STORIES September 18-November 15, 2021
www.tobinohashi.com info@tobinohashi.com Okinawa, Japan
STORIES September 18, 2021 Hello and greetings from Bob Tobin and Hitoshi Ohashi of Tobin Ohashi Gallery in Okinawa, Japan. We are proud to present our new on-line exhibition STORIES, an exhibition of prints and paintings relevant to the issues of our day, whether they be political, economic, personal, or environmental. These are works that like all good stories command attention and connect to our emotions, humor, pride and feelings. We have chosen work from artists around the world. In the description of the works, we have added some of our own thoughts about the works. We hope that these works will spark your own stories that will touch you in a very positive way. For more information, please let us know at info@tobinohashi.com. We can easily arrange shipping in Japan and worldwide.
Bob and Hitoshi Tobin Ohashi Gallery info@tobinohashi.com
STORIES LAYLAH AILI LAYLAH AILI COMFORT WITH RAGE 17 x 11 in. Signed and numbered Edition of 100 4 color Screen Print Custom Framed 58 cm x 42 cm. ¥ 60,000 | $550 USD In this multi-colored print, the artist Layla Aili couples a somewhat comical figure with a very strong message. Comfort with Rage is emblematic of the artist’s interest in creating narratives and imagery that question the stability of fixed cultural, racial, and sexual definitions. Laylah Aili (b. 1968 in Buffalo, New York) is known for her works that challenge fixed racial and gender narratives. She is a professor of art at Williams College and has had solo shows at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, among others. Ali’s work was included in the 2003 Venice Biennale and the 2004 Whitney Biennial.
STORIES AGNESS BUYA YOMBWE
Let this smiling happy home welcome and embrace you every day. This print by Zambian artist Agness Buya Yombwe brings some lightness and humor to your living space. She currently runs the Wayi Wayi Art Studio and Gallery with her artist husband Lawrence Yombwe in Livingstone where they organize art clubs and workshops for adults and children. Her aesthetic is informed by the symbolism and tenets of the Bemba people of Northern Zambia. She has undertaken prestigious studio residencies at the Edvard Munch Studio in Oslo (Norway) and at the McColl Center for Visual Arts in North Carolina (USA).
HAPPY HOME Linocut 14.96 x 9.84 in 38.0 x 25.0 cm Edition of 10 Signed by artist with title, year and edition number, 4/10 Framed size: 40.0 cm x 53.0 cm ¥ 55,000 | $500 USD
STORIES AGNESS BUYA YOMBWE
I T ’ S A TA B O O T O H A N G UNDERWEAR OUTSIDE THE HOUSE Painting and Collage 30 x 36 cm Unique Work Signed by artist ¥ 55,000 | $500 US
Every culture has its taboos. Here the artist highlights one from Zambia and other cultures. This is art. This is folklore.This is education. Her artwork is inspired by interactions with other people from all walks of life. Culture and tradition play a crucial role for her. Agness Buya Yombwe´s respectful approaches to the topics are often critical and address societal taboos.
STORIES AGNESS BUYA YOMBWE
AGNESS BUYA YOMBWE CHOIR Linocut Signed by artist with title, year and edition number, 4/10 Framed 40.0 cm x 53.0 cm ¥ 55,000 | $500 USD
Mouths wide open. You can almost hear them singing. “Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti…” Having experienced societal resistance herself, Agness has made a strong point for women in all arts.
STORIES ADAM MARS
It’s been quite a year.
In fact, it’s been a crazy couple of years that we will never forget. This print says it all. “Life: Ass-backwards and upside down.” Adam Mars b. 1981 in Orange County, CA is known for his text-based paintings, which address the contemporary social experience.
LIFE (Ass-backwards and Upside Down), 2020 Screen Print on paper 27.9 × 35.6 cm Edition of 20, Signed with edition number Framed 36 cm x 39 cm ¥60,000 | $550 USD
Mars created a public billboard as part of LA><ART's public art initiative LA Public Domain. The billboard, I Loved You, Then I Googled You was installed on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles, CA.
