HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Thank you for your warm support in 2013. Happy new year!

今年も、暖かいご支援をありがとうございました。どうぞ良いお年をお迎え下さい。

TIGER BOX

 I just finished "Tiger Box". It'll be on sale with my book "Japanese wolf" for a special edition set. For more info, please visit ZERO+Publishing .

「虎の箱」できあがり。画集「Japanese Wolf」とのスペシャルセット第二弾として、発売予定です。詳しくは、ZERO+Publishingまでどうぞ。

 

 

THREE COOL CATS

I can't believe it's the last day of November... I'm working for a next year's show in N.Y. right now. Here is a process shot. Everybody have a nice weekend!

１１月最終日か．．．信じられぬ！来年のニューヨークでの展覧会に向けて、描いてます。チラッとチラ見せ。みなさま、良い週末を。

HOWWL!

This is a picture from my new book "Japanese Wolf" signing event at Nucleus Gallery.  We had the real wolf guest, Thunder Heart! Check more photos on my Facebook.

Nucleus ギャラリー で行われた、新刊画集「Japanese Wolf」 サイン会での一枚です。狼の、サンダーハートくんが来場してくれました！その他の写真は、フェイスブックでどうぞ。

WOLF BOX

The first deluxe version of my new book "JAPANESE WOLF" is sets with an original painting and the "Wolf Box". Come check it out the book signing event at Gallery Nucleus!

新刊画集「JAPANESE WOLF」のデラックス版、第一弾は「狼の箱」に原画を一枚添えたセットです。ギャラリーNucleus でのサイン会で展示します。どうぞお越しくださいませ。

NEW BOOK RELEASE

New book "JAPANESE WOLF" is now available for pre-order from ZERO+Publishing. Also a book signing event is held at Nucleus Gallery. We'll have ruffle to win a original drawing, print and a signed book. Come join the fun night!

新刊画集「JAPANESE WOLF」は、現在ご予約受付中です。お申し込みは、ZERO+Publishing まで。また、画集発売記念のサイン会を、Nucleus ギャラリーで行います。原画やプリントなどが当たる催しも合わせて開催致しますので、みなさまお誘い合わせでお越し下さい！

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PROCESS SHOTS

Here are process shots of my coasters for Beer Is Art show. 

「Beer Is Art」に出展したコースターの制作過程です。

I don't like to waste things, so I use any usable paper.

Trace the sketch on this one side blank coaster. 

Start coloring.

Half way done. 

Tadaa!

Visit La Luz De Jesus gallery to check the show! 

展覧会はLa Luz De Jesus ギャラリーで開催中です！

BEER IS ART

I will take part in L.A.'s Beer Week Tie-in show "Beer Is Art" at La Luz De Jesus Gallery. Each artists created artwork on beer coasters. I entered 4 coasters, and the price is set for first time collectors. You can see all the coasters HERE.

La Luz De Jesus ギャラリーで開催される、LA Beer Week協賛のグループ展「Beer Is Art」に参加します。それぞれのアーティストが、ビールのコースターに作品を描きました。私のコースターは全部で４つ。初めてのコレクター様に優しい価格設定です。全ての作品は、コチラでご覧下さいませ。

TAIYAKI

I just found the Taiyaki bender at Fremont Sunday market! It's bit taste like waffle, but hey, it's the first Taiyaki shop in Seattle. I enjoyed it :) Keep on Taiyaki Shugyo, Beanfish!

フリーモントサンデーマーケットにたい焼きやさんが！ちょいワッフルみたいな味ですが、まあ良しとしませんか、せっかくシアトル初のたい焼きやさんだし。おいしかったですよ。Beanfish の人、たい焼き修行がんばって〜！

"Mine?"

Off course, they are dog friendly! 

NIGHT NIGHT

Tadaa! This is the new piece.

ジャーン。新作〜。

NENNE - Night Night 

16x16 in. Acrylic on Canvas. 

Info. about the piece HERE

SHADES

Corey Helford Gallery's group show "Shades" is going to starts this Saturday. I'm happy to take a part of the show with my favorite artists - Shag, Ben Frost, Tom Bagshaw, Lola, Martin Wittfooth etc...! Come see the show if you are in L.A. area!

