OVERVIEW

Joel Mesler（born 1974, Los Angeles, USA）is currently based in New York. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Sonoma State University, MFA at San Francisco Art Institute.
By rendering imagery from his own childhood memories and life experiences with a humorous touch, Joel Mesler transforms the personal into shared elements of universal human consciousness. Mesler’s works evoke Los Angeles in the 1980s; featuring bold colors, stylized patterns, vibrant figurative forms, and his own original calligraphy, Mesler’s style is immediately recognizable. Drawing upon influences ranging from Henri Rousseau’s jungles to 20th century decorative art forms, Mesler’s canvases sharply and delicately examine the point at which individual and popular iconography meet. Recently he has held his solo exhibitions at Long Museum in Shanghai, as well as galleries in the US, the UK, France and South Korea. 

HISTORY

2025
‘Joel Mesler: Paradise Found’, Paradise Art Space, Seoul, South Korea
‘Joel Mesler: Miles of Smiles’, Guild Hall, New York, USA
2024
‘Joel Mesler: Kitchens are good rooms to cry in’, Lévy Gorvy Dayan, New York, USA
‘Joel Mesler: Me, You and the Sunset’, Richard Rogers Gallery, Provence, France
2023
‘Joel Mesler: Spiritual Journey’, Long Museum, Shanghai, China
2022
‘Joel Mesler: Mental States’, LGDR, Hong Kong
‘Joel Mesler: Pool Party’, LGDR, USA / UK
2021
‘Joel Mesler: In the Beginning’, LGDR, Hong Kong
‘Surrender’, David Kordansky Gallery, Los Angeles, USA  
2020
‘Show Schmo’, Harper’s , New York, USA
2018
‘The Alphabet of Creation (for now)’, Simon Lee Gallery, London, UK
‘Joel Mesler: Most of it is my money’, F-J, Harper’s Apartment, New York, USA
2017
‘Down and Out in Beverly Hills’, Kantor Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
2016
‘The Estate of Joel Mesler’, NADA, New York, USA
‘Fish People’, Surf Lodge, Montauk, New York, USA  
‘American People’, TORRI, Paris, France
2006
‘Survival Meets Ideal Hands’, Black Dragon Society, Los Angeles, USA 

2026
‘Mountains and Flowers’, Patricia Low Contemporary, Gstaad, Switzerland
2023
‘Die Young, Stay Pretty’, KOTARO NUKAGA, Tokyo, Japan
2022
‘Some People’, Cheim and Read, New York, USA
2021
‘Via Cafe’, Tif Sigfrids, Comer, Georgia, USA
‘Eau de Vallotton’, Tif Sigfrids, New York, USA
‘Online: Pride’, Ikon Ltd, Santa Monica, USA
‘Word Play’, David Benrimon Fine Art, New York, USA
‘No Line on the Horizon’, Lévy Gorvy, Palm Beach, USA
2020
‘All for the Hall’, Guild Hall Museum, East Hampton, New York, USA
2019
‘Summer Rental’, Rental Gallery, East Hampton, New York, USA
‘Brand X: 40 Years’, Pace Gallery, New York, USA
‘Spring Awakening (2019)’, Ikon Ltd, Santa Monica, USA
‘Malmö Sessions’, Carl Kostyál, Malmö, Sweden
‘Fatherhood’, Over the Influence, Hong Kong
2018
‘The Pink House’, Nina Johnson, Miami, USA
‘The Barn Show 2018′, Johannes Vogt, East Hampton, New York, USA
2008
‘Pop-Auge und die ewigen Quatschkommoden Deutsche und Amerikanische Kunst seit 1999’, Patrick Painter Inc, Santa Monica, USA

Caudwell Foundation, London, UK
Dallas Cowboys Art Collection, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, USA
Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, USA
HE Art Museum, Foshan, China
The Jewish Museum, New York, USA
K11 Art Foundation, Hong Kong
Long Museum, Shanghai, China
Longlati Foundation, Shanghai, China
Powerlong Museum, Shanghai, China
Zuzeum Art Centre, Riga, Latvia 

NEWS

AFT2026 logo

KOTARO NUKAGA to participate in 'ART FAIR TOKYO 20'

KOTARO NUKAGA is pleased to announce its participation in ART FAIR TOKYO 20, held at the Tokyo International Forum from March 13 to March 15, 2026. ART FAIR TOKYO is one of the largest art fairs in Japan, showcasing a wide range of artworks that cross eras and genres.     For this presentation, under the theme “Narratives Woven by Meshwork,” KOTARO NUKAGA will introduce

KOTARO NUKAGA to participate in 'Tokyo Gendai'

KOTARO NUKAGA is delighted to announce its participation in Tokyo Gendai from July 5(Fri) to July 7(Sun),2024. ■EXHIBITION DETAILS VIP Preview (by invitation only) 7/4(Thu)2pm-5pm Vernissage 7/4(Thu)5pm-8pm General Admission 7/5(Fri)11am-6pm 7/6(Sat)11am-6pm 7/7(Sun)11am-5:30pm ■ARTIST Michael Rikio Ming Hee Ho Nanami Inoue Maiko Kasai Takehito Koganezawa Tomona Matsukawa Tomokazu Matsuyama Joel Mesler José Parlá Carlos Rolón Yuichiro

KOTARO NUKAGA to participate in "Art Collaboration Kyoto"

KOTARO NUKAGA  is pleased to announce our participation in ‘Art Collaboration Kyoto (ACK)’, an art fair themed on “contemporary art and collaboration” to be held in Kyoto from October 28 (Sat) to 30 (Mon), 2023. KOTARO NUKAGA will be exhibiting with Almine Rech. Starting with Tomokazu Matsuyama, who is represented by both galleries, KOTARO NUKAGA will bring

Group exhibition curated by Carlos Rolón and Tomokazu Matsuyama 'Die Young, Stay Pretty'

From March 10 (Fri), 2023, KOTARO NUKAGA, Roppongi is pleased to present ‘Die Young, Stay Pretty.’ The exhibition is co-curated by Chicago-based Puerto Rican American artist Carlos Rolón, whose practice explores themes of belonging and cultural identity, and artist Tomokazu Matsuyama, whose contemporary visual language functions as a representation of the reality of our times. Rolón

KOTARO NUKAGA to participate in Art Collaboration Kyoto (ACK)

KOTARO NUKAGA will participate in “Art Collaboration Kyoto” (ACK), an art fair themed on “contemporary art and collaboration” to be held in Kyoto from November 18 (Fri) to 20 (Sun), 2022.（HP：https://a-c-k.jp/) KOTARO NUKAGA will be exhibiting with Chicago-based Kavi Gupta. Starting with Tomokazu Matsuyama, who is represented by both galleries, KOTARO NUKAGA will bring Kyoto-based