More about MOTION PICTURES
About the Exhibition
The Long Beach Museum of Art is pleased to present MOTION PICTURES; a solo exhibition of works by Los Angeles-based painter Greg Ito. This exhibition will be Ito’s second institutional survey, continuing a cycle which began with past exhibitions and bodies of work. The various stages of his life, from adolescence, to husband, to father are represented through the culmination of the natural elements of water, fire, air, and earth in the form of paintings, sculpture, and Ito’s first video installation. Ito is a vibrant storyteller, and uses the sensory elements of light, texture, and poignant nostalgic objects to engage the viewer’s memory and to foster connection between his own story and the audience’s personal histories. Ito’s past exhibitions have reflected on his family lineage and how his parents, grandparents, and Japanese heritage have impacted his life and outlook.
As a fourth-generation Angeleno of Japanese heritage, Ito primarily centers graphic visuals in his surrealist-style paintings and installations, which act as symbols and portals into his memories. His compositions contain meticulous backdrop choices, as well as domestic objects which are partly inspired by his Japanese heritage and his affinity for Los Angeles. Using common acrylic house paint, Ito has created a discernible palette of vivid colors associated with the Southern California landscape, which serves to evoke both collective and individual memory.
Greg Ito (b. 1987, Los Angeles, CA) earned his BFA from San Francisco Art Institute. His work has been exhibited widely in solo and group exhibitions including at Institute of Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA; Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA; The Cantor Center of the Arts at Stanford University, Stanford, CA; Maki Gallery, Tokyo, Japan; Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles, CA and New York, NY; SPURS Gallery, Beijing, China; Lyles and King, New York, NY; Jeffrey Deitch, New York; NY and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), San Francisco, CA. Ito’s work is included in the permanent collections of public institutions including the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA; Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA; Institute of Contemporary Art Miami (ICA Miami); K11 Art Foundation, Hong Kong; and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Ito lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.
This exhibition is supported in part by the Pasadena Art Alliance.
Greg Ito, Light the Way, 2024, Acrylic on canvas over wood panel, 60 x 38 inches, Courtesy of Greg Ito Studio, Los Angeles