Corey Helford ギャラリーで開催されるグループ展「Shades」は、今週土曜日からです。Shag, Ben Frost, Tom Bagshaw, Lola, Martin Wittfooth などなど、私の大好きなアーティスト達とご一緒できることを、嬉しく思っています。ロス近郊の方は、ぜひ見に来てね！

My "ghost painter". 

SEATTLE PRIDE PARADE

Here are some photos from Seattle's annual event Pride Parade last month. It was very hot and fun weekend!

先月末に行われた、毎年の恒例イベント、シアトル・プライドパレード の写真です。とっても暑くて、とっても楽しかった！

Max mobile from Seattle Humane Society 

I'm proud of Seattle!

ABLOOM DESIGN

My friend jewelry designer Namiko made this necklace for me. Isn't it pretty? Her brand names  Abloom Design. Check it out!

ジュエリーデザイナーのお友達、奈美子ちゃんが作ってくれたネックレスです。素敵でしょ？Abloom Design というブランドを運営されています。チェックしてみてね！
日本語のホームページはコチラ。

At POCO wine + spirits 

I LEFT MY HEART IN...

Thank you for coming to the opening of my show "Madness". I tried to talk to as many guests as I could. I love SF peeps! Here are few photos.

個展「Madness」のオープニングに来て頂いた皆様、どうもありがとうございました。時間内になるべく多くの方とお話しできるよう、がんばりました。サンフランシスコのみんな、大好き！少しだけですが、写真をご紹介します。

Greg Gossel

Davey from AFI

Lefty O'Doul...?

Cool art work at SFO 

A tired painter at the airport...

You can see more pics and articles HERE. The show runs until June 29th. Please stop by!

その他の写真や記事はコチラでどうぞ。ショーは６月２９日まで開催中です。どうぞお立ち寄り下さい！

I'LL SHARE MY STORY...

Here is my newest interview. Enjoy! 

最新のインタビューです。お楽しみください！

Link via Shooting Gallery

Shooting Gallery Exclusive Interview: Yumiko Kayukawa

Posted June 5, 2013 (No Comments)

Kayukawa, “TSURU (Crane)” Acrylic and Ink on Canvas, 24×16

Yumiko Kayukawa is inspired by wild animals and nature; her paintings, influenced by Japanese comics, feature a menagerie of tigers, bobcats and polar bears. Her upcoming solo show Madness (full press releasehere) opens in the Shooting Gallery on June 8, from 7 – 11 PM. Kayukawa has invented a Manga-style Eden, where her female protagonist gently interacts with fierce creatures. The Japanese artist, now based in Seattle, shared her insights regarding the cultural differences between Japan and the United States, where each country has a different take on what makes art “art.” She also revealed her strong ideological stance on the pet industry, which affects her choice of subject in her paintings. Learn more about Kayukawa below!

Madness, New Works by Yumiko Kayukawa
Opening Reception – Saturday, June 8, 7-11 pm
On View Through June 29, 2013
@ Shooting Gallery (www.shootinggallerysf.com)
886 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

RSVP.

Follow the jump to read the interview in its entirety.

Kayukawa, “OORORA MOCHI (Aurora Mochi)” Acrylic and Ink on Canvas, 28×20

Who is the lead female character in your paintings? What is her significance to you? How do you identify with her?

The girls in my paintings are just somebody. They are symbol of my feelings. They describes what in my heart.

You’ve drawn a broad range of animals – many of them being native to Japan. Any animals you want to paint that you haven’t yet?

I confess that I keep drawing the same animals again and again, such as tigers, wolves, foxes etc… Just because I love them, and it’s such a pleasure to draw them. There are many animals I’ve never drawn, and of course I have a passion to try to draw them. I already have new idea with giraffes, okapis, pronghorn antelopes, etc…So you’ll see them at my next show!

What’s it like to live in such a radically different culture from where you grew up?

It’s been eight years since I moved to here, so I feel pretty much used to it. I enjoy it more now. My favorite part of Seattle is that people are not only kind to other people, but also to animals and nature. I’ve never seen a pet shop selling dogs or cats in this area. It’s pretty common for people in Japan to buy pets from a pet shop. I hate to see puppies and kittens in show windows. I’m very happy that people are more considerate about them, so I don’t have to be sad in the middle of downtown :)

Kayukawa, “SAKURA CHIRU (Cherry Blossoms Fall)” Acrylic and Ink on Canvas, 16×12

How do Americans receive art differently from Japanese people?

