Details:
① Artwork:
Sacred Space
This artwork is an homage to the artist’s father, who runs a Japanese restaurant with his mother. A true workhorse at the restaurant, his father is dedicated to the business, loyal to his craft, and finds comfort in his restaurant as a sacred space. Inspired by his upbringing, the artist uses an Aloha shirt pattern and tropical flora, both common at the restaurant. Two kitchen knives partially block the composition, appearing intrusive but also protective.
As a second-generation American artist of Japanese and Korean descent, Shingo Yamazaki’s work addresses the complexities of cultural hybridity, identity, and the meaning of home. Yamazaki draws upon a mixture of cultures, including his upbringing in Hawai’i and his recent move to Los Angeles. His artistic practice oscillates between the real and the imaginary while exploring themes such as generational trauma, anxiety and invisibility.
Specs:
③ Artist:
As a second-generation American artist of Japanese and Korean descent, Shingo Yamazaki’s work addresses the complexities of cultural hybridity, identity, and the meaning of home. Through his paintings, he navigates having shallow personal connections to a place while being a part of communities with deep ancestral heritages. He draws upon a mixture of cultures, iconographies, and imagery from his upbringing in Hawai’i as well as his recent migration to Los Angeles. His artistic practice oscillates between the real and the imaginary, creating narratives that explore themes such as generational trauma, anxiety, and invisibility.
Shingo Yamazaki was born in 1985 in Honolulu, Hawai’i, and lives in Los Angeles, CA. He earned his BA in Art and Art History from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa in Honolulu, Hawai’i (2014).
Yamazaki mounted a solo exhibition at United Talent Agency Gallery in Los Angeles, CA (2023).
He has participated in group exhibitions at Charlie James Gallery in Los Angeles, CA (2022); Hashimoto Contemporary in Los Angeles, CA (2022); The Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Los Angeles, CA (2022); Sow & Tailor in Los Angeles, CA (2022); and Blue Line Arts Gallery, Roseville, CA (2021) among others.
The artist received the Innovate Grant (2022) and was shortlisted for the Hopper Prize (2022), and his work has been featured in publications such as Booooooom, Friend of the Artist v. 13, and The Santa Clara Review.
