ABOUT THE ARTIST | MORE IMAGES FROM THIS ARTIST
Kenji Hirata is a New York based painter from Nagasaki, Japan. In his paintings, he incorporates water, fire, metal, wood, and soil, fusing a complex narrative out of the five elements. Hirata moves confidently between compositions of layered density and vast areas of open fields and clean forms. In his words, his work "attempts to reveal something deep within the spirit of things." He is guided by the Buddhist idea that emptiness is everything eternal. His work engages in the world and attempts to reveal something deep within the spirit of things. Hirata's personal message is that creativity is essential for a bright future and much needed in times of great concern.
Strongly inspired by nature, his work also has strong reference to the vibrancy of Jamaican dance hall sound systems, the billboards and hand painted signage of Southeast Asia, the sci-fi futurism and structure of H.R. Geiger, Phase2, Doze, Skwerm, Mike Ming, and the Barnstormers crew. Hirata's message is that "creativity is essential for a bright future and much needed in times of great concern." As an original member of the Barnstomers, Hirata has created large-scale public mural paintings in New York, Miami, Tokyo, and the rural town of Cameron, NC, where the artist collective was founded.
Hirata is an artist who creates work in an impressive variety of situations, from huge colorful public murals, to more personal paintings, from animated works for film to illustrations for books. Both his solo and collaborative works have demonstrated Hirata to be a well respected, innovative, and important member of the New York art and film communities. For more information, visit kenjihirata.com
Exhibitions:
Solo:
Decemver 2005 "Token 0.02" w/ dj klock, Arcus-Project, Tsukuba
November 2005 "pallette three" w/ dj klock, bpm, Brooklyn
October 2005 indivisiblex4, Reed Space, New York
April 2003 46Grand, New York
December 2000 BoB, New York
February 1998 Girdle Factory, Brooklyn
July 1998 Pat-Pong, New York
October 1997 Hayato, New York
Group:
June 2005 Atlantic Avenue ArtWalk, Brooklyn
April 2005 Serendip, White Box Gallery Chelsea, New York
TEN, Contemporary Art Center, Cincinatti
Tropic of Cancer, Supreme Trading, Brooklyn
The Shift Exhibition, Brooklyn & Tokyo
September 2004 Better Tomorrow, Supreme Trading Annex, Brooklyn
July 2004 The Barnstormers, SECCA Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, Winston-Salem
Beautiful Losers, Contemporary Art Center, Cincinatti
Big Apple Fest Benefit, New York
June 2004 Unseen Messages, Transport Gallery, Los Angeles
April 2004 Experiment Surf Shop, DYZ-EXP, Tokyo
November 2003 Universal Appeal, COlab, Brooklyn
November 2003 AAAC, Dream So Much, New York
October 2003 Dumbo Music Festival, Brooklyn
August 2003 Punch Gallery, Kite Show, San Francisco
August 2003 Hive Mind, Lump Gallery, North Carolina
July 2003 Halcyon, Brooklyn
Jane 2003 Punch Gallery, San Francisco
May 2003 Wall of Fame, Pierogi Gallery, Brooklyn
April 2003 CWC, Tokyo
February 2003 Billboard Show and Motion Painting, New York
December 2002 Chance by Choice, Miami
August 2002 Apostrophe, Brooklyn
August 2002 KCDC, Brooklyn
March 2002 Extensions of the Spectacle, Miami
August 2001 Galerie Vorwer Kstrft, Humburg Germany
September 2001 No Condition is Permanent, Brooklyn
December 2000 CB's Gallery, New York
December 2000 Watching Paint Dry, Brooklyn