February 1, 2019 – July 7, 2019
Inamori Pavilion
Exhibition Hours: 11:00 am to 3:45 pm
Rocco Satoshi of Yokohama, Japan is internationally recognized as the “Father of Japanese Street Art”. In the late 70s, Rocco’s edgy, colorful, and playful expressionist art first graced the large bland concrete walls connecting Sakuragicho and Takahashi Station in Yokohama. Within two years, his comic-like images of children drawn in chalk filled a one-kilometer wall. The City Managers occasionally painted over them as “unaesthetic” graffiti and scribbling, but many survived and won great favor among the public. In an unprecedented decision, the city eventually relented and by the early 80s “The Wall” became a famous place for public drawing attracting hundreds of international artists from all walks of life.Even the world-renown Keith Haring contributed his art to The Wall. Starting in the 90s Rocco completed numerous public art projects in San Diego and Tijuana including a large wall on Goldfinch Street, Bethune Elementary School, Chicano Park, Albert Einstein Academies, the Old Carnation Factory, and the Washington Street overpass. In September 2018, Rocco returned to restore the Albert Einstein Academies mural, a new mural for a Chicano Park business, a large mural on the US/Mexico Border Wall, as well as live painted 9 large new canvases.
Rocco resides in Yokohama and continues to be active. In cooperation with the artist, his US agent and curator, Jeff Kelley, is featuring 16 of Rocco’s finest large scale fluorescent canvases which under UV lighting causes Rocco’s art to glow in brilliant colors. In addition, visitors are encouraged to view the art using the provided 3D glasses creating a truly amazing, interactive experience. Also featured are smaller works, memorabilia and a DVD video spanning the 30 th year anniversary of Rocco’s career.
