Funny

Funny bands together a group of new collaborative drawings by Ken Kagami and Trevor Shimizu. Kagami and Shimizu create informed work infused with a genuine sense of humor. There is a contrast in form between the work of each artist; Kagami drawing in equal measure on an aesthetic of design as abjection, Shimizu borrowing ironically from the the romantic messiness of an expressive tradition of painting. While Kagami utilizes found objects and images in sculpture, works on paper and artists books, Shimizu's paintings and drawings are structured by situational comedy.

Ken Kagami is known for his brashly humorous and playfully erotic works that involve stuffed toys, exposed genitals and bodily functions. Often merging Pop figures with bizarre, appropriative add-ons or colorful appendages, Kagami challenges contemporary Pop art sensibilities. The artist is also known for his collaborations with the band Deerhoof and since 2010, Kagami has operated the Strange Store, a retail space in Tokyo that sells clothing, objects, and printed ephemera.

Trevor Shimizu is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice encompasses performance, video, and sculptures, yet it is his paintings and drawings, which allows him the fastest and most direct way of visualizing an idea. Shimizu is primarily concerned with the generic and cliché situations of everyday life, whilst simultaneously being informed by popular media.