Characters beloved as American popular culture
Drawings rendered with bold brushstrokes

Pensato is a painter from Brooklyn, New York, known for her distinctive drawings created with quick, bold brushstrokes. Her works are held in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the Dallas Museum of Art; and the Hammer Museum, among others.

Pensato's motifs include familiar characters from American animation such as Homer Simpson, Batman, Donald Duck, and Mickey Mouse, as well as comedian Groucho Marx, and a character she calls "The Juicer." Transformed through Pensato's hand, these characters become abstracted or action-painted versions of pop art. The erased marks in her drawings have been noted for their connection to Robert Rauschenberg's 1953 work "Erased de Kooning Drawing."

The large-scale works, created through various techniques, deepen the complexity and shadows of the pop icons people have grown up with, inviting a discussion about our perception of American popular culture. This, her first exhibition in Japan, will feature five canvas paintings rendered in enamel paint, alongside numerous drawings in charcoal and pastel, varying in size.

© Joyce Pensato Courtesy of the artist and NANZUKA

Joyce Pensato Solo Exhibition

Dates: Saturday, April 20 – Saturday, May 25, 2019
Venue: NANZUKA
Address: Shibuya IBIS Bldg. B2F, 2-17-3 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 11:00 – 19:00 (Closed Mondays, Sundays, and public holidays)