STORIES GEORGE MACIUNAS
NO SMOKING GEORGE MACIUNAS [1931-1978] Limited Edition, 1976 Size: 42.3 x 42.5 cm Framed: 52 cm x 52 cm. ¥ 50,000 | $450 USD
This striking design conveys a
potent message. It’s art and a lifesaver. George Maciunas was an artist, urban plainer and the founder of Fluxus which was a global collective of artists, musicians, and designers. John Cage, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Nam June Paik, George Brecht, and Joseph Beuys were also members of Fluxes. Fluxus has been described as part of a movement towards global humanism. The artist did not sign his work.
STORIES TSEWANG TASHI Celebrate the power and courage of young activists who risk so much to make a difference. This print by Tsewang Tashi is of a young Tibetan activist. The artist avoids incorporating certain elements in his work that would perpetuate the myth of Tibet as Shangri-La. He believes that contemporary art cannot be created when contemporary life is ignored. He graduated from the Fine Arts department of the Central University for National Minorities in Beijing and completed a Master's degree in Art from the National College of Art and Design in Norway. He is currently Associate Professor at the Arts department of Tibet University. UNTITLED #3 Signed by Artist with Edition Number Edition 16/30 Silkscreen Varnished Print Size: 101 cm. x 99 cm. Framed
￥220,000 | $2100 USD
STORIES MADSAKI
An irreverent version of the American flag reflecting the wounds, fabric, tears, changes, ups and downs of America’s recent history. Madsaki has his roots in the U.S. as well as Japan. He filters famous images through his own graffiti-inspired style, resulting in simplified, uncanny new images. He is a favorite of Takashi Murakami with whom he often collaborates.
MADSAKI b. 1974 THREE FLAGS 3 P 2018. Signed Offset lithograph, Edition of 300 Framed 57 x80 cm. $2000 USD | Y 220,000
He is a graduate of the Parsons School of Design. Madsaki’s accessible style and instantly recognizable subject matter critique conceptions of value in the art world.
STORIES DAVID HILLIARD A different kind of story. One that leaves so much to your imagination. This two-paneled photograph presents a complex narrative with different focal points. It’s a work that awakens our curiosity and invites us to create our own story. Born in 1964 in Lowell, Massachusetts, Hilliard lives and works in Boston. He received his BFA from Massachusetts College of Art in 1992, and his MFA from Yale University in 1994. He was the recipient of a Fulbright Grant and a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, and he was awarded the Bok Center Award for Excellence in Teaching by Harvard University in 2012. Paul Coerced, 2008 Signed on label with edition number on reverse Edition of 12 75 cm x 110 cm Framed ¥550,000 | $5000 USD
He has been a visiting lecturer at numerous schools, including Harvard University; Dartmouth College; Art Institute of Boston; and the Massachusetts College of Art & Design.
STORIES KURU ART PROJECT
The San people -the native people of Southern Africa traditionally painted on caves and rocks.They are hunters and gatherers dependent on their surroundings for their sustenance. In this graphic work the San artist of Southern Africa tell their story. Notice the plants, the animal tracks, the prey and the powerful characterizations of the hunters. The Kuru Art project encourages and assists the San people by exposing them to contemporary art materials and techniques. The project brings back the role of art as an expressive outlet for their traditions and recent life experiences and helps sustain them. SAN HUNTERS Signed by Artist Katrina Color linocut, edition of 20 52 cm x 70 cm. Custom Framed Size ¥ 65,000 | $ 600 USD
STORIES KURU ART PROJECT In this colorful print, the artist portrays the wildlife and plants in the surroundings of the San people. While so many of us are concerned about climate change, the San artists have seen first hand how climate change and development have destroyed their habitats. The need to preserve their culture, traditions, stories and myths in visual form has played an important role in increasing self-awareness and pride within their community. Members of the project have had their work used in many publications, book covers, on the tails of British Airways planes and on a set of stamps issued by the Botswana Postal Services. 2 Gemsbok and Gemboku Bush, 2016 Signed by Artist KGKOM Color linocut, edition 5 of 21 32 cm x 42 cm. Paper Size 36 cm x 45 cm Framed Size ¥ 65,000 | $ 600 USD
STORIES KURU ART PROJECT
Giraffes are such majestic, energetic and impressive animals.You’ve seen how children react when they see giraffes.Seeing giraffes often leaves the viewer spellbound. Tragically the giraffe populations have been diminished by civil unrest, military actions and war and violence. They face mounting threats from habitat loss and fragmentation, urban development and illegal hunting. The population of giraffes has decreased by 40% in the past 30 years. This print from the Kuru Art Project raises awareness of the threats facing giraffes. Did you know June 21 is World Giraffe Day? JAN TCEGA JOHN DESERT GIRAFFES Linocut SIZE 33.5 x 44.5 cm EDITION 18/20 46 x 54 cm Framed with red metallic frame. ¥ 65,000 | $ 600 USD
STORIES KURU ART PROJECT
JAN TCEGA JOHN LADIES PLANT LInocut, 25 x 20 cm, Signed Edition 16/17 Framed Size: 54 cm X 42 cm. ¥ 65,000 | $ 600 USD
This colorful print further illustrates the environment of the San people. This plant found in the Kalahari Desert is as gorgeous as a peacock. San artists are skilled craft producers, and the transition to express themselves in contemporary art materials has come naturally to them. The twenty artists currently with the project have grown up in the vast Kalahari desert of western Botswana.
