Hello! Thank you for stopping in. Kiss of the World is the website for the going's on's and projects of Los Angeles based artist HARUKO TANAKA.

 

Born 1974 in Queens, New York, raised in England and Japan, trained at the University of Southern California and California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), Haruko Tanaka keeps true to heart to the principles of activisionism, feminism, soul poetry, and keep-it-realism. As an artist Haruko is fueled by, and stays focused with, the urgency of an activist. As a cultural activist she is firmly dedicated to the artistic expression and creative representation of who we already are. The underlying nature of her photographs, films, performances and workshops is the belief that ‘everything is everything’ and the hope that such a belief empowers us with the knowledge that there is meaning in who we already are, and that we do not ever have to wait for meaning to be given to us.

Her short films have been screened at the Asian American International Film Festival at the Asia Society in New York City, The Rotterdam International Film Festival, The New York Underground Film Festival, The Chicago Underground Film Festival, The Women of Color Film Festival, and The Museum of Modern Art in New York. Her recent collaborations include a "Tn'T EXPLOSIVE ADVICE!! THE TEN MINUTE TAKEOVER!!" at High Energy Constructs in Chinatown, Los Angeles and Sea and Space Explorations in Highland Park, Los Angeles. In 2005 Haruko received an Emerging Artist Visual Arts Grant from the California Community Foundation, and in February of 2007 she had her first solo exhibition at the CUE Art Foundation in New York and her first solo exhibition in Los Angeles in April 2008 at Sea and Space Explorations.

Haruko lives, works and surfs in Los Angeles, in English, Japanese and some Spanish.

To contact Haruko please shoot an email to: harukoatanaka@gmail.com Thanks!

 


Curriculum Vitae
(download full cv pdf)


EDUCATION


2003 MFA Photography and Media Art, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA
1997 BA Fine Art, School of Fine Art, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

GRANTS

2005 Emerging Artist Visual Arts Grant, California Community Foundation
2004 Artist’s Resource for Completion Grant, The Durfee Foundation


EXHIBITIONS

2008
20 Years Ago Today: Supporting Individual Artists in Los Angeles, Japanese American National Museum, October 4 - January 11, 2009
What we give is ours forever,
Sea and Space Explorations, Highland Park, CA, April 5- April 26

2007
Body Double [curated by Julie Joyceand Marco Rios], The Harriet & Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex at California State University, Los Angeles, August 25 - October 13
Exquisite Crisis and Encounters [curated by Yong Soon Min], in collaboration with Bia Gayotto, Dee Williams and Amy Bowen, Asian Pacific American Institute at the New York University, NY, February 15 -May 31
Solo exhibition
[curated by Cindy Bernard], The Cue Art Foundation, New York, NY, February 1 – March 10

2006
A Play on Action: 5 L.A. Artists consider feminism [curated by Bari Ziperstein], Rosamund Felsen Gallery, Santa Monica, CA, March 18-April 15

2005
Laughing in the Jungle [curated by Audrey Mandelbaum], Antioch University Los Angeles, Culver City, CA, October

2004
Telephone Game, Xchanges, Victoria, Canada, November 12
On the brink of desire: Girls that spice it up, Ambivalent Space, Culver City, CA, July
100 Artists See Satan, Cal State Fullerton Grand Central Art Center, Fullerton, CA, July 7 – September
CONTRABAND, STOWAWAY LOUNGE: ARTIST-MADE KARAOKE VIDEOS [curated by Rachel Mayeri, Christina Ulke and Soo Kim], ISEA 2004, on a ferry boat traveling between Helsinki, Stockholm, and Tallin.
Mania for Coleslaw, Highways Performance Space, Santa Monica, CA, May 2

2003
We’ve Moved, Pasadena Armory Museum, Pasadena, CA, September 14 - November 16
First Person [curated by Carla Herrera-Prats, Anne Julie Raccoursier and Michael Mandiberg], C-level, Los Angeles, CA, August 30 [travels to Technika Radica's Powering Up/Powering Down conference at UC San Diego, Michoacan Mexico and Mexico City in 2004]
Down to It [curated by Lauren Hartman], a collaboration with Seema Kapur, Crazy Space, Santa Monica, CA, July 5
Take Back the Love-A June Jordan Celebration, 6 Months, Los Angeles, CA, June 13
Mine [curated by Eungie Joo],Lombard-Freid Fine Arts,New York,NY, May 22- July 11
Around Special Registration, Solo Exhibition, A402 Gallery, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA, March 15-22

