Misaki Kawai
Misaki Kawai
b. 1978 Osaka, Japan
Lives and works between New York & Osaka
Misaki Kawai uses materials gathered from travels in Asia and abroad and incorporates them into her world of whimsy by turning drawings into paintings, sculptures into wall works, sketches into furniture, and transmitting simple materials into new characters. Playful, basic and repeated imagery inspires us to read shapes and forms in a new way and to see unexpected things in the everyday.
Kawai’s practice runs the gamut of media, taking shape on canvas, in freestanding sculpture, on wall-mounted papier-mâché constructions and on the smiling pet rocks she sells on her website. Regardless of medium, Misaki’s work gently but incisively prods at the bizarre minutiae of contemporary culture, lampooning it with a disarming sweetness. Born in Osaka, Japan and currently living between Osaka and New York, Misaki’s work was in two exhibitions last year at The Hole, Booby Trap, and her own solo show, Cave Life, as well as in group shows at Dio Hora in Greece and Flower Pepper Gallery in California.
Select Solo Exhibitions
2021
Moko Moko Doki Doki, The Hole, New York, NY
2020
Moja Moja Life: Misaki Kawai for Kids NGV Triennial 2020, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
2019
Off The Wall, Hudson Yards, New York, NY
Paper Party, Tokyo Art Book Fair GINZA EdITION, Ginza Sony Park, Tokyo, Japan
Cygnus Loop, Gallery Baton, Seoul, South Korea
Downtown Painting, Peter Freeman, Inc., New York, NY
2018
Pine Cone Times, The Hole, New York, NY
2017
Romantic Melody, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
2016
Cave Life, The Hole, New York, NY
2013
Hair Show, The Hole, New York, NY
2012
Mt. Pom Pom, Children’s Museum of the Arts, New York, NY
2011
Big Bubble, Malmö Konsthall, Malmö, Sweden
Wet Shiny Surprise, Galleri Loyal, Malmö, Sweden
Nice Bang, Furnetto, Lucerne, Switzerland
Pencil Exercise, Take Ninagawa, Tokyo, Japan
2010
Project N 43, Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2009
Homeland 2020, Take Ninagawa, Tokyo, Japan
Kung Fu Forest, LaMontagne Gallery, Boston, MA
2008
Outdoor Club, Paul Bright, Toronto, Canada
Fancy Pants, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
Kimagure Float, Take Ninagawa, Tokyo, Japan
2007
Fuzzy Love, Galleri Loyal, Stockholm, Sweden
Momentum 7, Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA (curated by Emily Moore Brouillet)
Big Break, Perugi Artecontemporanea, Padova, Italy
Tiger Punch, Clementine Gallery, New York, NY
2005
Mars Investigation Laboratory, Kantor / Feuer Window, New York, NY
2004
Kuru Kuru Jet, Jack Hanley Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Community Park, Kenny Schachter Contemporary, New York, NY
2003
Sun Park, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX
Octopus Pier, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, New York, NY
Misaki Kawai, Kenny Schachter Contemporary, New York, NY
2002
Air Show, Kenny Schachter ConTEMPorary, New York, NY
Garbage Room, New Image Art, Los Angeles, CA
Select Group Exhibitions
2021
Can’t Wait to Meet You, Primary, Miami, FL
Lampadephoria, VI Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
2019
Paper View, The Hole, New York, NY
2018
MINE II, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
VOLTA 14 , V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
2017
SerpantiForm, Tokyo City View, Tokyo, Japan (curated by BVLGARI)
MINE, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
SerpantiForm, ArtScience Museum, Singapore (curated by BVLGARI)
