Owl Sukiyaki
The end of the year is approaching, and I can’t help but think of winter (snow, glorious snow!) and the warm foods that nourish one’s soul. One of my favorites is Sukiyaki, which consists of wagyu beef, tofu, and vegetables simmering in a warm broth that are then dipped in raw egg. mmmm. So Oishi! You’ll have to excuse me, my brain is still on Tokyo time, I don’t believe I’ve fully kicked this jetlag thing yet. A wiser man would have staggered his solo show by a few more weeks, but I prefer to hit the ground running. After 2 weeks in the Philippines and Japan, why not return home to start cranking out new works for a show in 10 days? Makes sense, right? The jetlag from Asia is horrible, I’ll sleep this weekend.
Well, I almost didn’t believe it, but I checked my stats and this will be my first solo show in San Francisco since 2018. Damn, it’s only a bridge away from Oakland, yet I haven’t done a thing over here in a while. So, much thanks to Rossi Mission SF for giving me this opportunity to showcase all my colorful owls. This is where the sukiyaki reference kicks in. Just to keep things interesting I work in a few different styles and rarely do they come together in one space. I’m using this showcase at Rossi Mission SF as the chance to throw them all into the simmering pot and make something delicious out of the ingredients! Don’t worry, no raw eggs will be served. I’ll be highlighting the work I began earlier this year with my Ruffled Feathers show with Bridge Mogura Gallery at BankRobber LABO in Shibuya, Tokyo. Next ingredient will be the never ending Priority Fail series, which comes in all shapes and sizes. I’m adding some of the neo-impressionist (I made this word up because most people like to refer to this as realism, and that is not what I am chasing here) owls that I have been painting throughout the year. To round out the dish, I’ve included a bunch of customized miniatures including trucks, trains, skate decks and NODDer’s. And for the finishing touch, the raw egg if you will, I’ve added some classic canvases from the archives. Some dating back to 2015. After I complete a series there are usually 1 or 2 pieces that didn’t sell for some strange reason. Those canvases are then wrapped up and safely stored in my storage unit. Well, these works have been dusted off and are seeing the light of day for the first time in years. I’m glad I chose to do this as it really shows my progress in technique and style over the years. It’s nice to see real progression, I almost feel like an artist.
The show, Owl Sukiyaki, kicks off today, Friday October 3 at 12am and it runs through October 9 (maybe longer…depending on scheduling). There is an artist reception on October 3 from 3 - 9 pm. I’ll be there to shake hands and kiss babies, answer your deep owl questions and hit some black books. So come on out and enjoy some Owl Sukiyaki with me and the gang at Rossi Mission SF.
Rossi Mission SF is located at 791 Valencia Street in the Mission District of San Francisco. Daily hours are 11am - 7pm if you can’t make it out the