We met Yuki Hashimoto last weekend at the New City Art Fair in Chelsea during Armory Arts Week. His work, called Confessions of a Display — documented a series of cell phones and their users by telling the stories of the owner of each device. Not only was there a brief written description of each story — the face of the owner of each cell phone was depicted skillfully as a three-dimensional sculpture built on top of the phone itself.

We were impressed by Yuki’s high level of skill in sculpting these figures — particularly because he only graduated from Musashino Art University in 2011 (and, for printmaking) — but also because he had the best personal branding in the form of a business card case we’ve ever seen. It doesn’t get much more personal than sculpting a perfect likeness of yourself and embedding it on the front of the case you present to hand out a business card. Kudos to Yuki — he exemplifies what Karl teaches up and coming graphic designers in his Business Best Practices course at the Shintaro Akatsu School of Design — we also love his forest animal hoodie.

Learn more about Yuki Hashimoto at the eitoeiko TOKYO gallery website.

Photos: ©kHyal™ 2012

I’ve been a fan of Aakash Nihalani for quite awhile now — but only from the standpoint of my voyeuristic joy when happening upon his work online. I love the pops of color he brings to the street and the fun geometry and circumstance of his playful imagination. But, this is the first time I’ve seen his work in the context of an art fair/gallery show — and it was equally delightful.

It made sense to read Nihalani’s statement, because his open source philosophy permeates into you as you view the work:

My street work consists mostly of isometric rectangles and squares. I selectively place these graphics around New York to highlight the unexpected contours and elegant geometry of the city itself.

For however briefly, I am trying to offer people a chance to step into a different New York than they are used to seeing, and in turn, momentarily escape from routine schedules and lives. We all need the opportunity to see the city more playfully, as a world dominated by the interplay of very basic color and shape. I try to create a new space within the existing space of our everyday world for people to enter freely, and unexpectedly ‘disconnect’ from their reality.

I’m not trying to push a certain highbrow logic or philosophy or purposefully communicate through the esoteric medium of art. I work instinctively, trying to follow my gut about the sensation of color and space, and have fun doing it.

People need to understand that how it is isn’t how it has to be. My work is created in reaction to what we readily encounter in our lives, sidewalks and doorways, buildings and bricks. I’m just connecting the dots differently to make my own picture. Others need to see that they can create, too, connecting their own dots in their own places.

The work in the show ranged from CNC’d wood, to water-cut steel with powder coated enamel skin, plus traditional painting. All bright (or at least high-contrast), beautiful and fun. There was also evidence of his well-known street antics in the taping of the corner column of Carmichael’s booth and the wall next to the nearby elevator. It was a highlight of the day.

See the rest of our photos of Nihalani’s work here.

Follow Askash Nihalani on twitter.
Like his Facebook page.
Visit Askash Nihalani’s website.

Follow Carmichael Gallery on twitter.
Like their Facebook page.
Visit the Carmichael Gallery website.

Photos: ©kHyal™ 2012

We had just enough time to slip in and out of Jonathan LeVine’s Delusional Book Signing in Chelsea on Saturday for a few sigs and custom swag. Thanks to the authors and artists for their generosity! We are already big fans of the gallery. (But, who isn’t?)

Like the Delusional book on Facebook.
Like Jonathan LeVine Gallery on Facebook.
Check out the Jonathan LeVine Gallery website.

Photos: ©kHyal™ 2012

On Saturday, March 10th, Lyons Wier Gallery hosted a Meet-the-Artist with Greg Haberny during his mini installation of “Prelude to Mommy’s Little Monster.” Haberny’s trademark visual chaos and tongue-in-cheek messaging on big oil and other subjects ensued.

We were lucky enough to drop in for the fun. Check out the rest of our photos here.

Like Lyons Wier Gallery on Facebook.
Check out Greg Haberny’s website.

SCOPE New York is in its eleventh year — this year with a prime 30,000 square foot pop-up location at 57th and 12th, across from The Armory Show at Piers 92/94 — featuring over 50 contemporary international galleries.

