition (Manhattan, NYC)

DETAIL
March 2nd – April 28th 2013
Opening Reception:
Saturday March 2nd 6-8pm

Our society places great emphasis on detail, but the rare individual pauses long enough to appreciate this specialty. If detail refers to the parts which make up the whole, this exhibition relies on the small elements considered for each unique work of art. The group of Artists are: Michael Alan, Susan Breen, Thomas Buildmore, Deborah Claxton, Cassius Fouler, Kosbe, Kiriyo Kuchina, Moody, Margaret Morrison, Kenji Nakayama, Jaggu Prassad, and Cristina Vergano.

http://www.woodwardgallery.net/exhibitions/ex-detail.html

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Fun Friday 05.04.12

 It’s Fun Friday!

1. Rene Gagnon at Black Book (Denver,CO)
2. Chris Uphues is Sweet in Chicago
3. Kenji Nakayama at Woodward Saturday (NYC)
4. Mare139 Schools You at Pratt Saturday (NYC)
5. Jorge Rodriguez Gerarda new work in Bahrain (VIDEO)
6. Welcome to Amsterdam by Niels Shoe Meulman (VIDEO)

Rene Gagnon at Black Book (Denver,CO)

Rene Gagnon’s new show “Between Here And All Knowing” opens today at the Black Book Gallery in Denver, CO. The artist’s new work will expand on the personal and the mystic: Dreams and Death.

Rene Gagnon in Brooklyn, NY (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

For further information regarding this show click here.

Chris Uphues is Sweet in Chicago

For his new show “Sunshine Daze” opening tonight in Chicago, IL. Chris Uphues takes his colorful and cheerful heart faces to a new dimension: CANDY. To get your hands on a piece of candy and hopefully a piece of art as well go to the Rotofugi Gallery tonight.

Chris Uphues in Brooklyn, NY (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

For further information regarding this show click here.

Kenji Nakayama at Woodward Saturday

Kenji Nakayama solo show at the Woodward Gallery simply titled “Kenji Nakayama” opens tomorrow in Manhattan:

Kenji Nakayama (Image © courtesy of the gallery)

For further information regarding this show click here.

Mare139 Schools You at Pratt Saturday (NYC)

At the Pratt Institute Exhibition Space, Carlos Mare AKA Mare139 will illustrate, with his work the effect that process and influence have on art:

Mare139 (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For further information regarding this show click here.

Also happening this weekend:

In Munich, Germany STROKE Urban Art Fair. Click here for more details regarding this event.

In New York City PULSE Contemporary Art Fair at the Metropolitan Pavilion. Click here for more details regarding this event.

In Milan, Italy exiled Chinese artist Dal East solo show “Fever of the Worn Land” is open to the general public at the Urban Painting Gallery. Click here for more details regarding this event.

Jorge Rodriguez Gerarda new work in Bahrain:

 

Welcome to Amsterdam by Niels Shoe Meulman. Video by Adele Renault

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Woodward Gallery Presents: Kenji Nakayama Solo Exhibition “Kenji Nakayama” (Manhattan, New York)

Kenji Nakayama

KENJI NAKAYAMA
May 5 – July 7, 2012

Announcing the first, New York solo exhibition by Japanese born and Boston-based Artist Kenji Nakayama. Simply entitled Kenji Nakayama, this must-see exhibition will be the most extensive presentation of his art to date, featuring photorealistic, hand-cut stencil, spray enamel, acrylic and mixed media paintings.

Nakayama’s dedication and work ethic is unprecedented and very well respected. A mechanical engineer by formal education, Kenji Nakayama made a significant and resolute life change in 2004 moving from his home in Hokkaido, Japan. Bringing his cultural heritage to the United States, Nakayama incorporates Japanese and American influences within traditional sign painting techniques.

Kenji became involved with street art to document and respond to his surrounding environment, and as a method to capture significant moments in his daily life. His elaborate process involves crafting original, hand-cut, multi-layer stencils which become one complete image when illuminated with colorful spray enamel. This deeply personal technique serves as a diary from start to finish. In the studio, each intricately cut stencil painting often takes months to complete combining hours of concentration with a spiritualistic and meditative-like disposition.

