Coastalvision: New York presents the first US exhibition of illustrator Kendra Ahimsa, better known by his artist name Ardneks. Ardneks hails from Jakarta, Indonesia, where he is known for his psychedelic dreamscapes and kaleidoscopic fusions of cultural nostalgia. He started his studio Paraiso Grafica in 2013, and has since become a master of using saturated color to capture the beautiful chaos of daily life, unlikely connections between faraway people, and the energy of tropical and urban living. Ardneks has gained a cult following for his music-focused collaborations over the past decade, creating iconic ephemera for artists and festivals such as Kikagaku Moyo, Khruangbin, Japanese Breakfast, Desert Daze and Lollapalooza, as well as commissions for the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and many projects throughout Asia.

New York is the third stop after Jakarta and Tokyo on the international tour of the artist’s debut monograph COASTALVISION: Heavily-saturated Tropicália. Inspired by rhythms on repeat, Brazilian artistic Tropicaliá of the 1960s, vintage Japanese typography, ubiquitous pop culture from around the world, and radically open spirituality—Ardneks’ illustrations suspend the everyday and invite viewers into a shared space for the human enjoyment of art and music.

“I want my artwork to be a place to escape, a vacation if you may, from the world’s current reality that is filled with vice, violence, and political madness. A harmonious realm in vivid colors, where everyone can understand each other even when speaking their own mother languages.”

Curated by Eimi Tagore + PFR Records