Cool Hunting

Work by Asian artists, and those of Asian descent, seemed to dominate the Scope Miami fair this year. The sheer volume on display confirms that Eastern art is gaining sway in Western markets, and rightfully so, as the below selections would support.
Rogerio Degaki, a Brazilian artist of Japanese descent, was on exhibit at the Rhys Mendes booth. The vibrant, glittering sculptures looked like anonymous cartoon characters, their identities misplaced or stolen.

Kanako Kawaguchi, represented by Yuka Sasahara Gallery in Tokyo, paints bold, somewhat trippy, portraits of female figures. Despite the richness of color, the works suggest an unsettling melancholy.
The New York-based Krampf Gallery was showing a small collection of porcelain sculptures by the Beijing artist Ha Jun. The pieces juxtapose ancient Chinese techniques with modern forms such as a television, a radio, or a race car.
Tokyo Gallery + BTAP was exhibiting a broad selection of incredible Japanese artists.

The works by former graphic designer and manga artist, Hiroyuki Matsuura, were incredible.
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by Ariston AndersonFor anyone who has been to Miami Art Basel, the biggest art event of the year in the States, they know that walking the giant halls of the Miami Beach Convention Center, surrounded by some of the best galleries in the world, can be a near religious experience. And veterans know that some of the most amazing new art lies outside of the...
Born and raised in a fishing camp along the banks of a muddy bayou in rural Louisiana, all the esteemed tattoo artist Scott Campbell wanted to do as a youngin' was "draw pictures all day long." That aspiration is today a reality, with the results on display not only on the bodies of some lucky individuals, but in his first major solo presentation opening...
While there was a plethora of talent on view at this year's Art Asia fair in Miami, I was particularly drawn to the sculptures of Lou Zhenhong at the Contemporary by Angela Li booth. Made from painted resin or aluminum, Zhenhong's Dwarf Series borrows from the ubiquitous vinyl toy vernacular, though there remains nothing cute or cool about these sculptures. Their faces distorted, twisted...
One of my favorite installations at this year's Scope Miami was "Without You Baby, There Ain't No Us," a special Scope project by Comenius Reothlisberger and Admir Jahic of The Invisible Heroes. Fascinated with the YouTube phenomenon, Comenius and Admir have created a series of drawings on handmade paper which document a variety of videos, from the utterly absurd (a video featuring an animated potato)...
The PULSE Contemporary Art Fair, which was conceived to bridge the gap between larger, more established fairs and experimental counterparts like NADA, had a particularly strong collection of artists on exhibit this year. Kenneth Tin-Kin Hun recently embarked on a series of artwork documenting the presidency of Barack Obama. A vibrant mash-up of political figures and corporate logos, "HOPE he can CHANGE this shit!" (above)...
NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance), the small but relatively well-established fair known for its more raw, youthful energy has really come into its own this year. (Images above by RISD grad Ara Peterson, represented by Ratio 3.) If I had to pick my favorite at Art Basel Miami Beach this year, this would be the one. From the art itself to the fresh-faced exhibitors...
