Tim Okamura & The Kidbelo

AXIS contemporary art presents the highly anticipated exhibition of New York portrait artist Tim Okamura and collaboration with Calgary graffiti artist The Kidbelo.

Tim Okamura
Born in Edmonton, Canada, painter Tim Okamura earned a B.F.A. with Distinction at the ACAD in Calgary before moving to New York City where he graduated from the School of Visual Arts with an MFA in 1993. Okamura has had several solo exhibitions in New York City and Canada, and has had his work chosen for inclusion in several prominent group exhibitions, including "After Matisse/Picasso" at the Museum of Modern Art., as well as being selected five times to appear in the BP Portrait Awards Exhibition at London's National Portrait Gallery. Okamura - a recipient of the 2004 Fellowship in Painting from the New York Foundation for the Arts has also had his paintings featured in several films and his art is on display in the permanent collections at the Toronto Congress Center, The Hotel Arts in Calgary, Canada, and Standard Chartered Bank in London, England; and in the private collections of Uma Thurman, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (The Roots), director Ben Younger, and actors Bryan Greenberg, Vanessa Marcil, Annabella Sciorra, and Ethan Hawke.

The Kidbelo   
Growing up in a small town The Kidbelo (David Brunning) found he had a talent for drawing at an early age.    Always drawing letters and words, the Kidbelo evolved into what he calls a graffiti writer naturally and considers words and letters to be his muse, his inspiration and the framework for his art.  In 1999 he moved to Calgary and joined a larger community of graffiti artists.  The Kidbelo's clients include Holt Renfrew, Adidas, Henry Singer Fashion Group, Red Point Media, Snatch Rock n Roll Lounge and Art Central.   His work was prominently featured in the highly successful "Art Under Pressure" Exhibition at the Art Gallery of Calgary in 2005.