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Ichiro Irie "Naporitan Collection"
Eitoeiko
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Ichiro Irie
Eitoeiko is pleased to present Naporitan Collection, Ichiro Irie's fourth solo exhibition following Slap, Stick and Mark, 2012, The Imposters, 2018, and Googleheim Collection, 2023. Irie, who emigrated from Japan to the U.S. as a child and has been working in Los Angeles, studied at Claremont Graduate University and then spent seven years in Mexico after being awarded a Fulbright Scholarship. As a result, he has a multifaceted perspective of Japanese, American, and Mexican culture.
Naporitan (as most frequently spelled using Hepburn romanization) spaghetti was invented by Shigetada Irie, executive chef of the Hotel New Grand in Yokohama for U.S. General Douglas MacArthur, who was stationed in Japan after the end of the Pacific War. It was developed to satisfy American taste buds through imagination and resourcefulness during the post-war period when ingredients were largely unavailable. In other words, despite its fancy-sounding, quasi-Italian nomenclature, Naporitan spaghetti is a decidedly cheap “Itameshi” dish of Japanese origin. On the other hand, in the United States, “Neapolitan”(same pronunciation) does not refer to a type of Spaghetti sauce, but instead, refers to a popular, tri-colored flavor of ice cream.
In this exhibition, Irie's collection mashes various motifs up, such as movie actors, musicians, and cartoon characters through wordplay. The show’s title is reminiscent of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Collection in New York City which houses the largest art collection in the Americas. The works on display demonstrate how a fluidity that changes with time exists even within the so-called timeless universality found in canonical masterpieces. As part of the current exhibition, the artist will present “Princetagram" a grouping of photos inspired by Richard Prince. By appropriating one of the infamous appropriation artist's most litigious and polemic bodies of work, Irie further complicates the narrative by alluding to the uncertainty that often exists in popular mythology.
Naporitan (as most frequently spelled using Hepburn romanization) spaghetti was invented by Shigetada Irie, executive chef of the Hotel New Grand in Yokohama for U.S. General Douglas MacArthur, who was stationed in Japan after the end of the Pacific War. It was developed to satisfy American taste buds through imagination and resourcefulness during the post-war period when ingredients were largely unavailable. In other words, despite its fancy-sounding, quasi-Italian nomenclature, Naporitan spaghetti is a decidedly cheap “Itameshi” dish of Japanese origin. On the other hand, in the United States, “Neapolitan”(same pronunciation) does not refer to a type of Spaghetti sauce, but instead, refers to a popular, tri-colored flavor of ice cream.
In this exhibition, Irie's collection mashes various motifs up, such as movie actors, musicians, and cartoon characters through wordplay. The show’s title is reminiscent of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Collection in New York City which houses the largest art collection in the Americas. The works on display demonstrate how a fluidity that changes with time exists even within the so-called timeless universality found in canonical masterpieces. As part of the current exhibition, the artist will present “Princetagram" a grouping of photos inspired by Richard Prince. By appropriating one of the infamous appropriation artist's most litigious and polemic bodies of work, Irie further complicates the narrative by alluding to the uncertainty that often exists in popular mythology.
Schedule | May 31 (Sat) 2025-Jun 28 (Sat) 2025 Opening Hours Information
Opening Reception May 31 (Sat) 2025 18:00 - 20:00 | ||||
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| Fee | Free | ||||
| Venue | Eitoeiko http://eitoeiko.com/  | ||||
| Location | 32-2 Yaraicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0805 | ||||
| Access | 5 minute walk from exit 2 at Kagurazaka Station on the Tozai line, 10 minute walk from exit A1 at Ushigome-kagurazaka Station on the Toei Oedo line, 12 minute walk from exit 2 at Edogawabashi Station on the Yurakucho line. | ||||
| Phone | 03-6873-3830 | ||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
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