The impetus for KIRK PEDERSEN: URBAN ASIA grew organically from a trip by the artist to Bangkok in 2005. Wandering the streets and alleys, Pedersen observed the city's unique signage and symbolism, corners and crossings, sidewalks and cracks. Inspired by what he found there, Pedersen continued his explorations to photograph ten additional cities, documenting what he calls “Urban Asia”: Taipei, Hong Kong, Shenyang, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Shanghai, Dalian, Beijing, Singapore, and Phnom Penh. Revealing the magic in the mundane, and with an eye for detail, poetic juxtapositions, and immaculate composition, Pedersen’s breathtaking photographic survey captures the respective cities in an unprecedented fashion.
Inaugural book released by ZERO+ Publishing. Limited edition of 1,000 copies, with an introduction by Jeff Brouws, contemporary American photographer and author, and an essay by renowned Los Angeles Times art critic and curator, David Pagel.
About Kirk Pedersen
Kirk Pedersen is a Los Angeles based multidisciplinary artist whose work is at once expansive and detailed, revealing and poetic. Traveling to Hong Kong, Bangkok, Tokyo, Taipei, and Kuala Lumpur to capture what he calls “Urban Asia,” Pedersen examines the seemingly ordinary stuff of life- sidewalks, curbs, markets, alleys- and, through his eye for synchronicity, reveals new truths about the world around us.
Kirk Pedersen received his M.A. from San Francisco State University and his M.F.A. in painting from Claremont Graduate University. He has exhibited extensively at major galleries, art fairs and museums throughout the United States. Internationally, Pedersen’s works have been featured in Germany, Switzerland, and China, including the Today Art Museum, Beijing and the Duolun Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai. Since 1997, he has served as professor of painting and drawing at the Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, CA.
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