About us: Tomo Isoyama Studios/Tomoyuki Isoyama Studios, Los Angeles, CA

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News & Announcements

Tomo will be participating LA Heat: Taste Changing Condiments at the Chinese American Museum in downtown Los Angeles. The exhibition runs through March 13, 2014 through June 12, 2014. Hope to see you at the reception on Thursday, March 13, 2014. Please note that members only reception is scheduled from 6-7pm, prior to the public one from 7-9pm.

Statement

I am interested in the diverse cultural fabric of the greater Los Angeles area – the land of immigrants. The different ethnic communities scattered throughout Los Angeles help to create a unique cultural environment. Born and raised in Tokyo and being an immigrant myself, I especially enjoy looking at the city from multi-cultural and cross-cultural points of view.

My approach is often inductive – most pieces involve large amounts of research and documentation. In Hamburger Rose (2009), I visited various hamburger chains in the area and sampled many different hamburgers and French fries. In Lucky Mandala (2004), I collected lucky charms and objects from various cultures by frequenting L.A.’s ethnic communities. Only after accumulating a coherent and reliable set of data, can I proceed with creating the actual art object.

Visual art can embed layers of meaning beyond and within the visuals. My goal is to continue to produce visually amusing and theoretically intriguing works of art that cross cultural boundaries. By exploring specific motifs from various cultural and historical contexts, aspects that transcend these boundaries may be revealed.

Bio

Education

2001	Applications Developer Certificate. Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California. Los Angeles, CA
2000	Master of Fine Arts. Roski School of Fine Arts, University of Southern California. Los Angeles, CA
1994	Bachelor of Arts. College of Literature, Aoyama Gakuin University. Tokyo, Japan

Selected Solo Exhibitions (*catalogue available)

2003	*Criterium 55: Contemporary Art Center, Art Tower Mito, Ibaraki, Japan
1999	Discredited Images: Helen Lindhurst Fine Arts Gallery, USC. Los Angeles, CA

Selected Group Exhibitions (*catalogue available)

2014	*LA Heat: Taste Changing Condiments: Chinese American Museum, Los Angeles CA.
2012	Good Luck Show: Future Studio Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Lucky You!: Roppongi 605/Gallery Lara Tokyo, Japan 14th Annual Shikishi Exhibition: Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, Los Angeles, CA
2011	Chain Letter, Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Santa Monica, CA Glendale Area Temporary Exhibitions (GATE), Glendale, CA 13th Annual Shikishi Exhibition: Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, Los Angeles, CA
2010	Art is Me, Art is You: Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA 12th Annual Shikishi Exhibition: Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, Los Angeles, CA
2009	Counter Intelligence: Luckman Gallery, California State University Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA The Pandemic Show: Overtones, Los Angeles, CA Additive: Roski MFA Gallery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA AJA XXII: Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, Los Angeles, CA Scores: Lawrimore Project, Seattle, WA 9 Stories:* Kyubido Gallery, Tokyo, Japan Whim-Wham: Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2004	*MOT Annual 2004, Where do I come from? Where am I going?: Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Japan
2003	Digital Imaging: Gallery Yougen, Tokyo, Japan. Consuming Art: Bistro 1000, Alhambra, CA
2002	Juxtaposing with a Thing: Crazy Space, Santa Monca, CA Global Address: USC Arts Initiative, Los Angeles, CA
2001	Visual Lexicon: El Camino College Art Gallery, Torrance, CA forever infinite: Black Dragon Society, Los Angeles, CA
2000	f i t: The New Wight Gallery, University of California Los Angeles, Sukima Project: Command-N, Tokyo, Japan Big Bang: Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

Collaborations

2004	Ghost Trajectories: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA Collaboration with Robbert Flick and Philip Ethington
2002	Comfort Control: Raid Projects, Los Angeles, CA Collaboration with Brian Cooper and Douglas Fidaleo

Public Art Projects

2013	Short List, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Expo Line Phase II, Expo/Westwood Station Artwork Proposal Pre-qualified Artists Pool, City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department
2012	USC Light Pole Banner Project Pre-qualified Artists Pool, City of San Jose Cultural Affairs Art + Technology Artists Pool
2011	Glendale Area Temporary Exhibitions (GATE)
2009	Pre-qualified Artists Pool, Los Angeles County Civic Art Program
2008	Pre-qualified Artists Pool, City of San Jose Cultural Affairs Multiple Public Art Projects
2002	Kansai Gaidai University Library

Collections

Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, CA
Dean Valentine
Kansai Gaidai University, Osaka, Japan
Toper Taylor

Visiting Lectures

2013	Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA
2012	Roppongi Art Amanogawa, Tokyo, Japan
2010	Bunka Women's University, Tokyo, Japan Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA
2009	Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles, CA
2007	Humanities Institute, Scripps College, Claremont, CA
2005	College of Letters, Arts & Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 14th International Los Angeles Photographic Art Exposition, photo l.a., Los Angeles, CA
2004	Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Japan

Teaching Experiences

2008 -	Lecturer: Roski School of Fine Arts, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
2008 -	Lecturer: School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
2001	Lecturer: Santa Ana College, Santa Ana, CA Lecturer: El Camino College, Torrance, CA