Soon after Kenji’s arrival to the States, he met Director John Woodward and was challenged with the opportunity to paint the outdoor wall on their Project Space. This was followed by an invitation to exhibit another large scale installation in the Bank of America, SoHo. People were in awe of Kenji’s complex murals. The public continues to show great support by embracing this Artist for his quiet determination, skill and exciting new contribution to our culture.

Kenji Nakayama left his homeland driven to develop and master high levels of detail with an intense discipline in his art. Kenji describes, “My process is like dust. Each little grain and speck adds up, and soon becomes a mountain.”

Woodward Gallery welcomes Kenji Nakayama for an exhibition not to be missed.
Please join us at the Artist Reception Saturday, May 5th, 2012: from 6-8 pm

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Fun Friday 01.06.12

That was a short week, right? Let’s resolve to have short weeks for the rest of the year! Welcome back to Fun Friday, which took a little vacation. Here are our stories this week;

1. LUDO and FKDL Welcome 2012
2. “Rather Unique” Saturday at Woodward Gallery
3. New Labrona Prints
4. Droid and Avoid “Live the Dream, Learn to Die II”
5. VHILs Video of his Skulls at Nuart
6. “En Masse”, Miami 2011 Parts I and II by Fred Caron

LUDO and FKDL Welcome 2012 with New Pieces

LUDO thinks of the new year as a big green pumpkin, an allusion to harvesting something that has grown gargantuan on the ground. (photo © Ludo)

FKDL prefers to look at 2012 as a dancing, strutting, posing proposition; an interpretive welcome to the new year. (photo © Courtesy of FKDL)

“Rather Unique” Saturday at Woodward Gallery

Taking advantage of the fact that a lot of New York street art goes into hibernation this time of year, artist/curator Royce Bannon ia collecting a “Rather Unique” group of Street Artists for this new show at Woodward, opening January 7.  A group show opening the 7th at the Woodward Gallery in Manhattan.

Along with the new piece, “Personality”, pictured above by Street Artist Infinity, the roster includes many of the names on the scene today bringing it inside from the cold, including Cassius Fowler , Celso , ChrisRWK , Cope2 , Darkcloud , H. Veng Smith , Indiw 184 , KA , Keely, Kenji Nakayama , Kosbe , Manhattan , Matt Siren , Moody , Nose Go, Royce B , Russell King , UR New York, and Wrona

For further information regarding this show click here

New Labrona Prints

Walls, freights, canvasses – all are attractive sights for Labrona, and now he’s hawking some new prints he made, like the one below, which he’s selling here.

Dogman Rides Again (yellow), by Street Artist/ Fine Artist Labrona

Droid and Avoid “Live the Dream, Learn to Die II”

Speaking of trains, Avoid and Droid have collected tales of their freight-hopping journey up the West Coast in the summer of 2011, and include fun stories told in rusted rail haiku like ones about the pot-growing subculture they discovered in California. Also they give helpful hints about how to pick your spot in the weeds to catch some shut-eye, how you should not defecate in the pathways, and that urine flows downhill. Welcome to the Jungle! Call it a punk-rock travel guide.

You can check out their publishing enterprise of zines here

VHILs Video of his Skulls at Nuart

Courtesy of Martyn Reed, here’s a new video of Street Artist Vhils’ work at Nuart 2011.

Vhils (Image © Courtesy of Nuart 2011)

 

En Masse. Miami 2011 Part I by Fred Caron

 

En Masse. Miami Part II by Fred Caron

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Fun Friday 05.27.11

Fun-Friday

If you decide to stay in the city this holiday weekend you can incite your imagination and feed your intellectual curiosity by walking the streets for the great out door gallery, or go inside to see great new stuff.

