Blue Roses, illustrators from Japan Present “Kawaii”
May 25th, 2010
Blue Roses, illustrators from Japan Present “Kawaii”
Showing in New York City and Tokyo at the same time!
New York Show
June 4 – June 17, 2010
EXCY GALLERY
147 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001
www.excygallery.com
Map
Opening Reception: Friday June 4, 6pm – 9pm
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Tokyo Show
May 31 – June 11, 2010
12G
3-1-25, 2nd FL. Nishi Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan 106-0031
No opening reception in this show.
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EXCY GALLERY, New York, is pleased to announce the opening of “Kawaii”,
presented by Blue Roses illustrators.
About Kawaii
The concept of “kawaii”, meaning “cute” or “adorable” in Japanese, emerged in the 70s and has become a prominent aspect of pop culture, entertainment, clothing, food, toys, girl’s comic books, personal appearance, behavior and mannerisms. The word can be combined with other words to create a more positive, “sweet” meaning. For example:
kimochi warui (weird) + kawaii = kimokawa (funky)
yurui (soft) + kawaii = yurukawa (lovable)
eroi (erotic) + kawaii = erokawa (hot/sexy)
The popularity of kawaii could be attributed to the ancient Japanese spiritual traditions, which value being considerate and kind toward others.
About “Girls Illustration”
Recently kawaii-style illustrations featuring little girls and women have gained momentum, establishing a new genre that’s commonly referred to as “Girls Illustration”. The name is deceiving, since the style is not simply “cute” and by no means childish. “Girls Illustration” can feature sophisticated themes and appeal to people of all ages.
About Blue Roses
Blue Roses is a group of 18 illustrators and up-and-coming artists who have been creating “Girls Illustration” since 2009. They have taken the genre in unexpected directions introducing innovative elements and unique styles. The first Blue Roses group show in Tokyo, in December 2009, was a huge success, with more than 500 people attending. “Kawaii” will feature 15 members of the group and a special guest who will present their personal interpretations of this fascinating and beautiful concept.
Blue Roses member:
• Kohey Uozumi http://www.lilirura.net/
• Akira Ebihara http://tinytoybox.com/st.html
• Yoshimi OHTANI http://www.funarium.com
• COZ http://www.coz-one.com/
• Xi http://air.xion.cc/
• CNO http://www.spamaro.com/
• sioux http://sioux.jp/
• mamico http://www.romanticagogo.com
• TAMMY http://www.tammy-web.com/
• Dalma-Shoten http://dalma.jp
• Satoko Chiba http://www.chiba-satoko.com/
• Benicco http://www.creatorz.jp/benicco
• yuuiti miyakawa http://www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~mykw/
• Yoshiko Miyamoto http://miyamon.net/
• yucachin’ http://www.yucachin.com/
Guest artist from New York:
• AKANE KODANI http://akanekodani.com/
For more information for the Blue Roses, please visit
http://www.blue-roses.info/
For more information for the NY exhibition, please contact EXCY GALLERY
info@excygallery.com or 212-695-1888
