Murakami @ Fabrik Gallery, HK

FABRIK CONTEMPORARY ART UNVEILS A NEW SPACE

WITH A MURAKAMI SHOW

10 – 30 September, 2008

Takashi Murakami +

“Artist, Curator, and Brand Promoter Takashi Murakami is a lord of an empire that knows no borders or creative limitations.” – ART + AUCTION

Takashi Murakami is well known in the art scene for making thought-provoking paintings and sculptures, running the influential artist-led art enterprise Kaikai Kiki artist management group, curating the visionary Superflat show, and collaborating on high-end, high profile projects with Louis Vuitton.

Takashi Murakami is often billed as the next Andy Warhol. Like the American pop art icon, he fuses high and low, pulling imagery from consumer culture to produce visually arresting, highly original work. He is vigorously, ingeniously self-promotional. In the past few years, Murakami has swept across the US and Europe, receiving fawning media attention and exhibiting at big-name museums.

THE SPACE

Following a successful run of exhibitions (LOVE ART featuring BANKSY), Fabrik Contemporary Art for the first time opens a new space in Lan Kwai Fong presenting their collection of works by Takashi Murakami and Kaikai Kiki artists Mr. and Chiho Aoshima. The idea was to create a project room in which works could be presented within a focused environment. The gallery will also house their selected collection of Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Maurizio Catellan and the Chapman Brothers.

THE SHOW

The exhibition will show prints and canvases from 2001 to 2008 noting his famous DOB, Murakami's little mouselike leitmotif, a cartoonish and clueless creation whose name derives from the slang expression "dobojite," meaning "why?". DOB was an exceedingly clever invention, as he gave Murakami an alter ego with which to tap into and comment on Japanese society.

Like Warhol, Murakami has turned to silk-screening to get the flat, non-painterly look his art demands. He understands the popular appeal and refreshing accessibility of art as wallpaper or a helium-filled balloon. Most importantly, like Warhol (who once quipped, "I don't read my magazine reviews, I weigh them"), Murakami is well aware of the importance of zealous self-promotion.

THE ARTIST

A highly trained academician steeped in the esoteric art history of Japan, Murakami was born in 1962 in Tokyo, and received his BFA, MFA and PhD from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. He founded the Hiropon factory in Tokyo in 1996, which later evolved into Kaikai Kiki Co., a large-scale art production and art management corporation

Murakami’s work has been shown extensively in group exhibitions around the world, and in one-person exhibitions at leading institutions such as Fondation Cartier pour l’art Contemporain, Paris and the Serpentine Gallery, London (2002); Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (2001); Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2001); MoCA, Los Angeles (2007); Brooklyn Museum, New York (2008); Museum fur Moderne Künst, Frankfurt (2008) and the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao (2009).

For more information and high resolution images, please contact Jürgen Abergas at info@fabrik-gallery.com

* Press Preview: 10 September 2008, 3-6pm

* Preview (By Invitation only): 10 September 2008, 6-8pm

Gallery Address:

412, 4F Yip Fung Building

2-18 D’Aguilar Street

Central, Hong Kong

Tel +852 2525 4911

Catch the pigeon...catch the pigeon...

Here's another Sole Obsession scoop!

Yes boys and girls, no need to rub your eyes in disbelief and do a double take, you didn't see it wrong. These are not the mad coveted, sneaker riot causing, sell mine on ebay for US$1,500 Pigeon Dunks of years past.

They are even better!!!!!!

And you know what...

They are coming to a store near you! Yes, you....you here in our tiny island of Singapore!

RELEASE DATE: WEDNESDAY, 6 AUGUST 2008
STORES: LEFTFOOT + LE VAULT

WE MUST HIGHLIGHT THAT THESE ARE AVAILABLE IN EXTREMELY LIMITED NUMBERS...AND WE DO MEAN EXTREME IN THE UTTER MOST SENSE OF THE WORD!

This info came out of the blue...no warning and tiresome repeated photos over the span of a year. This was what sneaker drops used to be like my friends! Nostalgia induced sneaker launch hype at it's finest.

Get....your...queue....on

Check out this awesome article about the man himself, Jeff Staple, and the shoe at Sneaker Freaker

Dial 991(of 1) for your Sole Obsession

We are indebted to the lovely gents at the New Balance Factory in Flimby for knocking together this unbelievable, 1 of 1, pair of 991's during Sole Obsession's visit to the legendary Cumbria-based factory. In anticipation of the 2009 New Balance range, which is lead by the historic 99x series of running shoes, we have decided to pay tribute to two much anticipated shoes that are due for release next year. In view of the 99x series of sneakers for 2009, we chose the 991 model to work on, applying colours closely associated to the original 850 colourway that is also being retro-ed in early 2009.

Full croc uppers complemented with a colour splash of turquoise and pink nubuck highlights. The use of materials lend a premium quality to the entire shoe, giving it an overall subtle look from far with basic white and black uppers, but upon closer inspection reveals the lux nature of the croc embossed leathers.

Sole Obsession 991(of 1)

Stay tuned for an article on the factory NB fans!

New Balance China Mask 576 launch party, Shanghai

Sole Obsession, along with our Streething brethren, were invited up to Shanghai for the inaugral revealing of the much anticipated New Balance 576 China Mask shoe. Inline with New Balance's 20th Anniversary celebration of the 576 model, coupled with the world's attention turning to China in view of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, this celebration of Chinese culture and sneaker fanaticism has given birth to this special project.

