CONTEMPORARY
HISTORICAL
In this exhibition, Okada focuses on the connection between hip-hop culture and the production style inherent in his work. A printmaker and painter born in Japan, Okada looks at contemporary animation, and art production though the lens of his upbringing.
The graphic image, hip-hop and BMX culture all play a roll in establishing the ethos of his work. Sampling, a key element of his practice, is reflected in hip-hop by selecting and element from an existing source, and combining it with other elements in his personal library to create something unique and original. From his prints to his recent collage works, the LP sleeve and graphics have become a source. Two audio based works play on cassette and CD, debuting tracks produced by Okada as he extends his repertoire of mediums.
In his work exploring the animated film Dumbo, Okada distills ideas and lines into nostalgic capsules, triggering memories of the film and it's cultural presence in the media landscape. His signature bold colours, and attention to clean geometric abstraction comes through in multiple works, and a more intuitive impulse process is present in the collages.
Shogo Okada - Blue Toilet, silkscreen print, 27x34.7, 2018
Shogo Okada - Untitled 6, oil on linen, 12"round, 2018
THINK TWICE
SHOGO OKADA
JUNE 8 - JUNE 30 2018
PREVIEW
WIL KUCEY GALLERY
1183 Dundas St. W.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M6J1X3
416-532-8467
Director: Wil Kucey
Gallery Manager: Vinna Ly