Happy holidays from Kokoro!

Please join us this Thursday for our holiday party and December opening - 

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—Get into the ring… Kokoro Gallery presents a solo exhibition of new work by William Emmert, on view through November 24th. “The Squared Circle” is Emmert’s first solo exhibition in San Francisco, and will feature mixed media works on childhood wrestling posters and a handmade VHS tape collection.

William Emmert’s playful and fantastical art harvests new discoveries from the dusty artifacts of an average childhood. Remaking and painting over imagery from wrestling magazines, baseball cards, and bad movies, Emmert’s pop explosions deliver a chair shot of cool composition and absurd iconography. Filled with firm lines, bright hues, and drop kicks of adolescent memories, his paintings celebrate the strange poses of macho heroes and the imaginary landscapes they inhabit.

Emmert’s colorful bursts of distorted ephemera aim to highlight forgotten fantasies and the need to time-travel within one’s own personal history. Conveying blurred references to bedroom posters, teenage collections, and hero worship, the artworks serve as stand-ins holding the place for a desired myth. Emmert’s reinventions remind us of the curious and beautiful forms lurking underneath even the silliest displays of popular art and mass marketing.

William Emmert is from Seattle, Washington, and is currently based in San Francisco.

“The Squared Circle” will be on view at Kokoro Studio from November 3 to 24, 2011. There will be a public opening reception on Thursday, November 3 from 7 to 10pm. Kokoro Studio is located at 682 Geary Street in San Francisco, just a few blocks from Union Square, and is open Thursday through Friday from 2pm to 8pm, Saturday from 12pm to 7pm, and by appointment. For more information, please visithttp://www.flickr.com/photos/emmertwilliam and http://www.kokorostudio.us.

TRICK OR TREAT!

Halloween Party with Live Painting by Anyone with Costume!

Host: Kokoro Studio
Place: Kokoro Studio
Start: 9pm - Late
Music: DJ Raymond Sebastien

BYOB. Colors and Canvas are provided. Free Entry.

Kokoro Studio is proud to mark our second anniversary, reflecting on the essence of Kokoro Studio: a portal toward new ideas and worlds within. 

This month we present the return of Kokoro artists Maria Berrio, Sara Christian, Yuriko Katori, Mayumi Tanaka, and an interactive projection by Superdeux. We are also pleased to present a collaboration with Japanese calligrapher Aoi Yamaguchi.

We invite you to celebrate with us as we remember the past two years, and embark on another year of discovery.


“Kokoro” will be on view at Kokoro Studio from October 6 to 27, 2011. There will be a public opening reception on Thursday, October 6 from 7 to 10pm. Kokoro Studio is located at 682 Geary Street in San Francisco, just a few blocks from Union Square, and is open Thursday through Friday from 1pm to 8pm, Saturday from 12pm to 7pm, and by appointment. For more information, please visithttp://www.kokorostudio.us.

Kokoro Studio announces

“Smile to Your Life!”
by Jonathan Wallraven

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—Kokoro Studio is pleased to announce a solo show of new work by Jonathan Wallraven, on view through September 29. “Smile to Your Life!” is Wallraven’s first San Francisco solo exhibition, and will feature black-and-white ink drawings on panels and wall-hung sculptures.

Wallraven’s drawings depict slightly grotesque women, open-mouthed, with their words and thoughts spelled out inside irregular speech bubbles. Phrases like “Smile to your life!” “Add it up!” and “Embrace nothing” are imperative statements bordering on the non-sensical. Wallraven likens these phrases to zen koan, short questions or statements that require intuition, rather than rational thinking, to decipher. The nonsense quality, along with heartfelt sincerity and a healthy sense of humor, disarms the audience to reveal deeper truths about the self.

This absurd language is accompanied by equally absurd images. The unrealistic, Photoshopped women found in magazines and print advertising are the source material of Wallraven’s figures. He alters their already distorted forms through a transformative drawing process. A small original drawing in made in his distinctive style, then a skewed projection of that drawing is traced onto the wall or a panel. Recently, Wallraven added another layer of distortion by projecting his final drawings onto three-dimensional surfaces. The images stretch and warp across the object’s planes, becoming unrecognizable at certain points. The result, although far removed from reality, replicates the combination of discomfort and humor that marks everyday life. 

