Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
That’s Deth P Sun and Marci Washington
Rob Sato and family. That’s Ako Castuera in gold
That’s Mr and Mrs Choe!
Here’s photo set 1. I’ll get to writing later on. This set is by Dean Gojobori who helped throughout the exhibition. People enter Albert Reyes “maze” downstairs.
That’s my introducing Rob Sato and Ako Castuera.
The Queens Court. Thanks for coming through.
Reception September 22, 2012 - Hours to be posted. The Japanese American National Museum presents Giant Robot Biennale 3, its third show in conjunction with Eric Nakamura, owner of Asian American pop culture juggernaut Giant Robot. The expansive show features a gallery of eight emerging artists along with a customized vinyl figure collection. Following two previous successful exhibitions at the National Museum, the Biennale continues to push the envelope with a creative, fresh, and uniquely interactive experience. This year’s exhibition highlights the works of Rob Sato, Deth P. Sun, Ako Castuera, Eishi Takaoka, Saelee Oh, Sean Chao, Albert Reyes, and Zach Gage, all with long ties to Giant Robot. Each artist brings their original style, from whimsical wall paintings and creatures in clay worlds, to a life-size “haunted” maze especially built for this Biennale. Using Uglydoll creator David Horvath figures, Nakamura curated Project Remix, a custom vinyl show with over 80 artists from seven countries—including the rare combination of both established customizers and fine artists. Special additions to the exhibition include an original piece from Japanese painter Masakatsu Sashie as well as arcade machines running Jeni Yang and Beau Blyth’s new indie video game, Catburger.
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FREE SHIPPING SPEND $50 OR MORE CHECKOUT CODE: GRFREE50 Domestic USA only. Art excluded. TOTORO PLUSH PHONE STAND This Totoro phone stand will be the cutest addition to your desk. Keep your phone in arms reach and bringing a smile to your face. This is an official Studio Ghibli product! ERASER PACK ANIMALS IN FOREST These forest animals makes correcting your mistakes melt your heart. Pack includes a monkey, koala bear, hamster, hedgehog, two bears a bunny and a tree stump! ERASER PACK ZOO ANIMALS Cutest erasers around! These zoo animals makes correcting your mistakes melt your heart. Pack includes a pig, cow, horse, giraffe, panda bear, elephant and wood bench! GUMDROP SERIES 1 FIGURE Check out these cute Gumdrop dog figures. Each color has two face variations! Collect all 12! Measures about 2″ tall. NINJATOWN ZIPPER CHARM Your favorite ninja related hand-held video game Ninjatown now has its own zipper charm. Collect all 16. NIKKI MCCLURE – WONDER MINI ECO-JOURNAL SET Includes four mini journals, two ruled and two blank. Printed on 100% FSC-certified paper, soy-based inks. MOLESKINE LEGO RULED NOTEBOOK A special limited edition collaboration between Lego and Moleskine. SAN-X PLASTIC FOLDER SLEEVE A semi-translucent file folder that features Relax Bear, picking flowers with friends!! MEET AUTHOR ED LIN WRITING WORKSHOP + AUTHOR SIGNING WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 7-9PM Author Ed Lin just released his latest novel, One Red Bastard and is conducting a writing workshop. He says to bring your iPad, iPhone or Paper. The workshop is scheduled for an hour 7-8pm. Afterwards from 8pm-9pm, Ed Lin will sign his new book – One Red Bastard. We’ll have copies on hand. TONGUE AND GROOVE AUTHOR READINGS FRIDAY, MAY 25, 8PM In celebration of National Asian American/Pacific Islanders Heritage month, Conrad Romo’s Tongue and Groove Series will make an appearance at Giant Robot 2 featuring Frannie Choi, Chiwan Choi, Ed Lin, Traci Kato Kiriyama and others bios Chiwan Choi is a writer, editor, teacher, and publisher Abductions is his second book of poetry. Ed Lin is the author of Waylaid,This Is a Bust and Snakes Can’t Run. Lin, who is of Taiwanese and Chinese descent, is the first author to win three Asian American Literary Awards. The native New Yorker’s latest book is One Red Bastard, by Minotaur. He’ll be available to sign copies. Traci Akemi Kato-Kiriyama is the creator/ producer of Tuesday Night Café in Japan Town. She is a writer, performing artist, educator and grassroots organizer. Franny Choi was a finalist at two of the three most prestigious poetry slams in the country: the National Poetry Slam and the Women of the World Poetry Slam. She was awarded Best Female Poet and Most Innovative at the 2011 Wade-Lewis Poetry Slam Invitational, and her team was specially recognized for Pushing the Art Forward at the 2011 College Union Poetry Slam Invitational. She was also the top-ranking female poet at the 2011 Southern Fried Poetry Slam and the champion of 2010 Seoul...