Horses, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
Melted City 4, ISB Gallery, Providence, RI (curated by Louie Cordero and Jordan Isip)
Melted City 3, Blanc Gallery, Quezon City, Philippines (curated by Louie Cordero and Jordan Isip)
2016
Greek Gotham, Dio Horia, Mykonos, Greece (curated by Maria Brito)
Keep It Together, Flower Pepper Gallery, Pasadena, CA (curated by Mark Todd)
Character, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
Booby Trap, The Hole, New York, NY
2015
Powerful Babies: Keith Haring’s Impact on Artists Today, Spritmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden (curated by Bill Arning and Rick Herron)
Tiger Tiger, Salon 94, New York, NY
Outta Town Sh*t, Kravets/Wehby Gallery, New York, NY (curated by Nina Chanel Abney)
She Sells Seashells by the Seashore, Eric Firestone Gallery, East Hampton, NY
Post-Analog Painting, The Hole, New York, NY
Woman House, Eric Firestone Gallery, East Hampton, NY (curated by Eric Firestone and Michelle Tillou)
2014
Playmaking, The Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art, Kagawa, Japan
This Is Not A Toy, The Design Exchange, Toronto, Canada (created by Pharrell Williams)
More Material, Salon 94, New York, New York, NY (curated by Duro Olowu)
Early Man, The Hole, New York, NY
Tee Pee Project, Eric Firestone Gallery, East Hampton, NY (curated by Eric Firestone and Michelle Tillou)
2013
Where To Go, MUJI to go kitte, Tokyo, Japan
Area, The Hole, New York, NY (curated by Jeffrey Deitch)
Japanese Artists in New York, Marunouchi House, Tokyo, Japan
Anxiety, The NY Times, New York, NY
Draw Gym, 247365, Brooklyn, NY
Chicken Or Beef? A Transcontinental Survey of Figurative Painting, The Hole, New York, NY
2012
The Big Bang, The Watermill Center, Water Mill, NY
Fun, Riihimäki Art Museum, Riihimäki, Finland
Permanent Collection, Nancy Margolis Gallery, New York, NY
Friends & Family, Kenny Schachter / ROVE Projects LLP, London, U.K.
Casa de Empeno, Anonymous Gallery, New York, NY
2011
75 Artists in 75 Years, Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA
Status – Somewhere Between Position and Condition, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
In the Garden, Utopian Slumps, Melbourne, Australia
Face Maker, Royal / T Art Space, Los Angeles, CA (curated by Kathy Grayson)
International Exhibitions / Fumetto, Luzern, Switzerland
2010
Mutant Pop, Loyal, Malmö, Sweden
Insider/Outsider, Portugal Arte 10, Lisbon, Portugal
Not Quite Open For Business, The Hole, New York, NY
Album, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
The Cheaper Show, No. 9, W2 Storyeum, Vancouver, Canada
FIAC, Take Ninagawa, Paris, France
Happily Unhappy, Blanc Compound, Mandaluyong, Phillipines
2009
I Believe: Japanese Contemporary Art, The Museum of Modern Art, Toyama, Japan
Visions of the Frontier, Institute Valenciá d’Art Modern, Valencia, Spain
The Overlooked Space, Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art, Winnipeg, Manitoba (curated by Paul Butler)
Wild Feature, Galerie Zürcher, New York, NY (curated by Brian Belott)
Wild Feature 2, Galerie Zürcher, Paris, France (curated by Brian Belott)
Flight of Fancy, Kenny Schachter / ROVE, London, U.K.
I Can’t Feel My Face, Royal/T Art Space, Los Angeles, CA (curated by KAWS)
15 Year Anniversary, New Image Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Playing Around, Brattleboro Museum, Brattleboro, VT
2008
Last Second First – Narrative Art for the New Century, ISB Gallery, Providence, RI (curated by Jordin Isip)
Mail Order Monsters, Max Wigram Gallery, London, U.K.