STORIES KURU ART PROJECT
In this colorful print, the artist depicts what the San people do to protect their goats from predators. Although our eye is initially attracted to the goats, we soon notice the plants, the animal tracks, and the barrier that are all portrayed in this print The artists from the Kuru Art Project have produced contemporary art that is original and remarkable in character.
PROTECTING GOATS FROM PREDATORS Signed by Artist, NXHABWE Linocut color print 10/16 Framed Size: 59 × 46 cm ¥ 65,000 | $ 600 USD
STORIES
CARY LEIBOWITZ CARY LEIBOWITZ if i’ve said it once i’ve said it 50 fucking times, 2021 Print 33 x 25 cm Edition of 50 Signed and numbered, Framed 37cm x 29 cm. ¥ 60,000 | $550 USD
You’ve heard something like this before. Maybe you’ve said it yourself. No one likes to repeat themselves. Rendered in Leibowitz’s unfussy penmanship, his work looks like something you’d see on a post-it note. Beneath his brash aesthetic is a deep and enduring tenderness; each work is an invitation to empathize, and to acknowledge, our unique contribution to the collective absurdity of modern life. Leibowitz's work can be found in the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art, the Hirshhorn Museum, The Jewish Museum, and the Peter and Eileen Norton Collection.
STORIES HANK WILLIS THOMAS
All Li es Matter, 2019
Offset lithograph 24.02 x 17.99 in 61.0 x 45.7 cm Framed with 66 cm x 50 cm. $ 2600 USD | Y 280,000 Edition of 400 Signed and numbered on the front
All lives cannot matter until Black lives matter. This work by Hank Willis Thomas edits the dismissive phrase "All Lives Matter" that is used to undermine the Black Lives Matter movement. By removing one letter from the phrase, the artist creates an entirely different and counter poignancy, tackling centuries of lies and misrepresentations of Black people in America. Born in 1976 in Plainfield, New Jersey, and raised in New York, Hank Willis Thomas is a conceptual artist whose work addresses issues of identity, politics, popular culture, and mass media as they pertain to American race relations. He earned a BFA in photography and Africana studies at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts (1998) and a MFA in photography, from the California College of the Arts, San Francisco (2004).
STORIES BYEN-UNG PIL Byen Ung-Pil [B.1970] TWO PEOPLE PIGGY BACK Multi-colored Print Framed Size: 64 cm x 57 cm Limited Signed Edition with complete edition info ¥ 50,000 | $ 450 USD
In the series of prints in this exhibition the artist portrays various aspects of relationships. Who wouldn’t love a piggy-back? He translates the three-dimensional world around him into flat colorful works. With simple lines and figures his works convey so much feeling, depth and scale. The expressions seem so subtle yet they manage to convey so much. The artist studied in Korea and Germany and and his works are in the collections of the Pompidou Centre and museums in Korea and Germany.
STORIES BYEN-UNG PIL
BYEN UNG-PIL Multi-Color Print TWO PEOPLE -UGLY Framed Size: 64 cm x 57 cm Limited Signed Edition with complete edition info. ¥ 50,000 | $ 450 USD Another phase in our relationships. There are times like this too. Honestly, they look like they might be having fun rather than fighting. Byen’s works encourage us to think about our own relationships. The figures are the faces of universal human beings. His work make the viewer focus on what might be the feelings inside rather than the exterior actions of the figures. He has held solo exhibitions in Korea, Germany, Turkey and France. .
