January 17 - March 16, 2024

ERIC FIRESTONE GALLERY | CURATED BY JENNIFER SAMET

Eric Firestone Gallery is pleased to announce a major exhibition exploring the history of Godzilla Asian American Arts Network, which was active in the 1990s. The exhibition will showcase the work of individual artists involved with the network at the time, including Nina KUO (ACC 2002). Spanning two gallery spaces, the show includes established artists and also amplifies the voices of artists who have not been centered in the canon, and who made their careers showing in alternative spaces. 

Godzilla founders—artists Bing Lee and Ken Chu, along with art historian Margo Machida—wanted to negotiate the visibility and representation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the art world. Godzilla functioned as a support structure and source of collective action. 

As stated in Godzilla’s 1991 mission statement: “Godzilla is a New York-based group of Asian American visual artists and art professionals whose goal is to establish a dynamic forum that will foster information exchange, mutual support, documentation and networking among our expanding numbers across the United States.”

The 2024 exhibition, while centered on a network, will ultimately look at individual artists and their unique voices, as well as stylistic development since the time of their involvement with Godzilla. It honors the open structure of Godzilla, allowing various themes to emerge, refusing any single unified aesthetic. 

ARTISTS

Pacita Abad • Diyan Achjadi • John Allen • Kim Anno • Todd Ayoung • Shelly Bahl • Rina Banerjee • China Blue • Emily Cheng • Mel Chin • Al-An deSouza • Uday Dhar • Skowmon Hastanan • Zhang Hongtu • Michi Itami • Yun-Fei Ji • Ik-Joong Kang • Betty Kano • Byron Kim • Nina Kuo • Li-lan • Bing Lee • Colin Lee • Hung Liu • Stefani Mar • Yong Soon Min • Kazuko Miyamoto • Helen Oji • An Pham • Athena Robles • Carol Sun • Barbara Takenaga • Rirkrit Tiravanija • Mary Ting • Rumi Tsuda • Martin Wong • Tony Wong • Charles Yuen • Garson Yu 

 

To learn more, click HERE.