1. Happy 70th Birthday Bob Dylan (a couple of days ago)
2. “Paint It Now” Tonight in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
3. Miss Van and Gaia Double Bill at Jonathan Levine
4. Shai Dahan Solo Show in Gothenburg, Sweden
5. Melrose & Fairfax Saturday “What Graffiti is to New York, Street Art is to Los Angeles”
6. FAILE SAYZ: PLAY WITH YOUR ART! Release Puzzle Boxes
7. DJ Mayonaise Hands Insightful Review of ELIK at Brooklynite
8. Narcelio Grud
9. FEIK in Brazil by Sampa Graffiti

Happy 70th Birthday Bob Dylan (a couple of days ago)

“Paint It Now” Tonight in Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Paint It Now makes its NYC debut in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood (just north of Williamsburg). The show’s curators, Thomas Buildmore and Scott Chasse partner with Fowler Arts Collective for this Brooklyn-centric show, although Philadelphia and Boston represent.

Brooklyn-Street-Art-Paint-It-Now-Fowler-052711

FEATURED ARTISTS: Morgan Thomas Anderson, Royce Bannon, Thomas Buildmore, Scott Chasse, Darkclouds, Robert daVies, El Celso, Martin Esteves, Veronica Hanssens, Jessica Hess, Keely, Kenji Nakayama, Nineta, Nose Go,
Cense, Damion Silver, John Skibo, Ben Woodward

http://www.fowlerartsbrooklyn.org/paintitnow2011.html

Fowler Arts, 67 West Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11222.

Miss Van and Gaia Double Bill at Jonathan Levine

Miss Van “Bailarinas” and Gaia “Succession” opened last night at the Jonathan Levine Gallery in Chelsea in Manhattan. Miss Van has been painting since her teenage years in France and in Europe and Gaia is celebrating his recent graduation from MICA in Baltimore. Congratulations GAIA!

brooklyn-street-art-gaia_and-miss-van-jonathan-levine-gallery

(images courtesy of the Gallery)

For more details on this show, times and address click on the link below”

http://jonathanlevinegallery.com/

Shai Dahan Solo Show in Gothenburg, Sweden

Shai Dahan moved to Sweden last year and, wasting no time, he set up to work on his new art  projects as soon as the plane touched ground. Today he invites all people that happen to be in Gothenburg , Sweden to come to the opening of his solo show “Things Come Undone” at the Artspace + Us Gallery.

brooklyn-street-art-Shai-Dahan-things-come-undone-052711-web

Shai Dahan “To catch a thief”. Detail (photo © Shai Dahan)

To read more details, time and location for this show go to:

http://www.brooklynstreetart.com/theblog/?p=20986

Melrose & Fairfax Saturday “What Graffiti is to New York, Street Art is to Los Angeles”

brooklyn-street-art-WEB-melrose-fairfax-maximillian-gallery-web-1

On Saturday the West Coast Street Art site Melrose&Fairfax invites you to attend the opening reception of their curatorial debut “What Graffiti is to New York, Street Art is to Los Angeles” at the Maximillian Gallery in West Hollywood, CA.

brooklyn-street-art-desire-obtain-cherish-birdman

Desire Obtain Cherish (photo © Birdman). Desire Obtain Cherish collective is included in this show and they are based in Los Angeles, CA. This is their most recent billboard takeover.  Click on their name above to go their site for more information about this project.

Participating artists include: Alec Monopoly, Free Humanity, Smog City, Bankrupt Slut, DeeKay, Bod Bod, 2twenty, Snyder, Gregory Stiff, KH no. 7, Desire Obtain Cherish, CYRCLE. & DD$, Leba and Homo Riot.

For more details on this show, time and address click below:

http://www.brooklynstreetart.com/theblog/?p=21183

FAILE SAYZ: PLAY WITH YOUR ART! Release Puzzle Boxes

Brooklyn Street Art: You know I was just thinking about the blocks and interactivity. I wonder if you could make a piece where some of the blocks were free and the person who buys it could play with the blocks.

Patrick Miller: Hey, you’re really onto something!

