Glenn Kaino // Walking with a Tiger at Pace

Glenn Kaino, Where You From (2023). Cotton, thread, wood and metal. 12-1/4" × 16" × 2-1/2" (31.1 cm × 40.6 cm × 6.4 cm), each frame.

Glenn Kaino’s show at Pace, Walking with a Tiger, is about his Japanese-American identity. This is a uniquely personal show for Kaino, who usually explores universal issues like climate-change. The show has black and white portraits of Asian-Americans, embroidery, and sculptures; which are a modern take on samurai helmets. One of the embroidered pieces titled, Where You From, is reminiscent of an Ed Ruscha word painting, another LA based artist. The embroidery technique is drawn from bunka shishu, which was common during the postwar period. One of the motifs seen in the embroidery is the tiger, which is a symbol of Japan even though it is not native to the country. Overall the different mediums of art have a connected theme, but visually seem disconnected.