STORIES BYEN-UNG PIL BYEN UNG-PIL Color Print 2018 TWO PEOPLE- BACK HUG Framed Size: 64 cm x 57 cm Limited Signed Edition with complete edition info. ¥ 50,000 | $ 450 USD Here’s something else to like—a gentle embrace and comforting hug. Byen Ung-Pil creates portraits of a seemingly dull fascination with individuals. These intimate portraits confirm Byen's capacity as an artist with his successful ability in merging technical execution with universal contemplation on the ambiguity of our connections. He utilizes his lines, colors and images to create a modernized version of our relationships.
STORIES BYEN-UNG PIL
BYEN UNG-PIL Color Print 2018 SOMEONE-SCARF Framed Size: 64 cm x 57 cm Limited Signed Edition ¥ 50,000 | $ 450 USD
A simple and beautiful portrait. Our curiosity is raised about the subject’s interior thoughts. The scarf-wearing figure appears against a blunt monochrome background omitting all context. The figure appears emotionless yet behind the scarf we can envision that there is a mind hard at work.
STORIES TRAN TRONG VU PINK SADNESS, 2016
Acrylic Painting on Vietnamese Paper 700 x 60.0 x 2.5 cm framed Unique Work Signed by artist front
¥190,000 | $1800 USD We usually think of flowers attracting bees, but here the beauty of the flowers is not coupled with bees, but with flies. His paintings shed light on oppression, acquiescence and the tension between both. His work are never open to simple interpretation. There are multiple meanings in all of his works. These works however are not lacking in humor or irony. There are many times when these works make us smile. Tran Trong Vu graduated first in his class from the School of Fine Arts in Vietnam and obtained a scholarship to go to the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-arts de Paris.
STORIES TRAN TRONG VU MILITARY MAN Mixed Colors on Canvas 40cm x 50cm 2020 Signed by the artist with date ¥250,000 | $2400 USD His face is camouflaged. His clothes are colorful and cheerful. Yet the character of this military man is hidden. What is he thinking? Planning? Tran Trong Vu has had more than 17 solo exhibitions and more than 50 group exhibitions worldwide. He was a guest artist at the Reims School of Art and Design, a guest professor at the Vietnam School of Fine Arts, a curator and an artistic advisor at Heritage Space in Hanoi. He has also been a guest lecturer at Arizona State University and UCLA.
STORIES TRAN TRONG VU IN THE RED PLANET Mixed Colors on Canvas 40cm x 50cm 2020 Signed by the artist with date ¥250,000 | $2400 USD
Confinement and limitations take many shapes—physical and psychological. In this painting, the red planet alludes to the communist regime. The crouched figure really tries to escape. Although our situation may be different, there is a certain universality to this painting. The eye Tran Trong Vu casts is not of one of scorn but of understanding. His art pushes us think, make us consider our own lives and may inspire us to take bolder steps.
STORIES
TRAN TRONG VU REALISTIC FICTION Mixed Colors on Canvas 30 cm x 40cm, 2020 ¥ 200,000 | $1900 USD
Vu invites us into his paintings. We approach them, recognize ourselves and others in them. This painting looks like a scene from a movie but it is not too far from reality. It appears to be a serious gunfight with money flying everywhere. All too often there is fight when money is concerned. Who wins? Who loses? Fiction or reality?
STORIES JONAS WOOD
JONAS WOOD VOTE 2018 6-color screen print on Coventry rag paper 15 7/10 × 9 4/5 in. 40 × 25 cm Edition of 300, Signed with edition number $2600 | Y 285,000 Framed 46 cm x 29 cm The message is clear as is the need: VOTE Now more than ever, it’s important to vote. Jonas Wood embraces bright palettes, detailed patterns, and flattened forms. His work is often compared with Alex Katz, David Hockney and Henri Matisse. His work can be found in the collections of more than 20 museums including the Hammer Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art He has exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Beirut. Born in Boston, Wood grew up surrounded by art. He received his MFA from the University of Washington.
STORIES SEPTEMBER 18-NOVEMBER 15,2021
Okinawa, Japan www.tobinohashi.com info@tobinohashi.com