SHOHEI OTOMO: Fools Paradise at Backwoods Gallery

SHOHEI OTOMO – FOOLS PARADISE – FRIDAY 7th SEPTEMBER

Backwoods Gallery, in collaboration with Lesley Kehoe Galleries, is proud to present a visceral and energetic snapshot of modern Japan though the eyes of illustrative genius Shohei Otomo.

Working mostly in ballpoint pen, Shohei Otomo’s insightful depictions of Japan expose both its commercial facade and deepest underground culture. Delivered with an unmistakable level of biting political analysis and technical perfection, Shohei’s work straddles the worlds of art, graphic design, anime and punk.

Son of the legendary Katsuhiro Otomo the prolific author and illustrator who has shaped so much of Japanese culture with titles such as AKIRA, Shohei’s work takes his fathers legacy into the next generation.

We are exceedingly proud to be exhibiting new, unseen and familiar works by Shohei Otomo, all originals insanely rendered in ballpoint pen, limited edition prints by the artists will also be available.

For Shohei Otomo, Backwoods is working with Lesley Kehoe Galleries, Australia’s leading gallery for Japanese contemporary art, located in the Melbournce CBD.

HAKUCHI (FOOLS PARADISE) by SHOHEI OTOMO
Opening Night
Friday 7th September 6PM-8PM
7th – 28th September 2012

On display Monday to Friday : 11an ~ 6pn
Saturdays : 12pm ~ 4pm

Lesley Kehoe Galleries
GROUND FLOOR, 101 COLLINS ST,
MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA

BODE in OZ

For two generations Mark and his father Vaughn Bode have forged an artistic legacy that has had a profound effect on graffiti, street art and underground comics.

In the mid seventies, the iconoclastic Vaughn Bode's comic book characters, particularly Cheech Wizard resonated so closely with the revolutionary spirit of pioneering graffiti artist that these characters were adopted as the mascots of the movement, becoming the first used in graffiti.

In recent years Mark Bode, an accomplished graffiti artist, tattooist, illustrator and writer, has stretched the horizons of the Bode universe beyond imagination, creating several cult classic comics, perhaps the best known being Colbalt 60, which is currently slated by Zack Snyder for a live action film.

Bode is also something of a nexus for the world street art and graffiti art scene, the heir to the first graffiti characters, a genuinely positive visionary and a backbone of the community he has painted murals around the globe with an extended family consisting of the most respected graffiti and street artists.

For "Bode in Oz", In February Mark Bode will be taking a 2 week tour of Melbourne and Sydney, painting murals with Australian artists and exhibiting a collection of original work along with the performance of a Cartoon Concert in both cities.

Melbourne.
House Of Bricks
40 Budd St, Coillingwood, Vic
Opening. Saturday 18th February 6-9pm
Cartoon Concert starts 8pm
Running from the 19th Feb - 4th March

USUGROW and TOSHI NOZAKA "Oriental Elements" at Backwoods Gallery

'Oriental Elements' by Toshikazu Nozaka & Usugrow from Sneaker Freaker on Vimeo.

TOSHIKAZU NOZAKA from Louis Mitchell on Vimeo.