KUMUKUMU is proud to present a solo exhibition of new works by Japanese artist Yuki Itoda. This show marks his solo debut in the United States.

Itoda will exhibit a diverse selection of paintings, collages, and drawings on paper. Made of acrylic, oil, spray paint and neon, Itoda’s works bristle with the energy of the artist’s hand. With their saturated colors and energetic brushstrokes, many of Itoda’s distorted, gestural portraits contain elements of both Abstract Expressionism and contemporary animation. However, Itoda draws on varied influences, from classical oil painting to graffiti to experimental video, leading to a more sensitive approach to his artwork. His bold, sweeping gestures are counterbalanced by a precise draughtsmanship that borders on hyper-realism. Yuki’s handling of materials tends to be tactile and raw, yet nuanced, and vibrantly expressive of emotions. As he said in a recent interview held in conjunction with the Armory Show, “My heart is like a cup: I see people, things around me every day—this cup becomes full. Then it’s overflowing and I have to empty it—I paint. Then I walk around some more to fill it up again, and then I paint again.”

Yuki Itoda was born in Tokyo, Japan. He currently lives and works in New York City. Prolific Japanese artist and founder of Geisai Art Fair, Takashi Murakami, took early notice of his work and invited Itoda to participate in Geisai starting in 2006. In 2007, Itoda collaborated with the group AVAF on the exhibition, Space for your Future: Recombining the DNA of Art and Design at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (MOT). Most recently, Itoda was invited to participate in the 2009 Armory Show VIP Reception at the St. Regis Residences. The group show, to which Itoda contributed over 70 paintings, was titled The Girls from Kyoto and other Japanese Contemporary Masters, and received immediate critical acclaim.