Thursday, August 19, 2010

August's Artwalk Recap


Last week, downtown was brimming with locals and visitors here to take part in the monthly event of LA Artwalk.  While the event originated from the works of artists living and creating in the immediate area, many people from surrounding cities now make the journey to participate in the unique experience.  Yojie was pleased to showcase a new artist, Jason Liwag, on its feature walls.  Art enthusiasts filled the restaurant and bar area dining, drinking and contemplating Jason’s inspiration for his work.  Among his guests was the one and only Dante Basco, our favorite lost boy from “Hook”.  Can you say “RU-FI-OOOOOOO”? Another exciting night at Yojie.  Don’t miss out on the action, and be sure to join us for next month’s Artwalk and more events to come.  Jason’s work can be viewed until early September.  For inquiries, please contact the restaurant directly and ask to speak with Charles. 

Artist Bio:
Jason Liwag was born in the hard streets of Los Angeles in 1983. He spent his early years “growning up” in Santa Ana where he frequently forced his sister to take a broomstick and duel in the backyard. Like most nerdy kids, he spent a lot of time watching cartoons like Animaniacs, M.A.S.K, Voltron, Duck Tales, Talespin, the Maxx and Ren & Stimpy.

In 2007, Jason travelled to Japan and spent a lot of time aimlessly wandering around Japanese Gardens and Temples. Being in Nature has had a heavy influence oh his art and likes to integrate all of his materials as possible. For this show in particular he has left a negative space in the canvas to let the wood grain showcase through the paint to unify the paint with the material.

Jason graduated from California State University of Long Beach in 2007 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Art with an emphasis in Graphic Design. Other than graphic design, Jason grew fond of screen-printing and became co-founder of e•phem•er•al apparel. Post graduation, Jason was hired at Buddha Jones, a motion picture marketing company, as a graphic designer. He has been there for over 3 years and has worked on various campaigns such as Repo Men, No Country for Old Men, Inglourious Basterds, The Crazies, Juno and many more.

After working on a computer for most of his career, Jason realized that he missed the feel of paint on his hands and how rewarding it was to actually have a piece of art you can hold and not just view it on a computer screen. Hopefully this show is the first step into something much grander. 






photo by: Yuko Iwamoto




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