Tomokazu Matsuyama (b. 1976, Takayama, Gifu, Japan, lives and works in Brooklyn, New York)
Vibha Galhotra (b. 1978, Kaithal, Haryana, lives and works in Delhi, India)
Tomokazu Matsuyama’s vibrant, tondo-shaped paintings merge diverse cultural influences, blending historical and contemporary elements, high culture, and the everyday to craft an intercultural narrative. Still Life Not in My Name (2021) references the Renaissance tradition of stately round portraits, layering imagery to evoke the complexity of subject and symbolism. The central figure, inspired by gestures found in contemporary fashion magazines, exists within an otherworldly atmosphere enriched by vines and bright flowers—nods to historic Japanese painting. Matsuyama’s meticulous compositions, rendered in rich hues and embedded with symbolic objects, reflect the rapidly shifting nature of contemporary society, drawing viewers into his lush surfaces. Represented by Kavi Gupta Gallery in Chicago, he will present his first large-scale solo exhibition in Tokyo at Azabudai Hills Gallery in 2025.
Vibha Galhotra is a conceptual artist whose work explores the shifting topography of a world radically altered by climate change, consumerism, capitalism, and globalization. She incorporates culturally resonant found objects from her native India, as seen in Volcano (Veil Diptych) (2011), a wall tapestry composed of thousands of ghungroos —small metallic bells traditionally worn by classical Indian and Pakistani dancers. Woven into an abstract aerial view of a volcanic landscape, the piece reflects Galhotra’s visual language, where ordered chaos transforms everyday materials into meditations on nature’s beauty and destruction. Her work abstracts environmental forces, embedding them in intricate, textured compositions. Most recently, in January, she unveiled Future Fables , an architectonic sound installation, at NIROX Sculpture Park in South Africa, further expanding her exploration of ecological and cultural narratives.
Tunji Adeniyi-Jones (b. 1992, London, England, lives and works in New York)
Wendy Red Star (b. 1981, Billings, Montana, lives and works in Portland, Oregon)
Tunji Adeniyi-Jones’s paintings draw from the ancient history, mythology, and Yoruba heritage of West Africa. Beginning with ink or watercolor studies, he develops his imagery through a process of repetition and refinement, mirroring the ceremonial rhythms central to his themes. His boldly colored figures, often depicted in small groups or pairs, exist within shallow, abstracted spaces influenced by Cubism and Matisse’s cut-outs. Lush, stylized foliage spreads across the canvas, with sinuous bodies emerging and dissolving into interwoven patterns of color and form. This dynamic interplay between figure and background creates a sense of movement and transformation, evoking both historical narratives and a contemporary reimagining of cultural identity.
Wendy Red Star’s work reclaims Native history, identity, and representation, particularly her Apsáalooke (Crow) heritage. Using photography, sculpture, and installation, she disrupts colonial narratives by engaging with archival materials, often blending humor and irony to challenge misconceptions. In Hoop in the Clouds (2011) and Walks in the Dark (2011), Red Star critiques the exoticization of Native peoples by placing herself in a “futuristic powwow outfit” against a surreal outer space backdrop. This sci-fi aesthetic critiques how Native identity has been historically misrepresented as mystical or foreign. Her work both exposes false narratives and celebrates Native resilience. Through sharp wit and innovative visual storytelling, Red Star invites viewers to engage with Indigenous perspectives and reconsider history from Native viewpoints.
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