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    Shooting Gallery Exclusive Interview: Yumiko Kayukawa

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    Kayukawa, “TSURU (Crane)” Acrylic and Ink on Canvas, 24×16

    Yumiko Kayukawa is inspired by wild animals and nature; her paintings, influenced by Japanese comics, feature a menagerie of tigers, bobcats and polar bears. Her upcoming solo show Madness (full press release here) opens in the Shooting Gallery on June 8, from 7 – 11 PM. Kayukawa has invented a Manga-style Eden, where her female protagonist gently interacts with fierce creatures. The Japanese artist, now based in Seattle, shared her insights regarding the cultural differences between Japan and the United States, where each country has a different take on what makes art “art.” She also revealed her strong ideological stance on the pet industry, which affects her choice of subject in her paintings. Learn more about Kayukawa below!

    Madness, New Works by Yumiko Kayukawa
    Opening Reception – Saturday, June 8, 7-11 pm
    On View Through June 29, 2025
    @ Shooting Gallery (shootinggallerysf.com)
    886 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

    RSVP.

    Follow the jump to read the interview in its entirety.

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    Kayukawa, “OORORA MOCHI (Aurora Mochi)” Acrylic and Ink on Canvas, 28×20

    Who is the lead female character in your paintings? What is her significance to you? How do you identify with her?

    The girls in my paintings are just somebody. They are symbol of my feelings. They describes what in my heart.

    You’ve drawn a broad range of animals – many of them being native to Japan. Any animals you want to paint that you haven’t yet?

    I confess that I keep drawing the same animals again and again, such as tigers, wolves, foxes etc… Just because I love them, and it’s such a pleasure to draw them. There are many animals I’ve never drawn, and of course I have a passion to try to draw them. I already have new idea with giraffes, okapis, pronghorn antelopes, etc…So you’ll see them at my next show!

    What’s it like to live in such a radically different culture from where you grew up?

    It’s been eight years since I moved to here, so I feel pretty much used to it. I enjoy it more now. My favorite part of Seattle is that people are not only kind to other people, but also to animals and nature. I’ve never seen a pet shop selling dogs or cats in this area. It’s pretty common for people in Japan to buy pets from a pet shop. I hate to see puppies and kittens in show windows. I’m very happy that people are more considerate about them, so I don’t have to be sad in the middle of downtown 🙂

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    Kayukawa, “SAKURA CHIRU (Cherry Blossoms Fall)” Acrylic and Ink on Canvas, 16×12

    How do Americans receive art differently from Japanese people?

    For American people I feel my work is basically “foreign art.” People accept that it is “Japanese style” because I’m from Japan. But for Japanese people, my style is not “art enough” to be displayed at a gallery. Rather it’s something for a comic book or illustration. About twelve years ago, I started to translate my Manga into an art piece with some Japanese words. Adding Japanese words into my work was inspired from seeing American tattoos with Japanese symbols. Of couse some of them are super cheesy and funny. But I really enjoyed seeing it when I visited the US for the first time. So I started to say some obvious things in Japanese in my work. I imagine it wasn’t so cool for Japanese people though. So in the beginning of my career, I heard some comments from Japanese people that they thought I’m an American artist! But today, I have Japanese fans who enjoy my style as it is. It’s unique transfer of culture.

    What breed of dog do you own? Would your pet ever debut as a character in your paintings?

    My dog is a Papillon. My husband and I adopted him from a local rescue group. I don’t think I will put him in my paintings since my policy is not to support the pet industry. I’m afraid to draw specific breeds of pets in my paintings, because there is a chance that my work will influence fans to buy pets from a pet shop. Since I’m against the selling and buying of pets from a shop, I only paint wild animals. I sincerely hope that nobody will ever buy elephants or wolves online!

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    Kayukawa, “TEREYA (Shyness)” Acrylic and Ink on Canvas, 20×16

    Have you noticed any similarities among your collectors? What types of people are they?

