Night Life, High Time
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Tsukasa Kanawa (b 1986, Nagoya Japan), Resides in Brooklyn New York
Night Life, High Time, 2022
16x20" inches
Acrylic on canvas
Tsukasa Kanawa's works are an expression of the cultural diversity that defines his psyche.
Kanawa was born and raised in Komaki City, Aichi, Japan, a blue-collar city renowned for its manufacturing prowess, museums, nightlife, and the cultural movements the city spawned as a breeding ground of youth subcultures including techno, punk, hip-hop and fashion. Kanawa's artistic endeavors began as a teenager in the Japanese graffiti scene.
Kanawa was born and raised in Komaki City, Aichi, Japan, a blue-collar city renowned for its manufacturing prowess, museums, nightlife, and the cultural movements the city spawned as a breeding ground of youth subcultures including techno, punk, hip-hop and fashion. Kanawa's artistic endeavors began as a teenager in the Japanese graffiti scene.
After completing a diploma in Art and Design in Nagoya, Kanawa bucked tradition, skipping
university and relocating to Brooklyn, New York, to broaden his cultural spectrum and studymodern and contemporary American art.
university and relocating to Brooklyn, New York, to broaden his cultural spectrum and studymodern and contemporary American art.
Spending a decade exploring the metropolis, developing technical knowledge of the tools and materials of painting, and finding a deep appreciation of the New York School of Abstract Expressionism were pivotal aspects of Kanawa's development as an artist. It was the weight of his experiences within the city’s music scene, however, which had the most significant impact on his conceptual development.
The works in New Technopolis are from Kanawa's most recent series of works titled “Light
and Sound.” Informed by his New York clubbing experiences and late-night electronic music
events, these works navigate the fleeting moments of clarity when music, movement and
experience merge together to offer new narratives of light, sound, time and physical space.
Kanawa's influences are proudly evident in the works: the colors and textures of graffiti, the
compositions and considerations of minimalism, the freedom of Abstract Expressionism, and a detailed sense of Japanese craftsmanship.
and Sound.” Informed by his New York clubbing experiences and late-night electronic music
events, these works navigate the fleeting moments of clarity when music, movement and
experience merge together to offer new narratives of light, sound, time and physical space.
Kanawa's influences are proudly evident in the works: the colors and textures of graffiti, the
compositions and considerations of minimalism, the freedom of Abstract Expressionism, and a detailed sense of Japanese craftsmanship.
The works are a menagerie of precise lines, shapes, and vivid textural colorscapes, achieved only with patience and a steady hand – a stark contrast to the high energy environments and active movements of the subject matter.
Kanawa's ability to distill the energy of his nightlife communities creates a captivating
harmony and balance that will resonate with his viewers. He finds a moment of lucidity
universally familiar to those who seek dancefloors worldwide.
The ease with which Kanawa merges cultural influences from his own experiences with a
diverse range of artistic techniques and styles is a testament to how contemporary culture is shared and experienced, a celebrated blurring of the bounds of identity.
diverse range of artistic techniques and styles is a testament to how contemporary culture is shared and experienced, a celebrated blurring of the bounds of identity.
Words by Tomokazu Matsuyama
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