Goldfish Aquarium Moeco Matsushita August 2nd - August 18th 2018 Opening Reception : August 2nd 6-8pm +81 Gallery : 167 Elizabeth Street, New York, NY 10012 Hours : Wednesday - Sunday 12-7pm ARTIST STATEMENT: The foremost characteristics of chalk art as a means of expression are how the fingertips and body temperature are used when drawing, how an everlasting soul is breathed into the canvas by presenting colors and touching the piece directly while making it. It is a straight representation of the artist’s ideas. The hues placed upon the blackboard that is the canvas convey warmth from each fingertip, spreading and mixing the colors to create gradations with depth. Flowers bloom, butterflies flutter, while people and animals come to life on what was before just a two-dimensional board. It is instilled all at once with reality and power. That is my chalk art. I don’t want to leave behind simple and superficial creations that pursue “beauty” since I believe “beauty” always contains conflicting things. These are black feelings like “poison” or “darkness” or “jealousy” that everyone has in the depths of their mind. Furthermore, there are scarlet emotions like “desire” and “eroticism” that are concealed and kept secret. My work expresses ideas at the core of such things. “Goldfish” is a subject in many of my pieces that has also become synonymous with moeco chalk art. Goldfish have been beloved symbols of “cuteness” and “beauty” since olden times in Japan because of their vibrant coloration with a contrast of red and white. However, my goldfish are not mere representations of what is cute and beautiful as they also depict the pain and emptiness of having been robbed of their freedom and treated as showpieces in an aquarium. I also present that side of them. Once upon a time in Japan, prostitutes had their freedom take from them and worked every night in red-light districts would buy goldfish with the money they earned in exchange for their bodies. Their sole enjoyment came from gazing at these goldfish as they swam in their cramped containers of water. I have been drawing goldfish ever since I learned of the forlorn feelings of these women who saw themselves reflected in their existence. Biography Exhibitions 2013 Hana Wahine / Green Room Hawaii / Hawaii, USA 2014 Hana Wahine / Gallerie Sparta / LA, USA 2017 Tsuyaga / Saison Gallery / 367 Cafe / Tokyo, Japan 2017 Tsuyaga / Isetan Dept Shinjuku / Tokyo, Japan 2017 Affordable Art Fair / No1. Republic Boulevard / Singapore 2017 Vermilion Brilliance and Hidden Eroticism / Reso Box / NY, USA 2018 MAGIC JAPAN - Art in MAGIC / Tokyo Big-site / Tokyo, Japan 2018 Animals Save the Earth / Cafe LARI AND KELLY / Seoul, Korea Client Works 2014 Signage for healing salone produced by RENA KOMINE "ELEMENTS OF SEASONS" 2014 Album cover for "100 NEN SOU" by UTABITO HANE 2015 Signage for cold press juice stand produced by TERUAKI UOTANI 2015 Original T-shirt misono x Miauler Mew x moecochalkart 2015 Event T-shirt design for AAA MISAKO UNO x moecochalkart 2015/2016 Web, flyer, merchandise design for DisGONNIE a theater company by Daisuke Nishida 2016 Chalk art for TV drama "OUR HOUSE" episode 1, starring Mana Ashida 2016 Aug Collaboration goods with DOWBL, Shibuya109Mens 2016 Chalk art interior decoration 2016 Moecochalkart merchandise items sold at Miauler Mew, 2f of Shibuya109 2016 Interior decoration for Isetan brand "LUGHA" Mitsukoshi Ginza by moecochalkart x RiM's Candle 2017 Poster chalk art for Kabuki stage "Idomu" by Matsuya Onoe Workshops, Lectures 2016 Chalk art class in Toronto, Canada Others 1997 Awarded the "multi-media award" at the 7th annual Japan Bishojo Contest Has been active as an actress for film, TV drama, theater and as a singer. 2012 Acquires a license as chalk-art instructor Chalk art Official Site Chalk art FACEBOOK For additional information, please contact : info@plus81.us