Word to Mother’s works were here because of Adapta, but is this a real Word to Mother graffiti found in the wet market?

Those with a fondness for cartoon-character dolls and action figures will find a kindred spirit in Yoshitomo Nara, whose paintings and sculptures of devilish children are as disconcerting as they are cute.

A joint project with the Graf design firm, A to Z Cafe, with its original artwork, mismatched furniture, and liberal use of worn wood and corrugated iron, is a cool place to spend the afternoon. Nara’s conceptual home on the range provides an interesting contrast to the fifth-floor view of the teeming metropolis outside.

Tucked behind Omotesando’s hustle and bustle

Inside Nara’s atelier

A closer look on Nara’s works (his drawings are worth thousands of dollars!)

A little store selling his books etc

D*Face exhibition in New York runs until October 10.

Jonathan Monk’s new poster for Specific Object is typical of Monk’s style appropriating Jeff Koons with a deflated rabbit and an image of the artist with a John Baldessari red dot.

The joint launch of the exhibition between Lisson Gallery in London and Casey Kaplan in New York had been a huge success having the same works sold in two different cities at the same time.

Check it out at www.lissongallery.com / www.caseykaplangallery.com

Terence Koh’s works are probably not the general public’s taste in art.  But we find his stuff very intriguing. Part of the challenge in understanding Koh’s work is trying to decipher his intentions. He rarely explains what he does, nor does he talk about the meaning behind his work. Viewers are often left reading an artist statement that’s been prepared by the gallery owner or curator, and Koh is happy to let it be.  

Collaborating with Butt Magazine, an exhibition of video art will be shown at Asia Song Society (ASS), a Warhol-style gathering of young artists and musicians, owned by the artist himself.

www.asiasongsociety.com

Aside from Louise Bourgeois who’s now 98, Yayoi Kusama is probably the oldest woman artist from Japan also known as the “polka dot or pumpkin lady.”   The polka dots, her latest installation at the Gagosian, are a recurrent motif issued from her childhood’s hallucination which she explored in the fifties.  Her works and installations all share an obsession with repetition, pattern and accumulation. She describes herself as an obsessive artist and has struggled with mental illness. Today, she lives and work in Japan.  From her own decision, she now lives in a mental institution in Tokyo, nearby her studio. 

FABRIK AND W HONG KONG ARE PROUD TO PRESENT “SUPERFLAT SUMMER”

OPENING PARTY: July 8, 2009  6-9pm by Invitation Only

We’re crazy about Tracey Emin so we were very excited to see the latest exhibition at Mason’s Yard. We love Emin’s outspoken ferocity including the listing of all the people she slept with in a tent, or for example the sending of urgent messages such as “My Cunt is Wet with Fear” or “People Like You Need To Fuck People Like Me” or “Fantastic To Feel Beautiful Again.”

It is clear that all of Emin’s work is a result of some trauma, some terrible stifling of her voice, or shock to her system.  It is essential for her to communicate her dilemma as being hers alone. This gives the most awkward pieces an obsessive edge.  She is fearless, almost joyful at times, in her dark relief at the freedom she has won to get it all into the open.

We like this particular piece but her works are so in demand we were third on the wait list. This maybe a sign that the art market is getting better for quality stuff.

We had a chance to visit Lisson’s studio in London and totally drawn by Anish Kapoor and Julian Opie’s works.  It was a mess in there but the works are very impressive. The first image reminds me of a Comme des Garcons perfume bottle which was quickly snapped up right after we asked for the price.  

Only in London you can find a gallery that is part art installation, part pop-up store and part makeover service.  We met with the owner Josef Valentino (only 19 years old) briefly and explained to us that Worthless may have evolved into a critique of the art market, but it began life as a homage to Woolworths.  Already making noises in the art scene, but whether this is going to survive or not will be up to anyone wanting to capitalise on their junk.  Take your junk in and once its transformation is complete, you pay what you think it’s worth. Just don’t let on if you’re there to make a quick buck.

www.pollocks.org