Patrick McNeil: Let’s go upstairs.

Brooklyn Street Art: You’ve already thought of this!

(from FAILE Studio Visit on BSA last fall)

Street Art Collective Faile have released a set of six different Puzzleboxes to the public. When we visited their studio last year they were in the process of creating these fun, interactive fine art pieces and now they are available, with an app on Itunes to boot.

brooklyn-street-art-faile-puzzle-boxesbrooklyn-street-art-faile-puzzle-boxesFor information about the Puzzleboxes and to purchase go to:

http://failepuzzleboxes.com/

DJ Mayonaise Hands Insightful Review of ELIK at Brooklynite

Narcelio Grud

Brazilian artist Narcelio Grud was filmed getting up all day in Manhester, UK where the only thing that really got in his way was a flock of adorable baby geese crossing his path.

FEIK in Brazil by Sampa Graffiti

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UR New York hits Woodward Project; New Video Debut at BSA

UR New York hits Woodward Project; New Video Debut at BSA

“Eye of the Beholder”, 2esae and Ski Challenge Themselves to a New Freestyle

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UR New York’s 2esae in their studio is projecting and painting by hand, a new process that made both he and Ski a little nervous, to tell the truth. (Photo courtesy of the artists © UR New York)

This week UR New York is rocking the four-panel spot across the street from Woodward Gallery in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.  The born-and-raised New York duo, who have both done graffiti in the past, have been working hard year-round on the streets of Soho selling their art for about 3 years . With their folding tables displaying original screened and sprayed urban image collage, they’ve built a serious fan base. With themselves as their own best reps, they’ve also landed their work in shows and private collections and even corporate lobbies. Always hustling and always challenging themselves to take it to the next level, they’re pretty stoked to fill this spot that has hosted a number of New York’s hometown favorite Street Artists over the last few years.

brooklyn-street-art-urnewyork-2esae-ski-woodword-gallery-jaime-rojo-1-web

The new four panel piece by UR New York (photo © Jaime Rojo)

To mark the new installation, 2easae and Ski wanted to do something new and creative so they painted everything by hand instead of using screens and stencils. The results are somehow more personal and inviting. Stretching beyond their comfort level, they also took on something more abstract. When an artist does something courageous like going outside what is safe for them, you gotta applaud. According to the guys, the end result was a feeling that they were more connected to this piece than others they’ve worked on. They also scored a greater appreciation for artists who work by hand.

Brooklyn-Street-Art-WEB2-UR-NewYork-Woodward-Feb11

Two panels chillin on the street by UR New York (Photo courtesy of the artists © URNewYork)

Brooklyn Street Art: Can you talk a little about the actual shapes and symbols you used and what pushed you toward them?
UR New York:
We decided to use different symbols, and arrows in particular, to represent the different directions we may take in life. When you look at our work traditionally it’s detailed and defined with elements of graffiti. We started this project taking a completely different route. We figured we’d use simple imagery to convey an abstract feeling.

Brooklyn Street Art: Can each panel stand as a piece by itself or is it meant to be as a single piece only?
UR New York:
The initial thought was for the four panels to create a narrative. Artistically each panel was structured to stand alone but when they come together you grasp the full vision of the piece.

brooklyn-street-art-urnewyork-2esae-ski-woodword-gallery-jaime-rojo-2-web

UR New York, detail of “Eye of the Beholder” (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Brooklyn Street Art: Talk a little bit about how you feel about changing it up stylistically.
UR New York: Changing our style of work is refreshing. As much as we love urban landscapes and graffiti, we decided to try something different and slightly out of our element. We get a thrill out of trying new techniques and styles. Our audience and supporters are always expecting something fresh and new. It’s exciting to deliver and get positive and creative feedback.

brooklyn-street-art-urnewyork-jaime-2esae-ski-woodword-gallery-rojo-3-web

UR New York, detail of “Eye of the Beholder”(Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Brooklyn Street Art: Do you always bring graffiti to the game?
UR New York: Our style is as unique as a fingerprint but an element of graffiti will always play a role in our artwork. It’s part of our background and we pay homage to the roots and culture of where this all started for us.

