Miyako Yoshinaga Gallery is pleased to present its 20th Anniversary Show –Part II. Opened in May 1999 under the name M.Y. Art Prospects, Miyako Yoshinaga shares a unique slice of history with the New York City art gallery scene. From its inception, the gallery has embraced a diverse group of international artists and an eclectic range of styles, promoting innovative ideas and giving voice to vital but often underrepresented personal, social and cultural issues through art. In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, for example, the gallery featured an exhibition by artists from the Middle East. In 2003, it showcased largely unknown works by a group of young Cuban artists. And its most recent exhibition honored the repressed Uyghur ethnic minority in China.

Following Part I (Photography), Part II of the anniversary show reflects the gallery’s uncompromising commitment to supporting artists who question conventional worldviews and adeptly invent their own transcendent visions. The show features an assembly of 25 artists (see list above) working in painting, drawing, sculpture, and mixed media, displaying their diverse cultural and visual languages that nevertheless resonate with each other in the universality of art. The presentation will include both new works and highlights from past exhibitions at the gallery.

Miyako Yoshinaga’s 20th Anniversary Show not only revisits the past twenty years but also seeks to offer new insights into the works and their creators. Among the featured artists, four have since passed away, but their legacy continues in their work. For other artists who have since moved on to new inspirations and/or styles, the works in this show might provide a new perspective into their recent pursuits. Above all, the gallery sincerely hopes this exhibition will spark a new dialogue among artists and audiences alike.

The exhibition will include a critical appreciation by Midori Yamamura, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the CUNY Kingsborough and the author of Yayoi Kusama: Inventing the Singular (MIT Press: 2015), who specializes in post-WWII Asian and Asian Diaspora art. Miyako Yoshinaga would like to thank Dr. Yamamura as well as all the participating artists and their associates who have offered tremendous support in realizing this milestone exhibition.