Kenzi Shiokava

 Kenzi Shiokava (1938–2021) was a Los Angeles-based sculptor and assemblage artist whose work embodied a profound synthesis of his Japanese-Brazilian heritage and the vibrant artistic community of South Los Angeles. Born in Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, Brazil, to Japanese immigrant parents from Kagoshima Prefecture, Shiokava grew up in a challenging environment marked by economic hardship. His early life in Brazil, where art was considered a luxury, initially steered him toward practical pursuits like medicine. However, a transformative move to Los Angeles in 1964, at the age of 25, following his sister’s relocation, set the stage for his artistic career.

In Los Angeles, Shiokava enrolled at the Chouinard Art Institute (now CalArts), earning a BFA in 1972, and later completed an MFA at Otis Art Institute (now Otis College of Art and Design) in 1974. Initially trained as a painter, he discovered his true calling in sculpture during his final year at Chouinard, inspired by working with wood from his garden. His practice centered on wood carving and assemblage, using discarded materials such as railroad ties, telephone poles, and found objects like plastic figurines and macramé. Shiokava’s sculptures, often totemic and spiritually resonant, explored themes of life, death, and rebirth, reflecting influences from Japanese Zen Buddhism, Brazilian Candomblé, and the Black assemblage movement in Los Angeles.

Shiokava’s work was deeply tied to his identity as a Japanese-Brazilian immigrant and his experiences in the multicultural Watts community, where he was an artist-in-residence at the Watts Towers Arts Center. Influenced by peers like Noah Purifoy, John Outterbridge, and Betye Saar, he transformed detritus into art that spoke to resilience and cultural hybridity. His totems, carved from weathered wood, and assemblages, incorporating pop culture ephemera, bridged the sacred and profane, earning him recognition as a unique voice in contemporary art.

Despite working as a gardener for much of his life, notably for Marlon Brando, Shiokava maintained a prolific studio practice in Compton. His career gained significant recognition in 2016 when he was named the “breakout star” of the Hammer Museum’s Made in L.A. biennial, receiving the $25,000 Mohn Public Recognition Award. This accolade led to increased visibility, including solo exhibitions and inclusion in major group shows like Transpacific Borderlands at the Japanese American National Museum (2017). Shiokava’s work is celebrated for its spiritual depth, material ingenuity, and reflection of Afro-Asian interconnectedness, leaving a lasting legacy in Los Angeles and beyond.

Shiokava passed away on June 18, 2021, at the age of 82. His estate is represented by Nonaka-Hill Gallery in Los Angeles, which continues to promote his work through exhibitions and retrospectives.