    They must be “nice people!” Who understand my jokes. Unfortunately I’ve only met few of them, but all the people I’ve met were really nice. That’s the only I can remember about them because I was so happy to see their big smiles because of my paintings.

    Have you branched off in any commercial ventures? Since your art is highly influenced from pop culture, could you see your images translated into products?

    I have a long friendship with phone & laptop protector company Gelaskyns. It’s really fun to see my work into their products.

    What role does Japanese mythology and spirituality play in your paintings?

    My grandma was my nanny, and she taught me a lot of myths and folktales. Many of them are stories with animals, so I started to imagine hanging out with animals. I am also influenced by Buddhism and Shinto-ism, which also teaches about spirits and creatures in our world. I enjoy to play with these ideas in my work.

    When you paint animals, which materials do you refer to for modeling them? Do you use magazines, books, websites, etc.?

    I use pretty much everything to try to find an image of the animals I want. I even collect children’s books or make scrap books with magazine photos. Just so I am prepared to draw any animal in any pose.

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    Kayukawa, “YACHOU (Wild Birds)” Acrylic and Ink on Canvas, 12×14

    Your paintings portray a range of animals – from wild, and dangerous ones, to cutesy pets like bunnies and kittens. Do tame versus wild animals in your work carry different symbolism?

    As I said earlier, I don’t paint pet animals. Even a piece from the new collection “Wild bird” – the theme is that these parakeets are originally wild birds. But I guess what you mean is the little wild bunnies, tiger or bobcat kittens 🙂 Yes, I love dangerous or cute animals, both. I especially have strong feeling for predatory animals. Since I was a child, I was really into nature shows, like lions hunting zebras. I know it’s hard to see one killed in a brutal way, but that’s the way that predatory animals survive. I just adore, and respect their amazing lives.

    Where is your favorite place to work on art besides your studio?

    I have everything I need in my studio space. I don’t even enjoy doodling anymore. So I always work at my studio, and nowhere else.

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    Kayukawa, “YUKIHYOU (Snow Leopard)” Acrylic and Ink on Canvas, 22×15

    A Conversation With Aaron Nagel (Chaos Mag)

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    Adriana Scott from Chaos Mag just posted this interview with our upcoming artist Aaron Nagel, whose show Bastion will open in the SG Project Space on June 8th. A self-taught painter and autodidact of art history, his personal interest in 16th and 17th century painting greatly informs his hyper-realist style. The interview covers his artistic influences, which range from living artists such Kim Cogan and Jeremy Mann, to Catholic iconography: “I gravitate toward religious art. Sixteenth and 17th century are my favorites because of the culture of the time. [Artists] were paid to paint religious paintings, endorsed by the church or made by zealots. I’m really not religious at all. In a way, I’m repurposing the imagery. For me, the closest thing to a godlike figure would be women. I’m kind of taking that imagery and using that for my own means.”

    Bastion, New Works by Aaron Nagel
    Opening Reception – June 8, 2025, 7-11 pm
    On View Through June 29, 2025
    @ Shooting Gallery Project Space (shootinggallerysf.com/project-space)
    886 Geary Street, San Francisco CA 94109

    Follow the jump for photos and excerpts from the interview with Chaos Mag. 
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    AS: Do you have any particular process when creating art for a show?

    AN: The act of preparing for that first show got me into a space where I could paint for a certain series. I never considered the art ready for show. I didn’t know how to go about [preparing for] it, either. My excuse for not pursuing showing was I didn’t think the artwork was ready. For any given show, I’m less excited about half of it. I always think I can do a better job. I find that’s pretty similar for other artists. It’s not perfectionism or anything, but a lot of artists are overly critical of their own art.

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    AS: Is there a specific look you are trying to achieve when you work with your models?

    AN: I tend to want the models to look kind of statuesque. Not necessarily aggressive, but powerful, especially for the poses that I may put arrows in them. The idea is that they’re not affected by it. It’s kind of a more godly theme.

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    AS: Some people may be sensitive to the combination of religious symbolism and nude women in one painting. Have you been approached by people who find your work exploitative?

