Sept. 11-Oct. 3
Born in 1983, Pow Martinez is a rising star of the Philippine pop art scene, having won the Ateneo Art Award in 2010 despite his bold work being far from the hyper-realistic paintings that were then dominating the country's art market. With skeletons, maggots, grim reapers and other macabre characters as subjects, Martinez's themes are dark, but his comic-book style gives his work a humorous slant — even when creatures are chained by the neck to trees.
The Megumi Ogita Gallery is hosting Martinez's first exhibition in Japan, a showing of around 10 paintings under the nihilistic title "From the Bitter Abyss."
Megumi Ogita Gallery; Ginza Otsuka Bldg. B1, 2-16-12 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo. Higashi-Ginza Stn. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Free admission. Closed Sun., Mon., holidays. 03-3248-3405; www.megumiogita.com