2002
All You Can Eat- an evening of artist made karaoke videos [curated by Soo Kim], a collaboration with Bia Gayotto, LA Freewaves, Vermont Music Café, Los Angeles, CA, November 29
20 Eyes/10 Cameras, Gallery Figueroa, Highland Park, CA, June 22 – July 21

2001
All in Me/Acting the Part, A402 Gallery, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA, October 23 – November 3
Beginnings- L.A. River Temple Project, Canoga Park Cultural Center, Canoga Park, CA, August 31 – September 14
Artist Writing Reading Room [curated by Annetta Kapon], Side Street Projects, Los Angeles, CA, June
The Corridor Show, The Corridor at The Helms Bakery, Culver City, CA, March 24 – April 1
Juried Exhibition 2001, Patricia Correia Gallery, Santa Monica, CA, January 6 – 20
2000 Snapshot, Contemporary Museum, Baltimore, MD, November 1 – January 14, 2001
3cm World Tour 2000 – Japan, touring of 22 stereoscopic views viewed through a stereoscope, various locations, January 1 – 5
3cm World Tour 2000 – USA, West Coast Tour, Touring of 22 stereoscopic views viewed through a stereoscope, various locations, February

1999
Site Unseen, James Kelly Contemporary, Sante Fe, NM, April 30 – May 3

1997
Are WeThere Yet?, USC Architecture Gallery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, May
www.usc.edu/matrix/, Helen Lindhurst Fine Arts Gallery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, April

FILM SCREENINGS

2006
TOMORROWLAND: CalArts in MOVING PICTURES
, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, July 27, 31

2005
“Positions on Love: An Evening of Women’s Shorts,” Union Theatre, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, October 8
The British Film Institute, London, U.K., March 30- April 13
Sticky Bonds, [curated by Kevin McCarty and José Esteban Muñoz], Spielberg Theatre at The Egyptian, Los Angeles, February 23

2004
“Shoot Yourself,” [curated by Scott Stark] San Francisco Cinematheque, San Francisco, CA, December 9
“First Person/ Videos de los Ángeles y de la ciudad de México,” Centro de la Imagen, Mexico City, Mexico, November 18
Sticky Bonds, [curated by Kevin McCarty and José Esteban Muñoz], REDCAT Theatre, July 11
11th Annual New York Underground Film Festival, Anthology Film Archives, New York, NY, March 10-15
Women of Color Film Festival, Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley, CA, March 13
Small Change presents: An introduction to stand me up, The Parlor, Philadelphia, PA, February 12
33rd International Film Festival Rotterdam, The Netherlands, January 22, 24, 25, 27 and 29

2003
“CalArts at Colgate [programmed by Carolyn Kaylor],” Alternative Cinema, Golden Auditorium, Colgate University, October 28, November 11
7th Annual MadCat Women’s International Film Festival, Artist Television Access, San Fransisco, CA, Sept 19
10th Annual Chicago Underground Film Festival, Landmark Century Centre Cinemas, Chicago, IL, August 30, Sept 1
“Performance, Event and Documentation,” Record [curated by Sharon Hayes], Gallery210two, Boyle Heights, CA, August 16
Take Back the Love-A June Jordan Celebration, 6 Months, Los Angeles, CA, June 13
Sex on Screen Festival, Consolidated Works, Seattle, WA, May 30-June 22
Bijou Fest, Bijou Theater, California Institute of the Arts. Valencia, CA, May 13, 16
VC Filmfest: Asian Pacific Film and Video Festival, Los Angeles, CA, May 1-8
Chicago Filmmakers Coop, Chicago Filmmakers, Chicago, IL, April 13
Thaw 03 at the Institute of Cinema and Culture, Iowa City, IA, April 12
8th Chicago Asian American Showcase presented by the Foundation forAsian American Independent Media (FAAIM): What’s Love Got To Do With It?, The Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago, IL, April 11
10th Annual New York Underground Film Festival, Anthology Film Archives, New York, NY, March 5-11
32nd International Film Festival Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, January 25, 27, 29 and 31

