Tag: Charles Munka

NEW EXCHANGE – Collaborative Works from Mtendere Mandowa ‘Teebs’ & Charles Munka

 

NEW EXCHANGE
Collaborative Works from Mtendere Mandowa ‘Teebs’ & Charles Munka

Opening reception Friday, June 29, 2012 7-10pm
please RSVP : newexchange@hvw8.com

June 29th – August 1st, 2012

HVW8 Art + Design Gallery
661 N. Spaulding Ave., Los Angeles, CA

New Exchange is part of an ongoing visual dialogue between Charles Munka and Mtendere Mandowa ‘Teebs’.

Charles Munka and Mtendere Mandowa ‘Teebs’ came in contact through the Los Angeles music scene.  A mutual admiration developed leading to a show in Kanazawa, Japan, this also being the first time they met in person.  After the success of the Japanese exhibition, the two regrouped again in Hong Kong, Munka’s current place of residency, for the Platform 78 exhibition. This return to Los Angeles continues the visual conversation between the two artists, creating a new series of works exclusive to the HVW8 Art + Design Gallery.

A true global artist, French raised, Hong Kong based Charles Munka’s work straddles genres. Post graffiti into collage, his multi-influenced culture clash style is complementary to his upbringing and current place of residence. Asian characters mixed with French text, references to computer games and city maps with Charles’ signature hand styles are completely new yet still familiar to his ‘urban’ roots.  Following in the heritage of Matisse’s cut and paste and Basquiat’s hand, Munka respects the past and transforms it into a worldly future.

Born in New York to Malawi and Barbados origins, Mtendere (pronounced “ten-de-ra”) (Chichewa for “Peace”) Mandowa, is an electronic musician and painter who bounced around the East Coast before finally planting his feet in the Southern California suburb of Chino Hills.  Already successful in music with Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder and ‘My Hollow Drum’ Collectives, Teebs’ painting is similar to his music production; collaging and illustrating images to create meditative and minimalist soundscapes on canvas.

 

Made possible through gracious support by adidas

Beverages courtesy of Red Bull

Throwback Thursdays

Jen Stark and friends at Alvaro Ilizarbe’s Celestial Beings opening 2010.

Charles Munka working on his Double Knock Out installation 2010.

Noah Butkus at his HVW8 Gallery / Standard Installation, 2010.

Noah Mural

 

HVW8 Gallery crew – Mark, Wazy and Nikolai 2010

David Choe at Alvaro Ilizarbe’s HVW8 Opening 2010.

Lance Mountain at his Disaster Opening 2010.

Raif Adelberg behind HVW8 2010

Skypager / HVW8 Gallery Downtown LA Mural, 2010.

 

A few photos from 2010 from the HVW8 Art + Design Gallery.

“We Was Them Kids …” Group Exhibition, Opens Nov. 11

“We Was Them Kids …”
Group Exhibition

Kevin Lyons
Parra
Geoff McFetridge
Matt Irving
Winston Tseng
Yogi Proctor
Charles Munka
Brent Rollins
Alvaro Ilizarbe

A collection of works from friends of the HVW8 Art + Design Gallery.

Curated by Tyler Gibney

Opening Friday, Nov. 11th, 7pm to 10pm
Exhibition runs through Dec. 20th, 2011

rsvp to: WeWasThemKids@hvw8.com

Thanks to Bushmills, Vantage and PBR.

Press Release

HVW8 Art + Design Gallery
661 N. Spaulding Ave. L.A. Ca 90036

Hours: Tues to Sun, 1 – 6pm
www.hvw8.com
323 655 4898

Over the past four years, the HVW8 Art + Design Gallery has hosted a variety of exhibitions and performances at its West Hollywood location, ranging from internationally acclaimed street artist Anthony Lister (July 2011) to musical performances with Snoop Dogg and Dam-Funk (Feb. 2011).

With “We Was Them Kids …”, HVW8 curator Tyler Gibney pulls together some of the finest contemporary artist/ designers to have exhibited at the HVW8 Gallery in recent years.

Works range from Amsterdam resident Parra’s post-pop imagery of highly saturated colors, vibrant hand-drawn letters and worlds inhabited by hybrid, surreal characters to Geoff McFetridge’s communicative pieces in sculpture, drawing and design that echo with humor and insight. Yogi Proctor proliferates decoys. These works span a variety of mediums, appearances, and approaches, de-stablizing notions of “originality” and “artist” with wit and agility.

