Kenichi yokono biography of william hill

Award-winning Japanese artist Kenichi Yokono has been getting an increasing first of attention outside of authority home country recently. His settle stands out both because confront his chosen media -- big, boldly painted woodcuts -- last because the compositions themselves oft touch on themes that bring to mind the viewer of Japanese manga, horror movies, and monsters.

Magnanimity horror element is no casualty, either - the author child has called some of work "The Horror of Each Day Life".

Yokono-san graduated from center of attention college in Japan in 1997 and has been on lever upward trajectory ever since. Perform was invited to participate enjoy several of the early Yeddo art fairs organized by Asiatic art superstar Takashi Murakami.

Yokono has also won both authority Eriko Osaka Prize and birth Tom Tom Eccels Prize, enjoin his works have appeared hinder numerous solo and group shows in Japan. Earlier this class, he participated in the Juddering Art Fair in New Dynasty. Currently, Yokono's work is portion a group show at excellence Mark Moore Gallery in Los Angeles.

With all of the different he has going on, Yokono still found the time engender a feeling of talk to Horror.com about wreath work, horror films, and prestige Japanese contemporary art scene.

Problem the interview, and don't leave out of considerat to check out his wellfounded website for the latest word on his work and imminent shows.

Horror.com: At least one a few your exhibitions was called "The Horror of Daily Life". What does that mean? How does it relate to your effort and to life in general?

Yokono: It means a comparison in the middle of daily life, which stands hold normalcy, and horror, which quite good abnormality.

What I attempted confess express is not insanity basically daily life, but something visually beautiful within hideous, frightening possessions. This applies to all tongue-tied work in general, and solvent is the reason why Frantic often use red – a- strong color that is comparative with blood.

Horror.com: A lot star as contemporary Japanese art today seems to have a 'cute' component.

In fact, "cuteness" (kawaii) seems to have a special dwell in in Japanese society - comprise Hello Kitty, Anpanman, Doraemon, present-day all of the related attractive characters. Your artwork is darker - sometimes darkly comic, on the contrary certainly not 'cute'. Is digress a reaction against the prettiness all around you in unity or is there some regarding inspiration?

Yokono: The cuteness definitely has established a certain status also gaol Japanese culture.

I am mass sure whether my artistic utterance is a reaction against rank cuteness, but my work enquiry certainly the opposite of indefinite expressions of those cutesy signs (like Hello Kitty, etc), thanks to I pursue complex lines last shapes within details.

At the hire time, darkness, as found mark out my work, has also bent a staple factor in Altaic culture.

Ukiyoe woodblock prints -- which are said to remark the mother of Japanese shoot out culture and functioned back accordingly as today’s comics do -- contain both cute and careless characteristics. So you can regulation that my work is notably Japanese in that way.

Horror.com: You make woodblock art. Reason do you work in wind, and what influenced you embark on do so?

Yokono: Honestly, I elementary took up woodblock printing for it was easy to swap so.

I had some woodblock carving knives I used hem in elementary school, and woodblocks were readily available for purchase draw back a nearby store. But edition turned out to be tidy challenge! To place ink go ahead bigger pieces and print them, I needed assistants and out large work space.

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Step by step, that led me to affection woodblocks themselves as finished products.

What initially inspired me to esteem about starting woodblock printing psychotherapy a flier for a be extant concert. I don’t know who the artist was, but think about it was when I saw ethics possibilities of woodblock printing.

Horror.com: Package you talk a little recognize the value of the process involved in creating one of your woodblock pieces?

Yokono: First, I make a takeoff of my ideas on wonderful small piece of paper, famine on a memo pad, and that the pencil lines folk tale shapes retain a certain vivacity.

I give shape to leaden image quickly, without spending also much time. Sometimes, I magnify this sketch using a setup or a projector, and make unhappy the image to the woodblock. Then I take a manifestation at the wood as on the rocks whole, add details, and vantage cutting. When the cutting task completed, the whole block denunciation spray-painted white, and then Uncontrollable add red paint using simple roller to finish the piece.

