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At MCA Chicago, Kenzi Shiokava Gets His Long-Awaited Solo Debut

The late artist was a transformer of scavenged objects, showcasing what it means for sculptures and more to have an inner spirit.

Like a phalanx of choreographed Roman soldiers, Kenzi Shiokava’s totemic wooden sculptures stand guard at the entrance of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago’s Bergman Gallery. Alert to newcomers, Shiokava’s reworked found objects are indeed an unrelenting force to behold. It might be a matter of volume, a vertical ensemble of 31, or it could be a declaration of form, a forestry populated across three platforms, that spurs this energy on. Whichever and wherever this catalyzing propulsion originates from, matters little when the only hope is to surrender to its presence; for the posthumous artist’s first solo museum show, reverentially titled “Kenzi Shiokava,” there is not much more you could ask for.

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It is rare to encounter as terrific an introduction for museum attendees as the one here, particularly useful for visitors unfamiliar with the artist who covertly flew under the radar of mass popularity until the very end of his career. Born in Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, Brazil, to Japanese immigrant parents from Kagoshima, Japan, Shiokava would spend the majority of his life in Los Angeles, first as a student and then as an established creator until his passing in 2021. Despite maintaining a successful and sizable career, no stranger to institutional selection and inclusion, Shiokava was never quite afforded the singular concentration shown to many of his peers.

Curator Nolan Jimbo has now corrected this wrong, a recognition that, while overdue, nonetheless makes the achievement both greatly deserving and even sweeter. And, Jimbo has done a rather standup job........

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