2002
African American Music Ensemble #3 presents: I’m not cold blooded just blood cold, [curated by Maryam Kashani], Bijou Theater, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA, December 10
LadyFest Los Angeles- Girl Director Short Films presented by Andrea Richards,SpringTower Bank Film Mezzanine, Los Angeles, CA, November 9
MFA-2 Mid Residency Show, Bijou Theater, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA, October 10
Afest: Through the Lens, Northwest Asian American Theatre’s 2002 Festival of Asian Filmmakers, Seattle, WA, July 30-August 10
The 25th Asian American International Film Festival, Asian Cinevision & Asia Society and Museum, Lila Acheson Wallace Auditorium, New York, NY, July 26
Bijou Fest, curated by James Benning, Bijou Theater, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA, May 17

TV BROADCASTS

2005
“Corto y Quedo,” Canal 22, Mexico

2004
MOOV HD Channel, VOOM, HD Satellite TV

PERFORMANCES and WORKSHOPS
2008
Lovereflections Psychic Journey with Krystal Krunch as part of "Feel the Love: A Valentine's pre-fix workshop," Machine Project, Los Angeles, CA, February 14

2007
Tn'T EXPLOSIVE ADVICE! THE 10 MINUTE TAKEOVER, as part of artSpa 02 organized by Adam Overton, Sea and Space Explorations, Highland Park, Los Angeles, CA, November 18
THE OTHER LULLABY, as part of "The Other Project" organized by Evelyn Serrano, Fire Valley, Valencia, CA, September 11-14
Tn'T EXPLOSIVE ADVICE! THE 10 MINUTE TAKEOVER, as part of artSpa 01 organized by Adam Overton, High Energy Constructs, Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA, August 26
NARUHODO! ZA WAHRUDO/ Oh I see! The World, CUE Art Foundation, New York, February 3

2006
EVERYTHING WRONG, in collaboration with Seema "Dpoy" Kapur and Loren “Larry Knight” Hartman, Highways Performance Space, Santa Monica, CA
M-Y-MANIFESTO Workshop: Fundraiser for South Central Farm, a manifesto writing workshop in collaboration with Matt Dunnerstick as the m-y-manifesto.net collaborative, South Central Farm, South Central Los Angeles, CA, April 2

2005
LE’ RATIONALE: Workshop in Empathy, a workshop performance in collaboration with Wanda Smans, Crazy Space, Santa Monica, CA, April 22
RADICAL CUTS: NARUHODO!/Oh really! I see, Crazy Space, Santa Monica, CA, February 5

2004
A mixin’ and matchin’ happenin,’ a bpp episode, Pussyfoot Beauty Lounge, Los Angeles, CA, August 6

2003
‘How to be an Artist & Activist (at the same time)’, a collaboration with Seema Kapur as part of the show Down To It, Crazy Space, Santa Monica, CA, July 5

2002
Funk the Peanuts, a karaoke duet performance on swing with Kyoko Kawahata, Main Gallery, California Institute of the Arts, June

PROJECTS and EVENTS ORGANIZED

2006
EVERYTHING WRONG, in collaboration with Seema Dpoy Kapur and Loren “Larry Knight” Hartman,” Highways Performance Space, Santa Monica, CA

2005
“Say, say, say,” [a short film/video program], Half hour from home: CalArts Alumni at
Barnsdall
, Barnsdall Municipal Art Gallery Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, October 15-16
POSITIVE CONTACT: A group effort at Newspace, Newspace, Los Angeles, CA, June – July

2003
Take Back the Love-A June Jordan Celebration, 6 Months, Los Angeles, CA, June 13

2001
The Corridor Show, The Corridor at The Helms Bakery, Culver City, CA, March 24 – April 1

2000
Little Velvet-feminist zine, published 7 issues between March 2000 – Sept. 2001

GUEST LECTURES and DISCUSSION PANELS

2007
artSpa 02 Panel Discussion: New Age Aesthetics, Sea and Space Explorations, Highland Park, CA, November 25
The Other Project
[organized by Everlyn Serrano], a panel discussion on "Other-ness," Fire Valley, Valencia, CA, September 11
University of California at Riverside, February 28

