Drawings From My Previous Life
by Mai Ueda
44 pages, 19 × 28 cm
Red and Blue Risographic print
Silkscreen cover
First edition of 100

February 14th, 2012
at 7pm c/o Gloria Maria Gallery
Via Watt 32 – Milano
www.gloriamariagallery

Automatic Books is pleased to announce the release of Drawings From My Previous Life, a new book by New York City-based Japanese performance artist Mai Ueda. Mai Ueda is that kind of artist who likes to think of life as art and personality as performance. She went around the world, from Japan towards West, and turned it into a vast adventure to everywhere. She flirted with the Internet, American Pop culture, French fashion, South American Shamanism, Sahara Nomads, Indian Ayurveda and Yoga, Tibetan Tantra and Meditation. “It is a matter of considering different ways of expressing ourselves, art is there to capture elements from our intimate life and personality”.

Drawings From My Previous Life is a collection of Mai Ueda’s closest friends watercolor portraits that the artist created during the last decade, when she was part of the so called Neen art movement. “Neen did represent for me a new and different approach to the contemporary art world and practice. It is surprising to see how you can produce poetry and beauty with the use of technology and the Internet devices”.

The book includes portraits of Greek architect Andreas Angelidakis as he is taking a bath in Christian Mollerʼs Jacuzzi in West Hollywood, just wearing black sunglasses; Dutch artist Rafaël Rozendaal that is instead portrayed swimming and floating in a red lifebuoy in a pool in Rio de Janeiro; artist Mai Ueda herself in a sweet friendly hug with Neen’s founder Miltos Manetas or as she is having fun dressed up with her favorite Yohji Yamamoto white jacket. Portraits of artists and friends Angelo Plessas, Nora Lowinsky, Mike Calvert and Serge Becker are also included in the book.

The book launch and signing will take place on February 24th 2012. The event is kindly hosted by Gloria Maria Gallery in Milan (Via Watt 32 – www.gloriamariagallery.com). It will include an exhibition of the original artworks. For the occasion, artist Mai Ueda will be performing a tea ceremony, and will be happy to share some wisdom from the world with all of you.

“Mai wants to take you backwards to the future of the Chashitsu after going around the world. Here you will find drawings from her past life, Neen art hanging on the wall instead of Kakejiku and we will appreciate tea from 450 years ago with conversation on the future feeling here and now. Please visit us for special evening of it’s now or never”. Mai Ueda

For further information and pre-ordering Drawings From My Previous Life, please contact:print@automaticbooks.org