Mike Saijo
A native of Los Angeles, CA Mike Saijo guides his viewers through the complexities of “memory construction”: how memories are built, what goes into the creation of a memory, and how it is preserved. Saijo touches on themes of loss, entropy, transformation, and the unconscious. Influenced, in part, by ancient manuscripts he reclaims history by redefining it based on human experience.
Saijo transforms objects like books, office supplies, and building materials to construct art with a wide range of subject matter from mid-century modern architecture, WWII photos, cinema stills, imaginary landscapes, and the history of fashion. Saijo cites graffiti and Oshuji-Japanese calligraphy as some of his chief influences, dating back to his first “book piece” made using the pages of a New Testament Bible.
His artwork has been exhibited internationally including shows at the Tompkins Square Library in New York, NY and at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, CA. Saijo has also been featured in a number of publications such as the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and New York Magazine.