The Lords, David Lawrence, Los Angeles, CA
Fun House, Park Life, San Francisco, CA
Just It (Just Be), Galleri Opdahl, Stavanger, Norway
Panorama Project, Jonathan Levine Gallery, New York, NY
Return to Sender, Krets, Malmö, Sweden
I Won’t Grow Up, Cheim & Read, New York, NY
Everything Else, Franklin Parrasch Gallery, New York, NY
Wet ’n’ Wild, Kim Light Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Move 16, Cinders Gallery, Brooklyn, NY (curated by Rich Jacobs)
Object Salon, Honey Space, New York, NY; White Space Gallery, London, U.K. (curated by Bob Nickas, Kathy Grayson, Pascal Spengemann, Brooke Geahan and Thomas Beale)
Kunst Gruppe, Werkstätte, New York, NY
Kawai Misaki & Tao Soju, Gallery J-Chen, Taipei, Taiwan
2007
Those Bloody Yanks, Leonard Street Gallery, London, U.K.
Hey You Guyyyys, Community Outreach Gallery, Toronto, Canada
Making a Home: Japanese Contemporary Artists in New York, Japan Society, New York, NY
Gallery Artist, Take Ninagawa, Tokyo, Japan
Sporty Club GR2, Giant Robot, Los Angeles, CA
Red Hot: Asian Art Today from the Chaney Family Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX
Animal Wrestling, Kinzelman ArtCounsulting, Houston, TX
Art Under Glass, Macy’s, Herald Square, New York, NY (curated by Gabrielle Bryers)
Homegrown, David Krut Projects, New York, NY (curated by Renee Riccardo)
Not only A, but B, Transformer Gallery, Washington DC (curated by Atsuko Ninagawa)
Paper Trails – New Adventures in Drawing, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
I Love Tourism, organized by Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa, Galleria di Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy
Look Behind You, Giant Robot, New York, NY
These Bagels Are Gnarly, Cinders Gallery, Brooklyn, NY (curated by Rich Jacobs)
Five Painters, Galleri Loyal, Stockholm, Sweden
2006
Guy Ben-Ner & Misaki Kawai, TAKEFLOOR 404&502, Tokyo, Japan
Unwrapping the Wing, Invisible Museum, Denver, CO (curated by Devon Dikeou)
Boro-Boro and Doro-Doro, Watari Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan
Art Parade, organized by Deitch Project, New York, NY
A Thousand Things, MU Museum, Eindhoven, Netherlands (curated by 2K by Gingham)
Collage Party, ZieherSmith Gallery, New York, NY
Waves, Mollusk Surf Shop, San Francisco, CA (curated by Marsea Goldberg)
It’s a Beautiful Day, Ise Cultural Foundation, New York, NY (curated by Paul Laster and Renee Riccardo)
Don’t Abandon the Ship, Allston Skirt Gallery, Boston, MA (curated by Eddie Martinez)
The Studio Visit, Exit Art, New York, NY
Mars Investigation Laboratory, Kantor / Feuer Window, New York, NY
2005
Live Through This, Miami Design Direct, Miami, FL (organized by Deitch Projects)
Tiger Drip, Galleri Loyal, Stockholm, Sweden
Loyal and His Band, Galleri Loyal, Stockholm, Sweden
Dear New Girl or Whatever Your Name Is, Jack Hanley Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Hanging By a Thread, Moore Space, Miami, FL (curated by Nina Arias and Jose Diaz)
No Bones About It, New Image Art, Los Angeles, CA
MOVE #13, Clementine Gallery, New York, NY (curated by Rich Jacobs)
Greater New York 2005, P.S.1 MoMA, New York, NY
The New Image Art Show, RVCA, Los Angeles, CA
2004
Five Artist Show, Kenny Schachter/ROVE, London, U.K.
