17 Facts About Oscar Oiwa

Oscar Oiwa is a Brazilian-American visual artist.

Oscar Oiwa was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, son of Japanese immigrants.

Oscar Oiwa experienced contemporary art during this time exploring the local art scene in Sao Paulo in nearby galleries and became an assistant at the Sao Paulo Art Biennial during his college years.

Oscar Oiwa held his first solo exhibition while he was still in college and soon after participated in the 21st Sao Paulo Art Biennial.

Over his career, Oscar Oiwa's oeuvre encompasses everything from tradition oil paintings, texts, and art objects to interactive immersive art, experimental VR project, fictional narrative-based installations, public art, and book production.

Oscar Oiwa has received numerous awards throughout his career including Pollock-Krasner Foundation grants, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship, a grant from the Asian Cultural Council in 2002, and the Gottlieb Foundation Individual Support Grant.

Oscar Oiwa was born in Sao Paulo in 1965 and raised in there as well, with an interest early on in art.

Oscar Oiwa began to enter picture competitions in junior high school, winning the grand prize in a poster competition for college students in his final year.

Oscar Oiwa continued to participate in small exhibitions and graduated college in 1989, soon after deciding to relocate to Tokyo in 1991 upon graduation.

Oscar Oiwa enjoyed this work, with the social relevance of architecture unlike the art world.

Oscar Oiwa continued to paint in oils when he returned to Japan and was gradually participating in more group shows in Japanese public art museums such as at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, and the Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art in the early 2000s.

Oscar Oiwa soon settled into life in Tokyo, but soon decided to move to New York City.

Oscar Oiwa re-established his studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and after initially applying to competitions without results, with greater intensity against competition, he focused his energies into the production of his art and in conjunction with meeting people over time, his efforts over time finally reaped their benefits.

Oscar Oiwa now has works displayed globally, across South America and Asia but beyond, and continues to work in his studio in New York City.

Oscar Oiwa observes and depicts current day events and social issues in his artwork through his lens and experiences.

Oscar Oiwa's works encompass themes ranging from war and immigration, stemming from his family's history and immigration to globalization and nature and the environment.

Oscar Oiwa has had more than 60 solo exhibitions worldwide since 1985.