TORANOKO's 'RISING SUN ART SHOW' featuring Sean D'AnconiaNEW

A new culinary addition to Los Angeles' historic Little Tokyo--ABURIYA TORANOKO--is hosting its first RISING SUN ART SHOW on August 13th. The show features Pop-Artist Sean D'Anconia, and coincides with the 71ST NISEI WEEK festivities which began in July, and which continue throughout August, in celebration of Japanese-American cultural heritage.

To commemorate Toranoko's first Nisei Week, owner Michael Cardenas has invited artist Sean D'Anconia to showcase his Japanese influenced Pop-Art. Cardenas, a longtime restaurateur, heads the Innovative Dining Group, which developed and owns several tastemaker restaurants including Sushi Roku, Katana and BOA Steakhouse. "We wanted to show not only our appreciation for the wonderful community that has embraced us here in Little Tokyo, but also to showcase one of our favorite local artists - Sean D'Anconia."

Both D'Anconia--who moved to LA from Hong Kong--and Cardenas (born in Yokosuka, Japan) have a vision for reshaping Downtown LA's art and entertainment scene with an Asian-fusion aesthetic.

Reflecting on the Japanese lifestyle, so prominent in Downtown LA: "We're after a return of something old," explained D'Anconia, "but fused together with something new." D'Anconia's pop art does the job, mixing eastern design and western fragrances, "I fell in love with Japan at a very young age. And I wanted my paintings to expose those aspects of Japanese culture that inspired me, to a broader audience."

Cardenas agrees. In the last 2 years, he has opened and unwrapped similarly styled boxes of art and food, including both the renowned Lazy Ox Canteen and Aburiya Toranoko, in Little Tokyo. His next restaurant will be just 2 blocks away---Fat Spoon---for which D'Anconia is slated to design the art for. The new restaurant will be the first US recreation of a traditional Japanese "turn-of-the-century" curry house.

Along with selection of D'Anconia's recent paintings, this weekend's RISING SUN ART SHOW will provide complementary wine and appetizers to guests. As an added attraction, Film producer Jay Rifkin, will be on hand to unveil D'Anconia's take on the MTV logo, as part of a special project currently in the works.

The event runs from 4pm to 7pm and is open to the public. ABURIYA TORANOKO is located at 243 S. San Pedro St., Los Angeles 90012. toranokola.com - seandanconia.com

Date
August 13, 2011

Time
4:00 pm - 7:00 pm