Frieze Los Angeles

For this edition of Frieze Los Angeles, Almine Rech will showcase a solo presentation of nine works by Tomokazu Matsuyama.

Known for work that fuses Eastern and Western aesthetics and histories to explore cross-cultural identities, Tomokazu "Matsu" Matsuyama will present a selection of acrylic and mixed-media paintings in his first solo booth at Frieze Los Angeles. Coinciding with the fair, Matsu will screen his digital works on the facade of the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. The events will be marked by a talk at The Maybourne Beverly Hills featuring Matsu in dialogue with Dan Nadel, Curator-at-Large for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, on February 18 at 5:30 pm.

Through his use of vivid colors and his mixing of styles and traditions from varying time periods, Matsu examines cultural identity and individuality within contemporary society. In paintings such as Come Away With Me (2024), Matsu subverts the official motto of the United States, "In God We Trust," by turning the phrase upside down; the motto is surrounded by a Georgia O'Keeffe painting, an outdoor scene inspired by Henri Rousseau, figures modeled after Alfred Stieglitz’s 1893 platinum print Emmy Obermeyer, Agnes Stieglitz, and Flora Small at Oaklawn, and a fire motif referencing Hayami Gyoshū’s 1925 Dancing in the Flames (Important Cultural Property), representing the persistence of diversity in the face of pressures advocating for American homogeneity. 

"My heart aches for the communities across Southern California that have been devastated by these recent fires," said Tomokazu Matsuyama. "As someone who was welcomed with open arms by this region from Japan when I was eight, this city and its people hold a deeply special place in my heart. Despite this catastrophe, I believe the spirit of Los Angeles remains vibrant and unbroken. I hope, in the face of hardship, the work shown at Frieze can create moments of joy and beauty throughout the city."

VIP Days (by invitation only)
Thursday, February 20, 2025, 10 am — 7 pm
Friday, February 21, 2025, 11 am — 1 pm

Public Days
Friday, February 21, 2025, 1 — 7 pm
Saturday, February 22, 2025, 11 am — 7 pm
Sunday, February 23, 2025, 11 am — 6 pm