THE CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER PRESENTS FIRST MUSEUM SHOW OF JAPANESE PAINTER AYA UEKAWA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER PRESENTS
FIRST MUSEUM SHOW OF JAPANESE PAINTER AYA UEKAWA
May 30—September 6, 2009
CINCINNATI, OH—The first museum show of Japanese painter Aya Uekawa opens May 30th at the Contemporary Arts Center, located in the Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art. Featuring all new works, Aya Uekawa will offer audiences a rare chance to encounter paintings created by this illustrious young artist that have never been seen before. Fresh out of art school, Uekawa is already anointed as one to watch by collectors. The artist currently is celebrated in galleries and important collections, but the CAC’s highly anticipated show marks Uekawa’s solo museum debut. Aya Uekawa is on view at the CAC May 30 through September 6, 2009 and is curated by Raphaela Platow, the Alice & Harris Weston Director and Chief Curator.
Part of a new generation of artists to hit the scene, Uekawa is turning the stereotypical image of contemporary Japanese art on its head. “As opposed to the super-flat, anime-esque genre so intimately associated with Japanese art of the past several decades, much attention has been paid to Uekawa’s work for her fresh approach and elegant presentation of a uniquely contemporary point of view,” explains Platow. Her work has been praised for its warmth and emotion, and the synchronicity that occurs between Eastern and Western influences.
Executed in a Renaissance hand, with the flavor of Eastern iconography, a dash of surrealism, and a nod to both pop and op art—Uekawa’s paintings evade traditional labels. The works are highly figurative and reveal the artist’s early interest in illustration. Her pieces relay a collage-like appearance and generally feature a central female character. Platow states, “Her works are both beautiful and thought-provoking. The figures seem to invite you into their own private world but keep you at arms-length, so there is an almost voyeuristic element to viewing her paintings.”
Because all of the works in the show are being created at this moment, the exact nature, and even content, of the paintings remains to be seen. But the result will be a decidedly personal expression of Uekawa’s artistic state of mind. Known for boldly offering emerging artists the rare chance to make a personal mark within an institutional framework, Platow enjoys the anticipation involved in projects such as these, explaining “This amount of creative freedom can be pivotal in a young artist’s career, and it’s wonderful to be a part of that. I am proud that the CAC provides this type of opportunity to the artist, and just as importantly, to the community.”
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Programs
Opening Celebration:
Aya Uekawa and Anri Sala: Purchase Not By Moonlight
Friday, May 29 at 8 pm
Cash bar and DJ
Free & Open to the Public
Family Sunday:
Younique! Multimedia silhouette collages
June 28, 1—4 pm
After visiting Aya Uekawa’s pattern-filled portraits, learn how to make a colorful collage in the UnMuseum®. Fun for the entire family. Sponsored in part by The Charles H. Dater Foundation.
CAC Members: Free. NonMembers: CAC Admission.
Thursday Art Play:
All About Pattern
June 11, 1—2 pm
Using Aya Uekawa as her inspiration, Pat Andreadis will help children and their caretakers explore pattern through fun art projects and activities.
CAC Members: Free. NonMembers: CAC Admission.
Contact: motoole@contemporaryartscenter.org
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About the Contemporary Arts Center
Founded in November 1939 as the Modern Art Society by three visionary women in Cincinnati, Contemporary Arts Center was one of the first institutions in the U.S. dedicated to exhibiting the art of our time. In May 2003, the Center relocated to its first free-standing home, the Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art, designed by Zaha Hadid. Throughout its distinguished history, the Center has earned a reputation for stimulating thought and introducing new ideas by presenting the work of diverse artists from around the world, including hundreds of now-famous artists such as Laurie Anderson, Jasper Johns, Louise Nevelson, Nam June Paik, I.M. Pei, Pablo Picasso, Robert Rauschenberg, Kara Walker and Andy Warhol. CAC focuses on new developments in painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, performance art and new media, presenting eight to 12 exhibitions and 20 to 40 performances annually.
The CAC receives ongoing support from: Fine Arts Fund; Ohio Arts Council; City of Cincinnati; The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation, City of Cincinnati Arts Grant Recipient; The Kettering Fund; and the generous contributions and grants of individuals and corporations and foundations, CAC memberships, facility rentals, special events and sales from the CAC Store.
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