From Brooklyn, Kevin Lyons brings his sharp tongue together with sharpie, stepping away from his A-List clientele as Creative Director of the internationally known ad agency Anomoly, to have some fun with his madhouse of characters and type. Complex Magazine Art Director, Brent Rollins (best known for his Boyz In The Hood and Mo Better Blues logos as well as being one of the creators of Ego Trip) continues his visual relationship between design and music, while Miami’s Alvaro Ilizarbe’s work explores space, energy, and tension through hypnotizing large scale black and white patterns. 

Winston Tseng and Matt Irving depart from their skateboard and design backgrounds with original work, and French born/Hong Kong resident Charles Munka (well known in Los Angeles for his work with Flying Lotus) brings his post graffiti stylings to round out this exhibition. HVW8 Art + Design Gallery is proud to present this international set of artists and designers, whom, like Parra after his 2012 SF MOMA exhibition, might not be as accessible in an intimate gallery setting in the near future.

Exhibition Site

 

Exhibition Print

Live Podcast Recording This Sunday with BTS Radio

The BBQ is back on…

Join us this Sunday from 2-5p for a live recording of BTS Radio with Andrew Meza and guests. Everyone is welcome.

Andrew Meza was instrumental in the development of the recent Charles Munka Exhibition at the HVW8 Art + Design Gallery. Charles Munka is also Art Director for BTS Radio. We’re proud to work with Meza again to record/release this BTS Special Edition of the HVW8 International Podcast.

Get ready for a crazy bass filled afternoon.

Sunday only in-store specials on art, apparel, music and more!

More on BTS Radio and Andrew Meza:

BTS Radio was created by Andrew Meza at the University of Cal State Fullerton in 2003. What started out as a local college radio show soon became a worldwide movement and culture unique unto itself. Since BTS’ start, Meza has welcomed guests ranging from all music genres and in the process, spearheaded a new movement of electronic/hip-hop producers.

Meza is known as one of the most influential tastemakers/djs, spotlighting underground talent and championing artist such as Flying Lotus, Hudson Mohawke, Blu, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Georgia Anne Muldrow & J*Davey when they were still unsigned names. Other guest features on BTS have also included a slew of up and comers, seasoned & the legendary, including acts and members of: 4Hero, The Avalanches, Four Tet, Peanut Butter Wolf, Cinematic Orchestra, DJ Mitsu, Exile, KanKick, Eric Lau, Samiyam, Rustie and Jneiro Jarel among others.

“Andrew Meza has set the international standard…The undisputed champion of the beats.”
– Shook Magazine

“BTS Radio is awesome…Andrew Meza is destroying the game right now, he’s got people around the world biting his show.”
– Flying Lotus (Warp/Brainfeeder)

from www.btsradio.com

See you on Sunday!

HVW8 Art + Design Gallery
661 N Spaulding Ave
Los Angeles, Ca
90036

NEW WORKS by Charles Munka, Opening Night: Saturday May 22nd, 7 – 10pm

NEW WORKS by Charles Munka

Opening Night: Saturday May 22nd 7 – 10pm

Music courtesy: Andrew Meza, Brainfeeder and surprise special guests.

Born in Lyon, France, Charles Munka (aka Ques) was raised and studied art in the city before living much of his adult life in Asia. Initially making the move to Japan to work in the video game industry, he later moved to Shanghai and now currently resides in Hong Kong.

A member of the French art collective, LCP United, Munka’s style is strongly influenced by hip-hop and the progressive L.A. beat scene. His gateway to the westside came via Andrew Meza of BTS Radio in LA, who in thoroughly modern fashion met through MySpace in 2005. The two began collaborating on logos and designs for the music being played on the program and subsequently, Munka became the visual voice of the BTS sound and later led to his partnership with Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder collective. Using mixed media, Munka’s work captures a new style of art that blends more traditional aspects of graffiti and his identification with contemporary and historical imagery from film, video games, abstract expressionism and pop art.

He was widely recognized for his ‘Finest Elements’ series of animated representations of artists such as MF DOOM, Madlib, J Dilla, Flying Lotus and RZA, among other notable producers and MCs.

Munka has toured extensively throughout Asia, America and Europe creating his art live at Brainfeeder events and most recently, during Samiyam gigs in Korea and Shanghai.

Munka is currently coming off of an extremely successful art show in Kanazawa, Japan with Los Angeles based producer/artist, Teebs. The two displayed and collaborated on several pieces for the event, many of which are now in private collections.

For more work by Charles Munka, visit: http://www.lcp-united.com

With support from adidas, the Standard Hotel and LA Record.

HVW8 Art + Design Gallery
661 N. Spaulding Ave.
90036