LOS ANGELES, CA.- LAUNCH Gallery presents Synthesis, featuring the mixed media creations of Japanese American artists Chiho Harazaki and Kaoru Mansour. Both artists’ work display the profound use of multiple mediums that combine clever storytelling and alluring imagery to provide the viewer with a look into both their personal histories and rich imaginations.

Chiho Hazaraki

Chiho Harazaki was born and raised in the countryside of Japan. Spending time at the studio of her uncle, a renowned rock sculptor, Harazaki's interest in art was stimulated at an early age. After moving to Los Angeles, she began using adhesive tape as her art medium while developing her practice in drawing, painting, and installation. Her use of precisely cut adhesive tape gives her work the feel of modern graphic design while also lending itself to works reminiscent of traditional Japanese arts like woodcut and papercutting. Perceiving life as a first-generation immigrant, Harazaki explores her own identity through her art.

Kaoru Mansour

Growing up in a small village in Hyogo prefecture, Japan, Kaoru Mansour was always interested in creating things from scratch. Her earliest memory of making art is gluing heart-shaped cutouts to the walls of her parents' house at the age of seven. She studied sciences in college but dropped out after two years and began working in graphic design while singing at local nightclubs in Kobe, eventually earning herself a contract with RCA records in Japan. Once her contract ended in 1986, she moved to Southern California where she soon became a part of the experimental music scene. Despite her musical endeavors, she maintained a passion for creating visual art and enrolled in extracurricular classes at the Otis Art Institute. She has been working as full-time visual artist since 1994.