For American people I feel my work is basically “foreign art.” People accept that it is “Japanese style” because I’m from Japan. But for Japanese people, my style is not “art enough” to be displayed at a gallery. Rather it’s something for a comic book or illustration. About twelve years ago, I started to translate my Manga into an art piece with some Japanese words. Adding Japanese words into my work was inspired from seeing American tattoos with Japanese symbols. Of couse some of them are super cheesy and funny. But I really enjoyed seeing it when I visited the US for the first time. So I started to say some obvious things in Japanese in my work. I imagine it wasn’t so cool for Japanese people though. So in the beginning of my career, I heard some comments from Japanese people that they thought I’m an American artist! But today, I have Japanese fans who enjoy my style as it is. It’s unique transfer of culture.

What breed of dog do you own? Would your pet ever debut as a character in your paintings?

My dog is a Papillon. My husband and I adopted him from a local rescue group. I don’t think I will put him in my paintings since my policy is not to support the pet industry. I’m afraid to draw specific breeds of pets in my paintings, because there is a chance that my work will influence fans to buy pets from a pet shop. Since I’m against the selling and buying of pets from a shop, I only paint wild animals. I sincerely hope that nobody will ever buy elephants or wolves online!

Kayukawa, “TEREYA (Shyness)” Acrylic and Ink on Canvas, 20×16

Have you noticed any similarities among your collectors? What types of people are they?

They must be “nice people!” Who understand my jokes. Unfortunately I’ve only met few of them, but all the people I’ve met were really nice. That’s the only I can remember about them because I was so happy to see their big smiles because of my paintings.

Have you branched off in any commercial ventures? Since your art is highly influenced from pop culture, could you see your images translated into products?

I have a long friendship with phone & laptop protector company Gelaskyns. It’s really fun to see my work into their products.

What role does Japanese mythology and spirituality play in your paintings?

My grandma was my nanny, and she taught me a lot of myths and folktales. Many of them are stories with animals, so I started to imagine hanging out with animals. I am also influenced by Buddhism and Shinto-ism, which also teaches about spirits and creatures in our world. I enjoy to play with these ideas in my work.

When you paint animals, which materials do you refer to for modeling them? Do you use magazines, books, websites, etc.?

I use pretty much everything to try to find an image of the animals I want. I even collect children’s books or make scrap books with magazine photos. Just so I am prepared to draw any animal in any pose.

Kayukawa, “YACHOU (Wild Birds)” Acrylic and Ink on Canvas, 12×14

Your paintings portray a range of animals – from wild, and dangerous ones, to cutesy pets like bunnies and kittens. Do tame versus wild animals in your work carry different symbolism?

As I said earlier, I don’t paint pet animals. Even a piece from the new collection “Wild bird” – the theme is that these parakeets are originally wild birds. But I guess what you mean is the little wild bunnies, tiger or bobcat kittens :) Yes, I love dangerous or cute animals, both. I especially have strong feeling for predatory animals. Since I was a child, I was really into nature shows, like lions hunting zebras. I know it’s hard to see one killed in a brutal way, but that’s the way that predatory animals survive. I just adore, and respect their amazing lives.

Where is your favorite place to work on art besides your studio?

I have everything I need in my studio space. I don’t even enjoy doodling anymore. So I always work at my studio, and nowhere else.

Kayukawa, “YUKIHYOU (Snow Leopard)” Acrylic and Ink on Canvas, 22×15

DETAILS ABOUT SHOW

Blog via Shooting gallery. 

Details: Yumiko Kayukawa’s “Madness”

Posted May 22, 2013 (No Comments)

Yumiko Kayukawa in her studio with adorable pup.

On June 8, Yumiko Kayukawa returns for her eighth solo show at the Shooting Gallery: Madness (full press release here.) Her work bridges contemporary American pop culture with traditional Japanese motifs, where each painting is rife with references and humorous anecdotes. She sent us some detail shots of her upcoming work giving us a look at her precisely formed lines and expressive linework. Kayukawa’s oeuvre expresses a love of nature, with vibrant animal characters, and a recurring, self-possessed female protagonist. 

Madness, New Works by Yumiko Kayukawa
Opening Reception – Saturday, June 8, 7-11 pm
On View Through June 29, 2013
@ Shooting Gallery (www.shootinggallerysf.com)
886 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

Follow the jump for exclusive detail shots and follow her blog here for additional updates.