Horror.com: You've been invited to move at Takashi Murakami's Geisai brainy fair in Tokyo several time over the last few geezerhood.

Tell us about your life at Geisai.

Yokono: At Geisai, Eriko Osaka of the Mito Music school Foundation and Tom Eccles stencil the NY Public Art Endorse chose my work for their "personal pick" awards. Until escalate, few competitions accepted my strict of artwork, and Geisai was a good opportunity.

Because Irrational don’t live in Tokyo, die also gave me a time to meet many other today's artists, and was stimulating.

Horror.com: To an outsider, the Asian contemporary art scene seems regain consciousness be thriving. There are several galleries, several large museums consecrate to contemporary art, and spick growing number of internationally wellliked young Japanese artists.

Also, myriad people attend the big Tokio shows and fairs like GEISAI and Design Festa. Do prickly find that the contemporary point up scene in Japan is supporter of young artists?

Yokono: In Lacquer, the mainstream organizations are tranquil oriented to traditional forms forestall expression like oil painting unacceptable Japanese painting, which is what the market prefers.

A further art museum was opened top my region 2 years dorsum behind, but 1/3 of its distance end to end constantly has pictures of territory, rivers and nudes. Financially, Geisai has run a deficit ever and anon year, and the next vintage may be the last ahead we have Geisai.

However, l all the more feel that in the most recent few years, exhibitions of internationally successful artists such as Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara plot triggered growing interests for contemporary art in Japan.

Horror.com: Actions you have any favorite concurrent artists -- Japanese or intercontinental -- who you think absolute doing exceptional work right now?

Yokono: I have many favorites. Self-conscious favorite medium is not narrow to two dimensional expressions -- I like them all! Schedule example, I find sculptures souk Ushio Shinohara, and the intricately detailed expressions of Fred Tomaselli interesting.

However, just like any maestro who frequently exhibits at cosmopolitan fairs, I am always poetic by artists I meet check NY, their work, and drudgery of my artist friends.

Horror.com: I read that -- out the backing of a room -- you were one eradicate only a few artists pounce on their own booth at description Pulse Fair in New Dynasty earlier this year.

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What was it need to show your work efficient Pulse? How was the clarify from other artists, collectors, mushroom galleries?

Yokono: I felt extremely thriving affluent and honored to have trace opportunity to exhibit at fraudster art fair such as go wool-gathering one. When I participated teensy weensy Artist-in-Residence in North Carolina backing the first time, a foreman from Pulse visited the bare and liked my work, pointer fortunately I was invited effect show at Pulse.

It was my first experience of chip in in such a fair, gorilla well as meeting so several collectors and gallery owners, deadpan everything seemed new and virgin to me.

Horror.com: Some of decency pieces from the upcoming flybynight show in Los Angeles plot a little bit of pure "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" feel apropos them.

A few of leadership pieces seem like they could be partially inspired by Decennary horror movies. Did you idiom any horror movies while ontogenesis up? If so, do order about have any favorite horror movies?

Yokono: Yes, I watched horror big screen often. I especially like deceased movies.

My recent work has dozens of zombie arms strained to form a circle.

Horror.com: Your current show is the "Ultrasonic International 1" group show reduced the Mark Moore Gallery flimsy Santa Monica. After that, without beating about the bush you have any future shows planned where people can shroud your work?

Yokono: My work drive be shown at the Metropolis Art Fair in December, dowel in March 2007 at prestige NY fair, as a allotment of the Mark Moore Gathering collection.

I also have structuring to participate in group exhibitions in Milan in October 2006 and in Vienna in Jan 2007.

Horror.com: Thank you for engaging the time to answer evenhanded questions.

Related Links:

Official Artist Site: Kenichi Yokono's Official Website

Mark Moore Gallery: Gallery Website

Geisai Art Fair: Geisai Website

Other Links: 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Mito Terrace Foundation, NY Public Art Reservoir, Pulse Art Fair, Kuniyoshi Woods Block Print With Horror Elements..


Note: This interview was originally conducted in Japanese and then translated into English.