Collaborate at Japan Foundation

Damon Kowarsky and I are having an exhibition, "Collaborate" at Japan Foundation in Sydney from Thursday 23 February to Wednesday 21 March as part of facetnate! series for 2012, a support program for emerging artists.

Opening party is from 6:30pm on Thursday 23 February and is supported by Asahi beer!
Our catalogue essay is written by David Hagger of Black art projects and is translated in Japanese also.

Japan Foundation Gallery
Level 1, Chifley Plaza, 2 Chifley Square, Sydney
Gallery hours: Monday – Friday, 11am – 4pm
RSVP: reception@jpf.org.au
02 8239 0055
www.jpf.org.au

the sketchbook project

I've joined the Sketchbook Project this year for the first time.

It's a travelling exhibition that shows thousands of artists' sketchbooks across the globe.
The sketchbooks will be permanently archived at the Brooklyn Art Library.
Mine can be found on the shelves with a call number of 162A.1-2.

The Sketchbook project will travel around the States, to Toronto & Vancouver, Canada, to London, and to Melbourne!

I had a look at the blog of this project and everyone's doing such beautiful works!!

Here are some images from my sketchbook.
More images are on my website.

happy new year

i know it's already past mid-January, but
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I'm having few exhibition in the first half of this year with Damon Kowarsky.
First one will be at Japan Foundation in Sydney from Thursday 23 February.
I'll be posting more information very soon...

Tia and Haniwa

Tia was my model for a different print in warm and cold colours.
Now she's a little grown up starting school next year.
I've made another print of recent Tia.
This will be my last print in 2011.

She's carrying a Haniwa terracotta clay figure on her head.
It's one of my favorite things I love to look and draw when I go to museums.
There are many different forms - horses, birds, dogs, shields, weapons, men, women etc..

They are ritural funerary figures used to be buried with aristocrats in Kofun period, late 3rd to late 6th century in Japan.
Some are used as a divider to create a sacred space. Some are used to keep the evil and bad spirits away.

Keeping Tia protected and safe!

More info on the print

Kitchen

My new print with Damon Kowarsky is a busy rats' kitchen!

Damon drew two squids at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo.
I added rats working to get their meal ready.
I do like rats, if it wasn't too obvious...

Details

Fish head


Squid eye soup


Famished...

Lemur hug

Damon and I have a new Japan print.
He drew a squid at National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo.
Lemur's hugging it to go to outer space like it's a rocket!

We'll try to print one more Japan edition before he leaves to New York soon where he will have an exhibition

Japan prints with Damon

Rescue
Damon drew a fallen stone lantern in a Japanese garden in Tokyo.
It's turned into an island floating in the ocean with a small robo trapped waiting to be rescued.


The grove
Damon went to a bamboo walk in Arashiyama, Kyoto.
It is now infested with giant fish!

These prints will be included in our exhibition at Japan Foundation in Sydney from Thursday 23 February - Wednesday 21 March 2012.

Also we are having an exhibition of our Japan prints at Consulate-General of Japan in Melbourne for a month in April.

I'll be posting more information soon.

I'm looking forward to making more of the works from our trip in Japan and show them next year!

Mountain hare

I drew this mountain hare in National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo.


Original drawing

Mountain hare (Lepus timidus) is also called Blue hare, White hare, Alpine hare etc.
I found him in Japan section of the museum as they are native in Hokkaido.
There are also other isolated populations of Mountain hare in Alps, Ireland, Poland and Scottland.

Their coat turns brown in summer and white in winter.
Except their tail. It's white all year around...

It reminds me of okenite, one of my favorite minerals in the collection below.
We often call it "rabbit tail"


More information on this print

Chameleons completed

Damon and I have completed our Chameleon etching series.
All drawings are from the zine "Talking of a chameleon" EXCEPT this image above.
Space chameleon is an extra and not in the zine.

Other recent prints are below
They are tiny, only 14cm x 10cm image size.


Field


Cat


Fish

All drawings of chameleons were done by Damon at Melbourne Museum and vandalised by me...

Now for the next series!

Saturday at the museum

I went to Melbourne Museum last Saturday morning.
Always my favorite place!

Raccon was the animal I wanted to draw for my new wood block print.
I found rats in Discovery Centre's drawer instead.


Rats seem to be very unpopular here.
When I was at the table sketching these rats, lots of people were saying "how disgusting" "sick!"
I didn't know rats are seen as such nasty creatures.
I always thought they are cute!


Broad-toothed rat, so fluffy and cute...


Water rat, big like an otter.

Next time I will go in and hopefully draw racoon, if they have one inside.

I didn't know Melbourne Museum charges $10 for an admission by the way.
I remember it used to be a lot cheaper.
I miss Seoul where gigantic National museum is FREE!

Spaceman

I printed an edition of Spaceman / robot the other day in studio a few weeks ago.
First plate (tone) is Prussian blue + Burnt amber and the second plate (line) is black on BFK Rives papers.

I think I'd like to try different colours also just as I did with Tia etching.

This spaceman traveled to Aesop Aoyama store wall too...


More information on my website

Annual exhibition at MLC

I am part of the annual exhibition held at Methodist Ladies Collage (MLC).
There will be my collaboration chameleon prints with Damon Kowarsky as well as my own.

It opens on Friday 18 November and runs until Friday 9 December at common ground exhibition space, 207 Barkers Road, Kew.
Opening party is on 18 November, 7:00 - 9:00pm.




View Larger Map

Moody Tia

I printed my Tia with different colours at Australian Print Workshop yesterday.
This is a two plate etching with sanguine + warm red for the tonal plate and black + sanguine for the line and tone plate.
This proof shows more tone than the prints in actual edition.


Original Tia
This was prussian blue + raw amber for the tonal plate and black for the line plate.
Very cold compared to the Tia above.

Makes me want to experiment with all other colours available...

Latest chameleons

aye-aye


#3


RRR
- Roo Rabbit Rider -


Looking up

Damon and I have printed new chameleons for our exhibition next year.

These prints are from the drawings in "Talking of a chameleon" zine we did earlier this year.

Japan and Korea

Damon and I are back to Melbourne after 20 days in Japan and 4 days in Korea.
It feels so fast but at the same time it feels like I was overseas a lot longer.
We had exhibition, met new friends and visited wonderful places.


Tokyo city from Tokyo Metropolitan Government,observatories in Shinjuku


National Museum of Nature and Science Tokyo
I spent 2 days drawings animals/insects/fish and old tools etc etc!


Artist night at Grantchester House, organised by Cambridge based artist Hiroshi Shimura who also manages this gallery.


Kiyosumi garden - Japanese stroll garden constructed by a founder of Mitsubishi, Yataro Iwasaki

KOREA!

National Museum of Korea
I spent 2 days drawing their collection, I could do more.
Gigantic space!


National Folk Museum of Korea in Gyeongbok Palace


Inside the Palace with Kim (right) and Damon (left)


War Memorial of Korea
Another gigantic place where Damon spent ages drawing airplanes and helicopters.


The greatest Hyun Ju Kim who made our trip to Seoul very special.
She is a wonderful friend and superb printmaker.
We miss you Kim!

We've been very fortunate to have friends and family who welcomed us very warmly both Japan and Korea. Thank you very much for being so generous and kind.
Thank you Tokyo and Seoul - it's been so inspiring!
We'll be back soon!!