a late summer afternoon
at IKO IKO
931 North Fairfax Avenue, LA (new space)






As the sun was slipping into the sea,
the circles began to appear everywhere, and every how, and every when.


Congrats to Kristin and Shin on the new space for IKO IKO! Yesterday, afternoon drifted into dusk, at their new space on Fairfax, while I was taking in their new location + new works. Their new space continues their seamless voyage into artist + high craft driven objects.

IKO IKO is the creative home of Kristin Dickson and Shin Okuda's ongoing projects, Rowena Sartin (common structures of clothing design.) + Waka Waka (furniture + sculptural investigations). In addition, the minimally + gorgeously designed space is curated with objects, books, textiles, ceramics from their travels abroad + local meetings. Shin introduced me to his new Waka Waka ladder works (!!!) and told me about some exciting collaborations he is working on....











Stay tuned... YHBHS will be posting an INTERVIEW w/ Kristin Dickson this coming month...

In the meantime, check out an interview YHBHS did with Shin Okuda of WAKA WAKA last year... Also, read about Iko Iko in the T Magazine blog here..., and read IKO IKO's card catalog entry here..





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3 shows.
"the los angeles weekend"

Zachary Leener: New California Pieces
at IKO IKO!

3 shows.
"the los angeles weekend"



1. Zachary Leener: "New California Pieces" Saturday april 2, 7 - 10 pm Unveiling of a new collection of ceramic sculptures, planters, ephemera, etcetera by artist Zachary Leener with a special furniture pairing by WAKA WAKA at IKO IKO.

I saw this show being installed today, and it left me speechless. Kristin and Zachary were so kind to give me a quick tour of these works! Zachary's ceramic sculptures were being installed inside WAKA WAKA's new furniture pieces. Zachary's work combines elements of play, ideas of the ridiculous, and clay formations in a manner that seems super familiar, and at the same time completely new to the mind. Two artists that come to mind are Richard Tuttle & Guido Gambone, but not really. Just go see this work! The colors alone are spectacular. Perhaps I can convince Zachary to have a conversation with YHBHS about some of these works.


2. Group show at Marc Foxx. This group show is only up for one more day, so this weekend, is it. Roger Hiorns' work in the back room is worth driving to see. (His work has been at Marc Foxx before, and he has shown at the Hammer awhile ago) Hiorns' work continues to confuse me...mystify me.... In the front gallery works by Jason Meadows and a soft pink painting by Hiroshi Sugito that make me feel wonderful.


3. Steve Roden at Susanne Vielmetter in Culver City, Los Angeles. His show, "stone's throw" is up until April 23, 2011 and not to be missed. This is on my agenda this weekend. Take a trip to his studio via Notes on Looking..... and peak at some of the works.












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Y H B H S (card catalog) selection 30

IKO IKO & WAKA WAKA, Echo Park
"There are so many examples of the tension in positive - negative space as well as the limitlessness of brush, ink, gesture and accident."













IKO IKO
IKEBANA by Sofu Teshigahara
with photos by Ken Domon, 1952.


"This book was given to me by a friend when I was taking ikebana classes. It's a diverse sampling of the art of Sofu Teshigahara, the founder of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana. It's all about the range of self expression with flowers as the medium and is my personal inspiration bible. So many incredible combinations of texture, palette, geometry, and feeling. I like that you can designate a kind of personality to the flowers in his arrangements."





















WAKA WAKA
Shohaku Show, Kyoto National Museum, 2005.


"This is the publication from the exhibition which I happened upon during a visit to Kyoto. There are so many examples of the tension in positive - negative space as well as the limitlessness of brush, ink, gesture and accident. It's inspiring to see the technical maturity of an artist in this way."















"The Shohaku Show explores the life and works of the iconoclastic Edo-period painter Soga Shohaku (1730-1781), who has long been believed to come from the province of Ise. His many works in this area even today appear to confirm this. However, records indicate that from his father's generation the family lived in Kyoto, where many eminent painters, including Yosa Buson, Ike no Taiga, Maruyama Okyo, Nagasawa Rosetsu, and Ito Jakuchu, were active. Ranking in line with such figures, Shohaku developed his own distinctive style by deviating from the contemporary art scene and professing to the then outdated style of the Muromachi (1392-1572) painter Soga Jasoku (d. 1483), undoubtedly in an attempt to undermine the overwhelming popularity of the realist painter Maruyama Okyo (1733-1795)."

(taken from here.)







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IKO IKO is Kristin Dickson's fantastic store located in the heart of Echo Park, Los Angeles. It's chock-full of art, ceramics, textiles, fashion, photography, and items she has sourced from the U.S and Japan. I'd suggest getting on her email list so that you are informed of the events at IKO IKO! Go to her blog here if you aren't local...


WAKA WAKA is Shin Okuda. He has been designing and building custom furniture under the WAKA WAKA name for the past few years in Los Angeles. WAKA WAKA is also sold at IKO IKO. YHBHS interviewed Shin about his work last year, his inspiration, and future plans for his work. Read the full interview here..










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B O X E S

modular wood
record boxes
by WAKA WAKA

WAKA WAKA's wood creations,
made in Echo Park.

IKO IKO
1298 sunset blvd.
los angeles, ca 90026