Yumiko Kayukawa
ARTISTS' RECEPTION
Friday, April 4 2008 ~ 8:00-11:00 pm
Yumiko Kayukawa hails from Sapporo, Japan and has already made a name for herself early in her career for her candy-bright pop paintings of hip young women, animals, and traditional Japanese motifs. Using acrylic and ink, Kayukawa blends fashion illustration, sharp iconic graphics, and meticulously rendered flora and fauna to create images that evoke a dreamy and enigmatically erotic tone. The girls in Kayukawa’s paintings are mysterious and elusive-- using images of both innocence and fetish, in a sexy, subtle way, always engaging the viewer with direct eye contact. The fantasy of these dream girls is mixed with the realistic depictions of nature-- insects, birds, and animals are always present, bringing a sense of the messy and real world crashing joyfully into the lives of these pristine, icy beauties. Traditional Japanese flower motifs and kanji characters used in an untraditional way round out the compositions creating a jolting, modern tone to the paintings.
“I've been creating work in the theme of communion with animals and nature for long time. That feeling of connection inside me is growing and growing through the process of painting. Because of that I feel increasingly sad about the situation between humanity and wildlife. "Extinction" is an extremely scary word. I put that fear into my consciousness to help myself face it” says Kayukawa of her latest group of paintings.
"Her nods to tradition include the integration of calligraphy, free-floating flowers, bubbles, stars, and insects in the work's composition, as well as the sometimes impossibly positioned bodies (much like Shunga, the erotic prints). Her flat, bright style and gorgeous, stylish girls are like advertisements for fun, as impossible as fashion magazine scenarios but equally as desirable.” – The Seattle Stranger
Artist Website: www.sweetyumiko.com
Location: La Luz de Jesus Gallery 4633 Hollywood Blvd, LA CA
-HighFructose
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