    AN: Some people will see the arrows and stigmata wounds and see it as violence toward women, which is the opposite of what I want to do. People are sensitive to that. People have never criticized me directly but people will talk on message boards. I find it entertaining. I’m not discounting what they’re feeling about it, (because) it tells me more about those people than my own art. If one source is criticizing the use of nude women and another is defending the use of nude women, it’s more telling about those people and not about the work. It speaks to how people feel about themselves in general.

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    AS: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in the professional world?

    AN: I worked in offices and did more normal work things in between [music] tours. I could just tell that that’s something I did not want to get stuck doing. Working in an office in a 9-to-5 or 48 hours-per-week job was not for me. The thing I learned was that you don’t have to do that stuff if you are smart about it and take the time to plan and learn and do whatever you need to do. You meet people who are just kind of miserable in their job and being miserable 48 hours per week is way too much. I’m realistic about it, and I know I have to supplement with something that makes money, but I don’t have to settle for some kind of job where I’m not working on my own terms as much.

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    Details: Yumiko Kayukawa’s “Madness”

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    Yumiko Kayukawa in her studio with adorable pup.

    On June 8, Yumiko Kayukawa returns for her eighth solo show at the Shooting Gallery: Madness (full press release here.) Her work bridges contemporary American pop culture with traditional Japanese motifs, where each painting is rife with references and humorous anecdotes. She sent us some detail shots of her upcoming work giving us a look at her precisely formed lines and expressive linework. Kayukawa’s oeuvre expresses a love of nature, with vibrant animal characters, and a recurring, self-possessed female protagonist.

    Madness, New Works by Yumiko Kayukawa
    Opening Reception – Saturday, June 8, 7-11 pm
    On View Through June 29, 2025
    @ Shooting Gallery (shootinggallerysf.com)
    886 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

    Follow the jump for exclusive detail shots and follow her blog here for additional updates.


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    Press Release: “Madness” A Solo Show by Yumiko Kayukawa

    For Immediate Release:

    The Shooting Gallery Presents:
    Madness
    New Works by Yumiko Kayukawa

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    San Francisco, CA-The Shooting Gallery is pleased to present, Madness, by Seattle-based Japanese artist, Yumiko Kayukawa. This new collection of works will be her eighth solo show at the Shooting Gallery and will feature her acrylic and ink paintings on canvas. The opening reception of Madness will be held at the Shooting Gallery on June 8, 2025 from 7-11pm. The exhibition will be on view through June 29, 2025 and is free and open to the public.

    Kayukawa places her sweetly demure figures amidst scenes of wild beauty, intertwining themes of femininity and nature. In “TEREYA (Shyness),” a Japanese beauty looks over her shoulder to meet eyes with the viewer, with one hand nuzzled under the chin of a tiger and a dandelion held in the other, in a supreme balance of power and delicacy.

    The animals of Madness range from the stampeding elephants of the artist’s eponymous painting to snow leopards engaged in a spirited romp with young monks. Japanese folklore and Shinto animism imbue each candy-colored composition in playful ways. “KITSUNE MATSURI (Fox Festival)” pays homage to an annual festival of Japan and features the associated Inari (spirit) mask and face painting. Foxes are popular subjects of Japanese folktales and believed to possess magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom, among these the power to assume human form, often as beautiful women. Icy blues dominate the palate of “OORORA MOCHI (Aurora Mochi),” save for the swirls of glowing greens throughout the night sky, replicating the light display seen only in Artic and Antarctic regions when charged particles and atoms collide in the high altitude atmosphere. Beneath this natural phenomenon all manner of wildlife – seals, wolves, bunnies, even a curious whale; harmoniously interact while a family of polar bears make mochi with traditional wooden mallets and mortar. The dreamlike imagery and beautiful detailing are balanced by the Ukiyo-e use of elegantly simple lines. With a precise hand, Kayukawa creates a world of serenely magical wilderness.

