The Armory Show
KAZUMA KOIKE
NONCHELEEE
The Armory Show 2026
September 24th to September 27th
KAZUMA KOIKE
Born in 1980 and lives in Osaka, Japan.
Koike spent his childhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina, attended high school in Barcelona, Spain, and graduated from the Department of Sculpture, College of Art at Nihon University in Tokyo. The works of Spanish sculptor Josép Clarà has inspired him to follow suit. Growing up in a multi-cultural environment, Koike is interested in “Shinbutsu-Shugo”, a mix between Japan's native Shinto beliefs and Chinese Buddhism. Koike visited numerous temples where their architecture, gardens, and sculptures became his inspiration.
Koike started his first attempt of deconstructionism sculpture by compiling various dismantled found objects, removing their physical meaning, and reforming them into a sculpture. In the recent decade, Koike created most artworks by mixing images from different space and time, creating “fictional ancient artifacts” as if they do not belong to any era of the recorded history. Motifs of divinity, big cats, plants and pineapples repeatedly appears in Koike’s works, such as the tiger paintings of Japan's Edo period — there was no tiger in Japan at that time. Tiger paintings then were imaginary creatures made with reference to chinese paintings, furs brought back and cats. Koike always aims at the state where “different elements coexist in harmony”. He once joked that future scholars from 2000 years later will discover a whole new culture from his buried works.
The artist attempts to present his works as if they were found objects, hence his creations are mostly spontaneous. Black clay and special black glaze are applied to simulate the color of traditional Japanese tea sets. Most of Koike’s sculptures are titled in codes — “BC” stands for “Black Clay”, and numbers are the date finished modeling - Koike avoids any narrative in the work titles, so that one could interpret his work from a more detached perspective purely on the basis of its physical form.
Works
BC250812, 2025 H49.5 × W21 × D20.5cm glazed ceramic
$4000
BC250326, 2025 Glazed Ceramic H45 × W16 × D31.5 cm
$3800
BC260618, 2026 H38 × W19.5 × D17.5 cm glazed ceramic
$3200
BC260526, 2026 H34 × W17 × D16 cm glazed ceramic
$2800
BC250626, 2025 Glazed Ceramic H88 × W42 × D39 cm Top: H47 × W26.5 × D21 cm Bottom: H42.5 × W42 × D39 cm
$10000
BC260620, 2026 H20 × W25.5 × D22.5 cm glazed ceramic
$2800
BC260621, 2026 H20.5 × W30 × D28 cm glazed ceramic
$3200
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NONCHELEEE
Born in Japan, 1986
Lives and works in Fukuoka, Japan
Self-taught and endlessly inventive, Noncheleee’s playful, surreal visual universe is steeped in reggae, dancehall, Jamaican roots, and the vibrant spirit of 60s, 70s , 80s & 90s... Japanese pop culture. His signature characters — part mascot, part myth — blend absurd humor with quiet critique, channeling the contradictions of everyday life through a uniquely disarming lens.
Emerging from the local music scene, he began designing flyers and record sleeves. Crossing effortlessly between art, streetwear, and sound, Noncheleee’s work has since resonated across Japan and Asia, grounded in DIY energy, community spirit, and a deep love for the unexpected.
Works
Noncheleee
Eternal Sensi
Acrylic on canvas
39 1/4 x 31 3/4 inches - 100 x 80 cm
$5000
Noncheleee
Ami Shirt
Acrylic on canvas
31 3/4 x 31 3/4 inches - 80 x 80 cm
$4000
Noncheleee
Dream Chikara
Acrylic on canvas
12 x 35 1/2 inches - 30 x 90 cm
$1500
Noncheleee
Tsuppari At The Control
Acrylic on canvas
31 3/4 x 31 3/4 inches - 80 x 80 cm
$4000
Noncheleee
Sound Shower
Acrylic on canvas
31 3/4 x 39 1/9 inches - 80 x 100 cm)
$5000
Noncheleee
Hommono
Acrylic on canvas
12 x 35 1/2 inches - 30 x 90 cm
$1500
Noncheleee
Circle Of Gyal Dem
Acrylic on canvas
28 1/2 x 24 inches - 73 x 61 cm
$3500
Noncheleee
Otis #004
Acrylic on canvas
25 3/4 x 31 3/4 inches - 65 x 80 cm
$3500
More info
juliendavid@gmail.com
646 785 5945
The Fridge
101 East 75th Street
New York NY