Oscar Oiwa Exhibition

Gallery Teo

Finished

Artists

Oscar Oiwa

Oscar Oiwa (born 1965) is a satirical artist with a particularly strong narrative thread in his paintings, which often mask social commentary. Born after the war to parents who emigrated from Japan to Brazil, Oiwa is a second-generation Japanese Brazilian who first studied architecture at university, deepening his knowledge of urban conditions and environments. Growing up in an environment that nurtured his love for and familiarity with art, Oiwa then embarked on his career as a visual artist. While still a student, he mounted his first solo exhibition in Rio de Janeiro in 1985, and participated in the 21st Sao Paolo Biennial in 1991. In his twenties, Oiwa moved to Tokyo in 1991, and began a series of intriguing work that turned its attention to the distinctive traits of this sprawling metropolis: swathes of factories spewing forth smoke, huge piles of abandoned consumer products, old rickety buildings and forgotten corners of the capital's shitamachi (old downtown districts) bathed in mellow sunlight...
While also spending a two-year stint in London (1995-6), Oiwa spent a total of 11 years living and working in Tokyo, before relocating once again to New York, where he has been based since 2002.
Held concurrently with this exhibition of his work at Gallery Teo is another show, "Oscar Oiwa - Dreams of a Sleeping World," organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art (MoT), Tokyo.

Schedule

Apr 25 (Fri) 2008-May 31 (Sat) 2008