Throughout time, we—humanity—have been uprooted and displaced, whether by choice or by force. We wander the wastelands of generations past as strangers and exiles, looking for another home beyond the horizon. We scorn or lament the ruins of empires, yet fail to see the sins of our fathers reborn in us. As we journey to find a better country, we meet an uncrossable sea, the shore of the end of ourselves. The oppressor we run from is within us. Who, then, will save us from ourselves? What hope is there for the lost children of the guilty and damned?
In Strangers and Exiles at Thinkspace Projects, artist duo Giorgiko’s childlike characters venture on a perilous journey through wilderness and rubble. Their long and lonely exodus begins with fire and ends at the sea. Through 13 new oil paintings of both intimate and grandiose scale, Giorgiko continues to explore the themes of searching for home and humanity’s bitter cycles.
Giorgiko (pronounced jee-OR-jee-koh) is the product of a collaborative experiment between Darren and Trisha Inouye melding minimal, expressive character illustration with large-scale classical painting. Conceived in 2012, the Giorgiko universe is home to lost boys and wayfaring girls, and explores the stories of their wanderings and their dreams of being found again. Urban and classical youth are portrayed in city and nature scenes as part of their journeys through the world.
The husband-and-wife team first met while studying art at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California. Darren was attracted to Trisha’s authenticity and quirkiness, while Trisha was drawn to Darren’s dashingly good looks. Trisha hails from a Korean immigrant family in the San Francisco Bay area and was noticed at an early age for her talent in drawing. She brings a cuteness and sweet innocence to Giorgiko’s characters. Meanwhile, Darren is a 4th generation Japanese- American from Los Angeles who fell in love with hip hop dancing and graffiti in his youth, and the underground influence is evident throughout the Giorgiko universe. Darren and Trisha’s work blends street and cute to create relatable images for wanderers of all ages.
Darren and Trisha are parents to identical twin boys who keep the young artists occupied with finger foods and baby babble. Their greatest accomplishment to date is keeping their children alive.
