Miyoko Ito in New York, NY

I thought this show of work by Miyoko Ito, at Matthew Marks in Chelsea, was fantastic. There were sixteen paintings, and three lithographs, spanning the course of her four decade career (1948-1983). I’m really attracted to the texture and rich color palette of her abstract paintings. Read about Ito here.

Untitled, 1975
Oil on canvas
Detail

“Although Ito’s paintings remain distinctly abstract, the imagery often evokes landscapes, interiors, and the human body. The artist acknowledged her early indebtedness to synthetic cubism, but importantly also the prevailing ideas of her local peers. “Chicago gave me a sense of surrealism,” she once said, “although it is not that obvious.” (Matthew Marks)

Flight into Landscape, 1960
Oil on canvas
Left: Untitled, 1970
Oil on canvas

Right: Heart of Hearts, Basking, 1973
Oil on canvas

The exhibition is open until April 15, 2023. I would hang a painting of hers in my home in a heartbeat. I did bring home this lovely publication.

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