Video Debut of “Eye of the Beholder”, starring UR New York in studio.

Visit URNewYork online here:

Now on view at Woodward Gallery Project Space:
UR New York, “Eye of the Beholder”

Previous Installations by:

Cycle, Forest Spirit
Kenji Nakayama, Brooklyn
FARO, Mood Swingz
El Celso, Sardana
Stikman, Double Vision
Michael De Feo, New Territories
Royce Bannon, Conversation with Monsters
Lady Pink, Pink Brick Woman Reclining
Sonne Hernandez, The Revolution Will Be Televised
LAII, Stop the War
Terence Netter
JM Rizzi, Chinese New Year
Matt Siren & Darkcloud

Brooklyn-Street-Art-WEB1-UR-NewYork-Woodward-Feb11

(Photo courtesy of the artists © URNewYork)

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Fun Friday 06.18.10 : We Have a Winner!

Fun-Friday

Contest Winner for “For Your Eyes Only”

You guys are good!  And so many got so close in guessing the full list of “Eyes” last week.

So here are the answers:

Brooklyn-Street-Art-Your-Eyes-Answers-1

Brooklyn-Street-Art-Your-Eyes-Answers-2

Brooklyn-Street-Art-Your-Eyes-Answers-3

Brooklyn-Street-Art-Your-Eyes-Answers-4

The big sticking points for most people were Number 2, which a lot of people guessed was Os Gemeos, and Number 4 which some thought was Neckface or Royce Bannon.

But don’t feel bad if you didn’t get them all – nobody did.  Our winner is Sandrine from Montreal, Quebec, who was the first person to guess 7 out of 8 correctly (she guessed #4 was Neckface).  Congratulations to Sandrine and your original and signed piece from Chris of Robots Will Kill will be in the mail Monday!

Thanks everybody who participated. We’ll have another contest soon!

Where Are You Getting Up This Weekend?

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Brooklyn-Street-Art-mighty-tenaka-heaven-hell

Read about the Mighty Tenaka show here.

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Brooklyn-Street-Art-Pandemic-Shock-Therapy

Read about the Pandemic show here.

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Brooklyn-Street-Art-crest-hardware

Read about the Crest Hardware show here.

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Ya Hearrrd? BSA on HUFF PO

Brooklyn-Street-Art-huffington-post

Yo homey, still doing a Snoopy dance on the subway this morning because your favorite Street Art blog was up on HuffingtonPost.com yesterday. Arianna Huffington is one of the few straightforward truthtellers in a storm of darkness year after year, and this is like when it is your turn at Double Dutch and Malcolm McLaren  happens to be walking up your block. Okay, big difference is I don’t wear striped red disco shorts and grew up on a farm upstate and never heard of Brownsville or Buffalo Girls till “Duck Rock” came out —but otherwise it’s totally the same yo.

Leave a comment at Huffington Post and tell them how good BSA is at swinging those ropes! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/17/blog-watch-brooklyn-stree_n_615922.html


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Pandemic Gallery Presents: “Shock Therapy”

Shock Therapy!”

Sat. June 19th 7-11pm
featuring works by:

Thomas Buildmore
Morgan Thomas
Kenji Nakayama
Enamel Kingdom

Shock therapy is an attempt to regain control. while everything may seem to be spiraling towards disaster, there are methods to shock it all back in place. Over the years the term has been used to describe methods of medical, financial, and economic rebound, as well as psychological molding.  As we see it, Shock Therapy through art is a way to Instill upon others an instant sense of our passion and our desire to create. But also a way to overcome any subconscious hang-ups, to let go and be released from mental confines. A way to control the chaos, while still pushing the envelope. Shocking ourselves and the viewers straight and askew in tandem with a visual onslaught, so that they may see as we do the perplex, all encompassing world we live in.