Trunk of Humours, Deitch Projects, New York, NY (curated by Kathy Grayson)
Majority Whip, White Box, New York, NY
The Hunt For Your Family, Odd Number, Stockholm, Sweden (curated by Loyal at V1 Copenhagen)
Becoming Giants, Le Roy Neiman Gallery, Columbia University, New York, NY (curated by Camila Marambio)
2003
Special Projects Fall 2003, P.S.1 MoMA, New York, NY
Sun Park, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX
Baby You Can’t Drive My Car, Cooper Classics, New York, NY (curated By Kenny Schachter)
Art Band, Capitale, New York, NY (curated By Kenny Schachter)
Lead Poisoning, New Image Art, Los Angeles, CA (curated by Rich Jacobs and Marsea Goldberg)
Funny Cry Happy, New Image Art, Los Angeles, CA
Crazy Bastard, New Image Art, Los Angeles, CA (curated by Marsea Goldberg)
Collective Conscous, Mavi, New York, NY (curated by Scenic)
2002
Tensionism, Kenny Schachter/Rove, New York, NY (curated by Kenny Schachter)
Dime Bag, New Image Art, LA & The Front Room, Brooklyn, NY (curated by Jordin Isip and Rodger Stevens)
Super Hero, New Image Art, Los Angeles, CA (curated by Marsea Goldberg)
Panorama, San Francisco & The Front Room, Brooklyn, NY (curated by Jordin Isip and Rodger Stevens)
Mica & Misaki, Transformer, Washington D.C. (curated by Victoria Reis and Jayme McLellan)
2001
The Exquisite Day Project, Plus Ultra, Brooklyn, NY (curated by Jording Islip and Rodger Stevens)
2000
Move East, One Pixel, Philadelphia, PA (curated by Rich Jacobs)
Select Press
2018
Jyni Ong, “ Artist Misaki Kawai expresses her love of fluffy and wobbly things,” It’s Nice That, 11 October
2010
Roberta Smith, “Make Room for Video, Performance and Paint,“ The New York Times, January 3.
Raphael Michilis, “Good Sense Bad Technique,” Elephant, no. 1, Winter 2009-10.
2009
“Manifesto,” Art Review, no. 31, 2009.
“Wild Feature,” The New York Times, July 24, 2009.
2008
“The Fiction Issue,” Vice, December Issue, 2008.
“Tokyo’s Hottest Creators Misaki Kawai,” Harper’s BAZAAR, May, 2008
2007
“Making a Home: Japanese Contemporary Artists in New York,” Japan Society, NYC
Kirsten Fricke, “Misaki Kawai,” Theme Magazine, Spring, 2007.
Cate McQuaid, “In Her Whimsical Installation, She Plays with Dolls,” The Boston Globe, March 27, 2007.
Yuri Shirasaka, “HETA-UMA & Underground Summit Japan/U.S.A. @ ON SUNDAYS & BOROBORO DORODORO SHOW@Watari Museum of Contemporary Art,” Bijutsu Techo, vol.59, no.890, January, 2007.
“A Decade Of Art In Tokion,” Revisionaries, 2007.
“Trouble At Play,” Modern Painters, November Issue , 2007.
2006
“It’s a Beautiful Day,” The Asahi Shimbun, January 13, 2006.
Wendy Goodman, “Home is Where the Art Is,” Modern Painters, March, 2006.
2005
Jerry Saltz, “Lesser New York,” The Village Voice, March 28th, 2005.
Roberta Smith, “Desired Constellations,” The New York Times, August 5th, 2005.
Kristin Poor, “PROJECT IN THE MAKING…: THE WOW-WEE WORLD OF MISAKI KAWAI,” ArtAsiaPacific, no.45, Summer 2005.
2004
Andrew LaVallee, “Majority Whip: Get Personal with Politics,” NY Arts, July/August, 2004.
Clark Buckner, “Kuru Kuru Jet,” GUARDIAN: The San Francisco Bay, June 2, 2004.
2003
Alex Mar, “Misaki Kawai,” The New York Sun, February 6, 2003
Roberta Smith, “A Bread-Crumb Trail to the Spirit of the Times,” The New York Times, 2003.
Jerry Saltz, “Rays of Light,” The Village Voice , 2003.
Roberta Smith, “ART IN REVIEW, MISAKI KAWAI,” The New York Times, January 31, 2003.
Roberta Smith, “ART REVIEW; A Bread-Crumb Trail to the Spirit of the Times,” The New York Times, January 17, 2003.
2002
Roberta Smith, “ART GUIDE: TENTIONISM,” The New York Times, March 15, 2002.