Being an Asia-Pacific exclusive, NB reps, media and key accounts from around the region were flown in to revel in the cosmpolitan city of Shanghai. What transpired was a night filled with cultural performances, unveiling speeches and much alcohol induced antics and debauchary, as NB Asia came together as one!

Peep some snaps of the event and the who's who of Asian sneaker culture.

Media interview with Tetsuya (NB Japan) | Marco Liang | Qing (NB HK)

Entrance to the party at Bling club, Shanghai.

Performances | NB head honchos holding the uber limited China Mask (576 pairs only) | Display

OG 1300 | OG 1400 | OG 1500

OG 1600 | OG 1700 | OG 2000

Atmos Raijin/Fujin/Face-off | Mita CMYK | Atmos Face-off

Above: Anthony (Leftfoot) | Sato (Atmos) | Kunii (Mita) | Kevin (Hypebeast) | Tetsuya (NBJ)

Team Co.JP

Coolest street photographer Mr Julian Loh! (Streething)

Helga (NB Korea)

Grace (NB HK) | Choo Ee (Streething)

Dick (ACU) | Anthony (Leftfoot)

Hellboy for the Trefoil

Adidas haven't really done anything of worth recently bar the instant classic Footpatrol Campus. then out of the blue they hit us with this!

I don't know if these are official yet, but if they are put to production I'm gonna take one each please. Goes to show that the Three Stripes still have the means to put together a solid collaboration sneaker, that reminds us of the 35th Consortiums and the Tracksuit Forums of years past.

No ounce is spared on the two models used, a Forum Mid and what looks like a Stan Smith Mid. Insoles, tongue tag, box, soles and main body of each shoe have been given the Darkhorse/Hellboy treatment.....SOLD!

Image: http://www.sneakersbr.com.br

New Balance X Provider 1500

A sight to behold...the lush suede, the striking colourway, 4 sets of laces, made in England goodness.

This fellow sneaker fiends, is how a proper collab should and is done! The guys over at Provider store in Melbourne have put to amazing use the finest materials from Flimby to create the hottest NB collab for the year thus far.

Only available at select premium sneaker stores around the globe, Singapore is honoured to be graced with a run of 24 pairs of this highly anticipated release.

Launch date Wednesday, 21 May 2008

Leftfoot and LE Vault

Caught between Heaven and Hell

RELEASE INFO:
SGD$249

6PM, FRIDAY
18 APRIL 2008

LEFTFOOT
14 Scotts Road, Far East Plaza
#03-94
Singapore 225213
Tel: 65-67343227

In line with the 20^th anniversary celebrations of their classic 576 model, New Balance and renowned Singapore sneaker store Leftfoot have collaborated on an effort of epic proportions. Leftfoot has engaged two of the best in the sneaker-world, Singapore-based SBTG and LA-based Methamphibian, to help them embark on their first ever store collaboration shoe.

Leftfoot was established in 2002 and at that time was Singapore’s first ever specialty sneaker store to offer limited edition sneakers from all over the world. Leftfoot has flourished into a chain of stores locally and has even expanded its reaches internationally beyond Singapore into Taipei, Taiwan.

Descending into the darkest recesses of hell before ascending upon heaven’s infinite dawn, these two sneaker design/custom maestros pitted their skills as one force to bring us a physical manifestation of Heaven and Hell. The union of SBTG’s and Methamphibian’s minds is translated onto two pairs of New Balance 576. Derived initially from the concept of two extremes - east (SBTG) versus west (Methamphibian) - it eventually evolved into the story of an ethereal battle amidst good and evil, between Heaven and Hell. SBTG and Methamphibian set out to create two contrasting 576, one white (Heaven) and one black (Hell). Although the theme and colour of both 576 seem a stark contrast, the two shoes are married in this incessant war among angels and demons.

Adhering to the saying “The devil is in the details”, the humble 576 silhouette features a host of details that lies beyond the initial base shoe. On the surface both shoes emphasise a strong mono-coloured exterior, but upon further inspection detailing such as splashes of patent leather, perforated leather inner lining, tonal tiger-stripe camouflage print on the front toe, holographic camouflage material on the middle panel and heel tab, snake skin New Balance logo, individualised tongue tags (Heaven – Five Heaven Six, and Hell – Five Seven 666), waxed laces, and logos screened on insoles, reveal a hidden depth that goes beyond conventional sneaker design. This covert agenda in aesthetic design was the intention of the two designers.

“We wanted to create a separate black and white sneaker for Leftfoot that encompasses concept, depth and story into a New Balance 576 shoe. And I firmly believe we achieved that. Both shoes have been designed as a collective effort between Meth and me, not as individuals.” – Mark Ong, aka SBTG.

The New Balance X Leftfoot Heaven and Hell 576 comes packaged in a commemorative drawer box in the accompanying colour of each shoe. The box is covered in tonal tiger-stripe camouflage prints and features artwork on the side panel of the inside drawer which can be put together to form the entire original piece, depicting the war between Heaven and Hell.

New Balance Singapore is excited to present this first special collaborative effort between Leftfoot Singapore, SBTG and Methamphibian to New Balance lovers. The New Balance X Leftfoot 576, with a suggested retail of $249, is limited to 444 pairs per colour worldwide and will be made available at Leftfoot stores on Friday, 18 April 2008, at 6PM.

Also on the night there will be a special official launch party at 54, Ministry of Sound.
SBTG will be on hand to tag the first 100 boxes for fans.

Entry is free for the first 600 who present the flyer at the door. Flyer can be obtained when either Heaven or Hell is purchased from Leftfoot.