2006
Necessary Positions: An Intergenerational Conversation [directed by Suzanne Lacy], a conversation on feminism, art, gender and politics, REDCAT Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, August 20
A Play on Action: 5 L.A. artists consider feminism [moderated by Bari Ziperstein}, Rosamund Felsen Gallery, Santa Monica, CA, April 1

2005
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, February 15, 17

2003
Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA, October 20
California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA, October 9

2002
Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA, October 27

BIBLIOGRAPHY
2008
Joyce, Julie, “Body Double,” January, 2008

2007
ArtScene, Vol 27, No.4, December 2007, p.26
Myers, Holly, “Through a lens starkly,” Los Angeles Times, September 12, 2007
Min, Yong Soon, "Exquisite Crisis & Encounters," February 2007
The New Yorker, March 12, 2007
www.loudcricket.com, February 2007
HARUKO TANAKA, CUE Art Foundation Solo exhibition [cat.], February 2007
Schlosser, Julia, "Mind the Gap: The artwork of Haruko Tanaka," February 2007

2006
Buckley, Annie, "art and the city: Reflecting a Sea Change," zerodegreesart.com, September 2006
www.loudcricket.com, August, 2006
Buckley, Annie, Artweek, June Issue, 2006

2005
Art in America, October 2005, p.212
Half-Hour From Home: CalArts Alumni at Barnsdall [cat.], California Institute of the Arts, October 2005
Walls of Dreams: California Community Foundation 2005 Annual Report, California Community Foundation, p.19

2004
McGee, Mike. 100 Artists See Satan [cat.], Last Gasp Press, July 2004
11th New York Underground Film Festival [cat.], 11th New York Underground Film Festival, April 2004
33rd International Film Festival Rotterdam [cat.], 32nd International Film Festival Rotterdam, January 2004

2003
Annual MadCat Women’s International Film Festiva
l [cat.], 7th Annual Madcat Women’s International Film Festival, September 2003
The 10th Chicago Underground Film Festival [cat.], The 10th Chicago Underground Film Festival, August/September 2003
First Person, a DVD compilation project organized by Carla Herrera-Prats, Anne Julie Raccousier and Michael Mandiberg, August 2003
Chicago Asian American Film Showcase 2003 [cat.], Chicago Asian American Film Showcase, April 2003
VC Film Festival 2003 [cat,], VC Film Festival, May 2003, p.64
10th New York Underground Film Festival [cat.], 10th New York Underground Film Festival, March 2003
32nd International Film Festival Rotterdam [cat.], 32nd International Film Festival Rotterdam, January 2003, p. 208

2002
25 Years…Asian American International Film Festival 2002
[cat.], Asian Cinevision, July 2002, p. 103.

2001
Pence, Elizabeth, “The Corridor at the Helms Bakery Building,” Coagula Art Journal, Issue #52, p.51
Spence, Mark, “Gallegiate Top Ten- New York, Los Angeles,” Coagula Art Journal, Issue #51, p.51



FILMOGRAPHY/VIDEOGRAPHY


2007
The Word Is, DV, color/sound, 50 minutes

2004
100 Questions for Satan, DVD, color/sound, 5 minutes
Ah-meh to Zushi Station, Digital video, color/sound, 5 minutes

2003
Around Special Registration, Digital video, color/sound, 18 minutes
California Telephone, 16mm black and white film/sync sound, 3 minutes

2002
I Love You, 16mm color film/sync sound, 2 minutes
Ue wo Muite Arukou/So Danço Samba, a collaboration with Bia Gayotto, Digital Video, 4 minutes

2000
By the waterfall on their hike in Eaton Canyon- 7 times, Digital 8 video, 10 minutes
from Los Angeles, October 2000, Digital 8 video, 15 minutes

The name Kiss of the World is inspired by a line from the June Jordan poem "Of Nightsong & Flight" - - the actual kiss of the world, everywhere.