SCOPE was chock-full of eye-popping candy store art wares, including street art gone mainstream and lots of video panels. Some of it fantastic like Retna’s signature dripping geometric patterns applied to reclaimed metal aircraft flooring, others gimmicky like sculptures crafted from chopped up pencils, and in my opinion far too many science museum neon/mirror installations and video displays with the oldest trick in the get attention quick book, half naked women in various scenarios. What’s obvious is the cost and complexity of using video panels has become cheaper and easier. I’m anxious to see more sophisticated, or at least interesting content (like that of Ted Victoria, who pioneered this technology decades ago).

None-the-less, SCOPE was a relative joy to attend — you can check out the rest of our photos here.

Photos: ©kHyal™ 2012

The current show at TAG is IF YOU BLINK, YOU’LL MISS IT by Quim Tarrida — which is funny because Karl and I just happened to be walking down Melrose — and had we not been looking to the right, we would sadly have missed this show and gallery.

Toy Art Gallery as described on its website:

The Toy Art Gallery is the first gallery of its kind to showcase and consult on high-end art toys and sculptures. Our goal is to showcase exciting, original, and new artists who use figurative sculpture as their primary medium of expression. We also focus on showing, collecting, and producing high end, limited edition, custom, and life-size toy sculptures. Our showroom and gallery is located in Hollywood, California.

One of our specialties is to provide availability on rare and desirable toys, life-size figures, bronze sculptures, and one-of-a-kind custom figures created by some of the leading artists/toy designers from around the world. We also have an incredible selection of aftermarket fine art originals and prints created by the leading pop surrealist and low brow artists working today. Our aim is to provide the best works from these artists at a fair market value and priced to fit a variety of budgets.

Check out the rest of our DesignerGrill photos here!

And for much more toy art fun — click on these:
Toy Art Gallery website.
Toy Art Gallery blog.
Follow @ToyArtGallery on Twitter.
Like Toy Art Gallery on Facebook.

*Special thanks to Connell Little, our enthusiastic TAG tour guide.

Photo: ©kHyal™ 2011

Pulse Contemporary Art Fair Miami  at the Ice Palace Studios during Art Basel Miami Beach 2011.

Check out the rest of the photos here.

Photos: ©kHyal™ 2011

I can’t imagine how many people cover the main event at Art Basel Miami Beach as reporters or photojournalists. The volume of humans that track through the aisles with cameras and notepads — desperate to record and hold these moments — is staggering.

In the earlier years, I would try to capture as much as I could. This year I just grabbed a few snaps of some of my faves — a handful of images from the many thousands.

The rest are over here.

Photos: ©kHyal™ 2011

Wynwood Walls has brought some of the best street artists from around the globe to Miami during Art Basel Miami Beach.

Check out some of our photo documentation from 2011 here.

Photos: ©kHyal™ 2011

Last year during Art Basel Miami Beach, we had just been admiring and photographing a mural by Lister in Wynwood, when we turned a corner to find him working and had a nice early morning conversation, before most people were awake.

This year, it was later in the day, and it was Sego we ran into. I had just photographed his mural at Wynwood Walls behind the Wynwood Kitchen & Bar, when we walked down the street and started a conversation with several muralists, one of which was Sego. I love his bold, distinct, colorful characters and signature line work. He had another large mural covering the expanse of two walls behind an Italian restaurant in the heart of Wynwood. Stunning work.

There is a good interview with Sego from 2009 at Art Asylum Boston.

You can follow him on twitter at @SegoOvbal.

Or, check out his blog here.

For a few more photos, check out our flickr set.

Photos: 1–2) Wynwood murals 3) Sego on the right — ©kHyal™ 2011

*Note: I learned after writing this that the artist Saner collaborated with Sego on the photos above. He is not in the photo above, but there is an excellent video on the project with interviews of Sego and Saner here. You can visit Saner’s website here.