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    Yumiko Kayukawa (b.1970) was born and raised in the small town of Naie in Hokkaido, Japan. The panoramic beauty of her surroundings and feelings of communication with the native animals inspired her to paint the things around her. As a teenager she fell in love “with the energy and giddiness” of American pop-culture through her exposure to rock n’ roll, film, and fashion. The immersion of modern and traditional Japanese motifs with these influences gave birth to an inimitable style. Yumiko graduated from Bisen art school in Sapporo, Japan and currently lives in Seattle, Washington. The artist has shown her work extensively both nationally and abroad since her debut U.S. Solo show in 2025.

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    The Shooting Gallery opened its doors in 2025 to the edgy Tenderloin district of San Francisco; one known for its diverse culture and history. Owner and curator, Justin Giarla, founded the space to offer a welcoming environment for viewing the art he loves. Giarla has long since recognized the necessity to provide lowbrow artists with a platform, which is exactly what The Shooting Gallery has done for a full decade. In addition to the exhibition of leading shows in pop art, street art, and outsider art, the Shooting Gallery also participates in art fairs around the world and hosts annual fundraisers for local nonprofits.

    Media Opportunities:
    Interview with Yumiko Kayukawa
    Interview with owner/founder/curator Justin Giarla
    High-resolution images available upon request

    Event Information:
    Madness, New Works by Yumiko Kayukawa
    Opening Reception – Saturday, June 8, 7-11 pm
    On View Through June 29, 2025
    @ Shooting Gallery (shootinggallerysf.com)
    886 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

    Preview: Van Arno’s “Tame Nor Sane” in the SG Project Space (Hi-Fructose)

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    Hi Fructose just posted this on the opening of Van Arno‘s solo show Tame Nor Sane this Saturday in the SG Project Space from 7-11 PM. Van Arno’s hyper real depictions of the human form are as classically Mannerist as they are plastically pornographic. Author Nastia Voynovskaya describes the figures as “nude women with voluptuous bodies partially covered by fetish costumes [who] find themselves battling death or conjuring Earth spirits. Van Arno’s deft hand captures their straining muscles and knitted brows in these exaggerated struggles.” We certainly enjoy this erotic twist on the classics!

    Don’t forget to RSVP.

    Tame Nor Sane, by Van Arno
    Opening Reception – May 11, 2025, 7-11 pm
    On View Through June 01, 2025
    @ Shooting Gallery Project Space (shootinggallerysf.com/projectspace)
    886 Geary Street, San Francisco CA 94109

    See more images of Van Arno’s work after the jump.

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    Detail

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    Detail

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    Day in the Life: Jason D’Aquino

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    “Me (Jason D’Aquino) having my coffee..”

    Miniaturist Jason D’Aquino contributed 16 pieces to the group show Hard Time Mini Mall, curated by the Red Truck Gallery. His graphite sketches are richly detailed, and fit onto the inside of matchbooks. The Shooting Gallery displayed his work with magnifying glasses, so that viewers could observe the minutiae of every drawing. When he’s not creating fine art of pulp novel sirens on found vintage paper, Jason is a tattoo artist in Buffalo, New York at Blind Dog Tattoo. He was kind enough to send us some photos of his work as well as some pics of him prepping for the show (a good shave is necessary to put your best face forward). Hard Time Mini Mall is running through May 4 so there’s still time to catch D’Aquino at his finest!

    The artist also has a solo show coming up with us in the SG Project July 6-27, 2025.

    Follow the jump for more photos from D’Aquino with his captions.

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    “I collect cute dead things…this is a puppy…his name is Dave…”

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    “Working on a matchbook image…”

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    “Here’s me tattooing my friend..website designer extraordinaire Chuck Leone… I tattoo when im not drawing…I work out of Blind Dog tattoo studio in Buffalo NY…”

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    “Me with Grime at the show opener…”

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    “Here is a tattoo of pinhead I did on my friend Nick.”

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    ” I shaved off half my moustache….this was 2 days before heading out to SF”

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    Bryan Cunningham, Nic Sin, and Jason D’Aquino.

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