skrl art prjct

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
skrl art prjct @ Ground Floor Gallery
343 5th Street, Brooklyn, New York 11215(646) 801-3338
Reception: Friday, March 11, 6-8pm
Exhibition Dates: March 2 - 17, 2016
Hours: Thursday and Friday, 2pm to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday, 12pm to 6pm

キモカワ Kimo-Kawa (Ugly-Cute)
Akira Ikezoe, Reina Kubota, Kanako Noseskrl art prjct is pleased to present “キモカワ Kimo-Kawa” featuring work by Akira Ikezoe, Reina Kubota, andrdthKanako Nose at Ground Floor Gallery, 343 5th Street, Brooklyn, New York 11215, from March 2 to 17 , 2016.
thThe reception is on Friday, March 11 , 6 to 8pm.
The title “キモカワ Kimo-Kawa” is Japanese slang combining two opposites: Kimochiwasui (or Kimoi in slang) andKawaii. Kimoi means ugly, disgusting, gross, or weird. Many young people use this word for any expression ofunpleasantness, and Kawaii means cute, pretty, lovely, or charming. These two words are usually incompatible
but the word Kimo-Kawa designates a liminal zone: an object, person or character in-between cute and repulsive,
somewhere on the borderline. ‘Ugly-cute’ might be nearly disgusting but also fun and somehow endearing.
The graphite drawings of Akira Ikezoe at first glance appear cute and attractive, but the strangeness of theotherwise familiar human and dog-like figures troubles any lingering sweetness. He morphs humans and animals
with their familiar environments, creating spaces of pleasure and intrigue for viewers to explore. His work presents
the human figure as his alter ego and weaves a metaphysical and mythological context where human and naturalboundaries meld.
Ikezoe was born and raised in Kochi, Japan, currently lives in New York, and explores painting, drawing, video,and animation in his practice. His solo exhibitions include el fin del este coincide con el fin del sur, Proyectos
Ultravioleta, Guatemala City (2015); Drawing, Ise Cultural Foundation, NYC (2012); Repeater, Sanagi Fine Arts,Tokyo (2010) and Ephemeral Garden, Esso Gallery, NYC (2009). His group exhibitions include The School of
Nature and Principle, The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts' Project Space, NYC (2015); 100 painters oftomorrow, Christie's Ryder Street Gallery, London (2014); Proyectos Ultavioleta presents…, Museum ofContemporary Art and Design, Costa Rica (2013); Play with Nature-Played by Nature, Satoshi Koyama Gallery,Tokyo (2013); Kiss the Heart, Isetan Shinjuku, Tokyo (2012) and Future Primitive, Ma2 Gallery, Tokyo (2010).
After majoring in printmaking and graduating from Tama Art University in 2003, he received the Tomio Koyama
Gallery Prize and Naruyama Gallery Prize at GEISAI #10 in 2006 and the 1800 Tequila Award at ZONA MACO in
2015. He was also selected as one of the 100 Painters of Tomorrow by Beers Contemporary and Thames &Hudson in 2014.
Reina Kubota’s installation and sculptures make a similar first impression of loveliness, but danger also inheres-we find headless animals eating a brain, or beautiful gemstones set in melted or spiky rings. She is deeplyinterested in giving form to abstract ideas like trust, love, death and identity. Her current areas of investigation aregender, cultural gaps, and environmental transformation. She studied classical sculpture at Aichi University of theArts, Japan where she earned a BFA & MFA. Upon graduation, she moved to New York and continues to liveand breathe art.
Kubota exhibited the interactive installation work at Dumbo Arts Center 2010, had a solo show at ISE CulturalFoundation 2010, installed public art at Riverside Park South in Manhattan 2013-2014 and has participated innumerous group shows both in NYC and Japan.

Kanako Nose‘s drawings and illustrations are weird yet entrancing. They respond to the burden ofcommunication both between her and others, as well as within parts of herself. She characterizes them as
gestures to both escape dead-end conversation and confront negative emotions within oneself that are normally
avoided. They appeal.
The figures in her pieces all attempt to communicate with non-verbal conversation, offering a deeper connection
beyond commiseration. They unconditionally understand and accept the physical manifestations of the viewer’s
turmoil, both hidden and apparent.
Born and raised in New York, Kanako graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA degree in Illustration. She
currently creates personal artwork as well as music-related artwork. Her exhibitions include Illustration Exhibition
at Hard Boiled, and Launch Party with skrl art prjct. She has worked as an animation assistant at MTV
World/BET and created a label logo for Lit Level Records.
Ground Floor Gallery is located in Park Slope, Brooklyn, connects local, emerging artists to new art buyers
through inviting exhibitions of original art, artist salons, and studio visits. http://groundfloorbk.com/
skrl art prjct is a new online gallery which regularly holds pop-up shows such as curated group exhibitions, art
events, and shows of our collections in different locations. The “skrl” comes from the initials of the founders:
Sonomi Kobayashi and Renee Larson. We are both female artists, art collectors, and art lovers. Our naturalinterests have introduced us to a lot of great artists, and much of their amazing work has not yet been exposed toa broad audience. We have also met many art appreciators interested in buying art but who don’t know how, or
who think buying art is reserved for special people. We would like to connect these great artists with a newgeneration of art buyers and we aim to be the first stop for a new art collectors.

###Contact Information: Renée Larson, Co-director of skrl art prjct, skrlrenee@gmail.com, (917) 673-5909
www.skrlart.com