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I AM FINE EISHI TAKAOKA SOLO EXHIBITION MAY 5 – MAY 30, 2012 Eishi Takaoka’s work is coming back. Although the sculptures of Eishi Takaoka all portray the same serene expression, their outwardly calm façade belies a world of bottled-up emotions. With nowhere to go, these intense feelings manifest themselves in outlandish formations that sprout out of the top of each figure’s head. The uniquely sculpted heads of Takaoka are rooted in a personal fantasy world that is fueled by the emotional ups and downs of daily life in lower-middle class Japan. He instills his frustration with life in Kagoshima and feelings of isolation into each of the pieces, which are comprised of carved wood painted with raw mineral pigments placed atop empty glass medicine bottles. Takaoka’s pieces have been seen in group shows in Tokyo and New York, one-person exhibitions at Giant Robot New York and GR2 in Los Angeles, and on the cover of novelist Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore. For this exhibition, Takaoka will create 34 sculptures at Giant Robot 2 in Los Angeles. See the exhibit. AARTING – BLANKIE DESIGNER SERIES 1 FIGURE Blankie is a great new blind box figure series from aarting. 12 different figures designed by artists from around the world. Artists include, Matucha, Miss Shelby, Cvele, Atomic1970, and more. SHINZI KATOH SERENO HELLOTOTE Shinzi Katoh creates some of the cutest products around. Four leaf clovers are extra lucky when gifted by your crush. Sprouting flowers and clovers on back side. Made of a durable canvas material. MINI TAPE ROLL ROBOTS Add this robot pattern to your mundane taping tasks. It’s sure to make your craft projects cooler. P+G DESIGN POCHI PANDA POUCH Are the contents of your purse not cute enough? Now it is! What a cute Panda Bear face on this silicone pouch. YOSHITOMO NARA LITTLE WANDERER FIGURE Drag the Little Wanderer back a bit, let it go, and it propels itself across whatever flat surface you like. Beautiful, classy design which is what to expect from Yoshitomo Nara products. TAKASHI MURAKAMI MINI TOWEL Superb mini hand towels from world renowned Supeflat artist Takashi Murakami. Made of soft terry cloth material. MOLESKINE SKETCHBOOK The cover is plain black, the blue stripe is just a piece of paper. Interior pages are heavy paper. EGGLING PETUNIA Grow your own flowers in this nature inspired planter. Just crack open and water. LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL MAY 10 – MAY 20, 2012 Surrogate Valentine: 5/12; Surrogate Valentine 2: 5/12, 5/13; Tormented: 5/12; Dragon: 5/14 PHOTOGRAPHS OF TōHOKU By MICHAEL ARIAS As previously posted on GR, I made several trips to the northern countryside of Japan in the days and weeks following the disaster of 3/11. And, though the intent of these ragtag “missions,” was primarily humanitarian, I took many photos along the way, posting them with my reports on these pages. I recently culled the most evocative of those shots for display at the 12th incarnation of...
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