Greenroom – A Solo Exhibition by Saki Sonoda

Name: Greenroom – A Solo Exhibition by Saki Sonoda
Start: 2024-09-22T12:00:00-04:00
End: 2024-09-23T01:00:00-04:00
Location: House of YES

Schedule

Sun Sep 22 2024 at 12:00 pm to Mon Sep 23 2024 at 01:00 am

UTC-04:00

Location

House of YES | Maspeth, NY

Join us at House of Yes for my first solo exhibition in New York, "Greenroom," held as part of the Block Party. This exhibition features my ongoing project, showcasing oil paintings and sketches created since 2020. The works capture the essence of nocturnal performers in the green room at House of Yes.
About the Project: Greenroom
A Greenroom is a place of transformation, where the unseen moments shape what a night in the city is about to unveil.
For the past two years, I’ve had the privilege of access to the greenroom at House of Yes, where I’ve sketched performers before and after their shows, later transforming these sketches into oil paintings.
This project began during the pandemic. While visiting the Brooklyn Museum’s Studio 54 exhibition, I encountered performers from House of Yes, dancing on the recreated dance floor. I was struck by their energy, stifled by the lockdown, which compelled me to sketch them.
Following the lockdown, I was involved in the first major event ("Freakshow"—co-hosted with KostumeKult), where I witnessed performers in the greenroom, filled with a mix of tension and positive energy. Since the reopening of House of Yes, I have continued to capture these greenroom scenes.
Throughout art history, performers, dancers, and clowns—existence on the fringe—have often been depicted as mirrors of their society, while also expressing the complexity and beauty of human emotions through their commitment to self-expression. Similarly, I aim to document these contemporary performers, who are an integral part of New York today—a city where stopping is not allowed.
In many cultures, including Japan where I'm from, such performers have often been seen as messengers between the human world and the divine. To me, their presence in the greenroom represents the moment when humans transform into something sacred!
I would be honored to share this journey with you. Please join us at House of Yes and immerse yourself in the moment of "Greenroom."

---
Saki Sonoda Profile
Born in Japan and based in Brooklyn, Saki's art blends cultural influences, drawing from an MFA in Western art and a deep appreciation for traditional and modern Japanese pop culture. Her work spans painting, printmaking, and mixed media, with a history of exhibitions in numerous group shows, including public museums such as the Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts in Japan and the Ningbo Museum of Art in China. She was awarded a scholarship that included residence to study in Milan, where, upon graduation, her art was acquired and is now part of the university's permanent collection. After engaging in commercial arts, designing stage sets and decor for films and events, she moved to New York in 2016. Since then, she has received multiple grants from Burning Man-related events.
Saki's upcoming exhibitions include September 2024 at LIC-A in Long Island City, October at The Ritual Division in Brooklyn, and the "Art Bath" in November at Blue Building in New York.