Jonathan Wallraven is an American artist who was born and raised in Tennessee. He studied studio art at Middle Tennessee State University, where he was trained in printmaking, drawing, and sculpture. He is currently an MFA candidate at California College of the Arts. Wallraven lives and works in San Francisco. 

“Smile to Your Life!” will be on view at Kokoro Studio from September 8 to 29, 2011. There will be a public opening reception on Thursday, September 8 from 7 to 10pm. Kokoro Studio is located at 682 Geary Street in San Francisco, just a few blocks from Union Square, and is open Thursday through Friday from 2pm to 8pm, Saturday from 12pm to 7pm, and by appointment. For more information, please visitwww.jonathanwallraven.com and www.kokorostudio.us.

…

Kokoro Studio Presents: KOKORO SUMMER GROUP SHOW

Where: Kokoro Studio. 682 Geary st San Francisco, CA 94102

When: 7pm-10pm 7.7.2011(opening) 7.7-8.26.2011(on view)

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Celebrate summer with Kokoro Studio at our Summer Group Show. Come enjoy the familiar and explore new discoveries as we feature our favorite known and new artists. We are pleased to welcome back several artists who have exhibited in our gallery in recent months, as well as inviting new artists into our space for the first time. The Summer Group Show is your sneak preview into the upcoming season at Kokoro. Artists include Catrine Bodum, William Emmert, Alex Braubach, Courtney Johnson, Yuriko Katori, Hyesu Lee, JiandYin, Ignacio Murua, Mayumi Tanaka, and Jonathan Wallraven.
Join us at the opening reception on Thursday July 7 from 7pm to 10pm! 

The Summer Group Show will be on view at Kokoro Studio from July 7 to August 28, 2011. Kokoro Studio is located at 682 Geary Street in San Francisco, just a few blocks from Union Square, and is open Tuesday through Friday from 2pm to 8pm, Saturday from 12pm to 7pm, and by appointment.

For more information, please contact info@kokorostudio.us

Kokoro Studio announces 

“Unhealthy,” a Solo Exhibition by Mayumi Tanaka

Reception: May 5. 7pm - 10pm

Performance by Spobra starts at 9pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—Kokoro Studio is pleased to announce “Unhealthy,” a solo show of drawings, craft, and performance by Japanese artist Mayumi Tanaka, on view through May 5 - May 26, 2011. The exhibition will commence with a special opening night performance by Tanaka’s dance and acting group, SpoBra.

Mayumi Tanaka treads a thin line of quirky cuteness. She stands at once on both sides of the cute aesthetic, embracing and undermining it in the same work. Brightly colored drawings bely insidious content; child-like costuming and game-show music contrast with the sincerity of her performances. Dualities are recurrent in Tanaks’a art, because she uses drawing and performance to attempt an honest translation of human feelings. Her newest body of work explores her own secret bad habits, with an emphasis on their reality. To Tanaka, the reality of bad habits is their duality: seductive, but unhealthy, tempting, but destructive.

The resulting drawings can take the viewer by surprise. The immediate impact of the luscious color palate and cartoonish contour lines feels carefree and naive. A closer look, however, reveals drooping faces, ghostly shadows, graying skin, and the undeniable impression that something is wrong. 

Mayumi Tanaka was born in Tokyo, Japan, and lives and works in the Culver City arts district of Los Angeles. She graduated from Asagaya Art College in Tokyo. Her artwork and performance have been exhibited throughout the state of California. 

“Unhealthy” will be on view at Kokoro Studio from May 5 to May 26, 2011. There will be a public opening reception on Thursday, May 5 from 7pm to 10pm. Kokoro Studio is located at 682 Geary Street in San Francisco, just a few blocks from Union Square, and is open Tuesday through Friday from 2pm to 8pm, Saturday from 12pm to 7pm, and by appointment.

For more information, please visit www.mayubonne.com, www.spobra.net,  and www.kokorostudio.us.