ENAMEL KINGDOM

Enamel Kingdom is Artist/Designer Ryan Lombardi
Born in Indianapolis Indiana in 1980, Ryan’s family then moved to the Boston area when he was one year old and that’s were they decided to stay. With strong interests in Commercial Art, Graphic Design, and illustration, he headed for the “City of brotherly love” to attend Art Institute of Philadelphia. Through the introduction by a mutual friend, he hooked up with the international Artist collective Project SF in 2005.

Now Ryan lives in Boston, paying the bills with design and painting on the side. His works consist of various enamels applied to found objects such as: wood, metal, fiberglass… and any surface with normally underestimated aesthetic potential. Mainly influenced by urban settings, wild life and hip-hop culture, Ryan continues to draw from any other elements exposed from day to day life for inspiration.

KENJI NAKAYAMA

Kenji Nakayama is an artist originally from Hokkaido, Japan…

Documenting the environment that surrounds him, he spends weeks to hand craft his hand-cut multi-layer stencil work. Kenji flawlessly captures significant moments in his daily life. Serving as a diary from start to finish, his work is deeply personal.

Kenji is currently working and residing in Boston, Massachusetts. Showing his work both inside and outside of Boston.

MORGAN THOMAS


Hailing from Philadelphia, PA, Morgan Thomas has spent the majority of her life in observation of the people around her. She has studied art and art history around the world and graduated in 2007 from Williams College with two degrees (in studio art and sociology). Thomas’ main subject is human but she strives to examine human action, emotion, history and communication further than the classic portrait. Utilizing a semiotic vocabulary built up through the existence of the human race, Thomas records the world around her as she perceives it visually and spiritually. She aims to communicate to her audience the honest image and heartfelt meaning of a moment in time as it can be understood through form, color, and symbolic imagery. Thomas’ work is sociological, allegorical, and historical record. It does not try to comment on an event, but rather represent it for the audience to bring judgement to.

THOMAS BUILDMORE

Thomas Buildmore received his diploma from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in 2004. Since then, Buildmore has taken part in and/or curated many fine art installations in a variety of arenas, receiving acclaim from publications such as The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, The New York Daily News, And the Philadelphia Inquirer. In 2007 Buildmore established Overkill Studio in South Boston, Massachusetts. In 2008, Overkill Studio relocated to Philadelphia with Thomas Buildmore and Morgan Thomas at the helm. They are enjoying the lively and energetic Philadelphia Arts Community.

Also on display, the amazing video work of

DONALD O’FINN
“I appropriate samples from disparate TV media sources. I re-purpose, re-contextualize, effect, alter,
and weave these constructions into the dreams a television may have”

www.donaldofinn.com

gallery hours:
mon. – fri. 11-6
sat. – sun. 10-7

andemic Gallery

“Shock Therapy!”
Sat. June 19th 7-11pm
featuring works by:

Thomas Buildmore
Morgan Thomas
Kenji Nakayama
Enamel Kingdom

Pandemic Gallery

37 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY 11211

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Visual Slang 2009: The Modern Urban Imagination at Abrons Arts Center

Visual Slang 2009: The Modern Urban Imagination
Thursday June 25, 2009 at 6:00pm

Abrons Arts Center

466 Grand St.
New York, New York 10002 Get Directions

The third in a series of cutting-edge global urban art exhibits, VISUAL SLANG 2009 features an eclectic range of characters and creatures representing a broad spectrum of cultural heritages. Featured artists include: A1one, Ame72, Bastardilla, Bishop, C215, Cekis, Charm, Cern, Chris Cortes, Klone, Mefisto, Kenji Nakayama, Sien, Stinkfish, Whisper and Zero Cents.

Place: Abrons Arts Center, 466 Grand Street, NYC 10002; Dates: June 25th – August 14th;
Opening Reception: Thursday, June 25th, 6-8pm. Contact: Lois Stavsky, 917.562.8468.

A recent piece by Charm (photo Steven P. Harrington)

A recent piece by Charm (photo Steven P. Harrington)

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