Book Talk - Miyoko Ito: Heart of Hearts

Book Talk: Miyoko Ito: Heart of Hearts
An evening of reflections on the abstract painter Miyoko Ito (1918-1983) with those who have found inspiration in the enigmatically profound work of this Japanese-American artist, including Jordan Stein, editor of the new volume; artists Pearl C Hsiung; Hanna Hur; Rebecca Morris; Lesley Vance; and Matt Connors, founder of Pre-Echo Press. While Ito’s paintings have recently been the subject of critically acclaimed exhibitions, her work was scarcely known beyond Chicago, where she lived and was celebrated during her lifetime. The result of several years of research, Miyoko Ito: Heart of Hearts is the first book project dedicated to Ito’s mysterious and underknown practice.
The program was created in partnership with Ooga Booga and Pre-Echo Press.
Jordan Stein is a curator and writer based in San Francisco. He is also the author of Rip Tales: Jay DeFeo’s Estocada & Other Pieces (Soberscove, 2021). In 2017, he founded Cushion Works, an exhibition space in the Mission District dedicated to the presentation of critical and often overlooked artworks, histories, and ideas. He has independently organized exhibitions at venues such as Yale Union, Artists Space, San Francisco City Hall, The Glass House, Matthew Marks Gallery, Fraenkel Gallery, and The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago, where he formerly served as Curator of Special Projects, as well as at BAMPFA. From 2016-2022 he was a curator at KADIST, San Francisco.
Matt Connors is an artist and publisher who lives and works in New York City and Los Angeles.
Pre-Echo Press was started in 2016 by artist Matt Connors as a platform for disseminating a diverse and idiosyncratic array of recorded and printed matter.