- written by Christine Peterson

Surreality in Reality x Gallery Heist x Kokoro Studio presents:
Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fundraiser
“RISE JAPAN”

Saturday April 2nd, 2011 | 7PM - 12AM
Gallery Heist: 679 Geary St, SF
Kokoro Studio: 682 Geary St, SF 

In response to the devastating disaster that has struck Japan, S.I.R, Gallery Heist & Kokoro Studio have joined together to raise money in an effort to provide relief and aid for the people effected by the earthquake and Tsunami. 

Please join us for one night only salon-style art exhibition and performances on Saturday April 2nd, 2011 from 7PM-12AM. 

All artwork will be priced at $100 or below.
100% of the proceeds will be donated to Give2Asia: JSNC Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund
For more information, visit http://give2asia.org/japan society 


Artists:
Artworks / Prints by:

Akko Terasawa
Alex Brauham
Andy Baron
Aoi Yamaguchi 
Brett Amory
Daryll Pierce
Elsa Kawai
Freegums
Hugh Leeman
Jason Ashley
Junko Maegawa
Noa- 
Kenta Shimbo
Koji Nagao
Taiko Fujimura
Takashi Akamatsu
John Felix Arnold III
Manay Fabregas
Mario Ayala 
Matthew McDonald
Maria Bellio
Mayumi Tanaka
Mia Christopher
Micke Tong
Nathan Waren
Robert Bowen
Ryan McGinness
Satoshi Terawaki 
Stacy Tang
Superdeux
Zack Lewis
… more & more artists TBA!


Books by:
Last Gasp Books


Performances by: 
Naoko Nozawa and Bob Nozawa/
The Ass Baboons of Venus from Tokyo 
Spobra from Tokyo


Media Sponsors:
Warholian.com
Society Theory

Food by: 
ONIGILLY http://onigilly.com/
Onigilly [Oh-Knee-Ghee-Lee] is traditional Japanese food made with brown rice and gourmet filling wrapped with seaweed! 


Drinks by:
Sapporo USA Inc.

Sponsors:

PsPrint Online Printing

Mochi Media, Inc.

Organizers:
Surreality in Reality x Gallery Heist x Kokoro Studio 
http://www.sir-sf.net/
http://galleryheist.com/
http://kokorostudio.us/

Kokoro Studio announces “Lightweight,” a Solo Exhibition by Catrine Bodum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—Kokoro Studio is pleased to announce “Lightweight,” an exhibition of new paintings by Catrine Bodum, on view through April 28. “Lightweight” is Bodum’s first exhibition in the western United States, and will include a selection of works in watercolor on muslin.

Catrine Bodum’s special interest in painting lies in the potential of layers, as both a literal build-up of paint on canvas, and a metaphor for time and experience. She recently transitioned from oil paints to watercolor, and now utilizes the paint’s ability to mottle, bleed, stain, veil, and resist on the muslin surface. Bodum describes her works as “containers of information.” As new information layers over what came before, the image is both revealed and confused. In this world, “different things can take place in the same place.”

These new works are delightfully colorful, built in thin veils where each color combines with others to make many. Under these vibrant surfaces, portions of unprimed, natural muslin peek out in contrast. The patterns recall other layered environments: tree branch after tree branch in a forest, paper and paste residue on old billboards, sea foliage floating on the ocean’s surface, the accidental composition on a painter’s studio floor.

Catrine Bodum is a Swiss/Danish artist who lives and works in both London and Lucerne, Switzerland. She received her BFA from Parsons School of Design, New York City, and her MA in fine art from Byam Shaw School of Art, London. Her work has been exhibited in London, New York City, and Lucerne.

“Lightweight” will be on view at Kokoro Studio from April 7 to April 28, 2011. There will be a public opening reception on April 7 from 7pm to 10pm. Kokoro Studio is located at 682 Geary Street in San Francisco, just a few blocks from Union Square, and is open Tuesday through Friday from 2pm to 8pm, Saturday from 12pm to 7pm, and by appointment.

For more information, please visit http://www.catrinebodum.com , or contact info@kokorostudio.us