Greg Ito embraces a graphic visual style to create cinematic paintings and installations that address themes of time, love, loss, hope, and tragedy. A gifted storyteller, the artist incorporates personal and family narratives into his dense compositions, such as his grandparents’ forced relocation to concentration camps during World War II. During their internment at the Gila River War Relocation Center in Arizona, their romance blossomed, offering light during dark days, a recurring motif.
Ito’s work imagines dream-like worlds inspired by his hometown of Los Angeles and opens portals to alternate timelines where daily life dilates into fantasy. The artist draws from an ever-expanding lexicon of symbols and imagery ranging from burning candles, keyholes, and windows, to snakes, moons, and suns. Ito uses a distinct palette of off-nature colors to depict scenes of wildfires, disaster, and destruction, that simultaneously asserts an optimistic outlook in uncertain times as he fills his work with icons of new life—growing vines, flittering butterflies, and transcendent skies.
Greg Ito (b. 1987, Los Angeles, CA) earned his BFA from San Francisco Art Institute. His work has been exhibited widely in solo and group exhibitions including at Institute of Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA; Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA; Maki Gallery, Tokyo, Japan; Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles, CA; SPURS Gallery, Beijing, China; Lyles and King, New York, NY; Jeffrey Deitch, New York; NY and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), San Francisco, CA. Ito’s work is included in the permanent collections of the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami, Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA; and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Ito lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.
"We’re always faced with these triumphs and tragedies. That’s what makes life very dynamic in the way that it is — it can be extremely nourishing and beautiful, but also destructive and harmful too. So navigating that is interesting to me." —Greg Ito
This performance is the conclusion of his exhibition All You Can Carry, which closed on May 15, 2022. His outdoor installation will remain onsite until further notice. Greg Ito will go on a journey of regrowth as he traverses the land with all the water he can carry to the summit. Ito’s performance symbolizes the Japanese-American experience of the internment camps during World War II and the rebuilding afterwards, incorporating personal histories of his own grandparents. —Art Week
In this conversation, Ito walks us through All You Can Carry, describing the meanings and resonances behind the paintings, photographs, and objects on view. — Stephanie Bailey
All You Can Carry (Todo Lo que Pueda Cargar) de Greg Ito, en ICA, San Diego
Profundizando en su propia historia familiar, Greg Ito evalúa su relación con su origen japonés, su vida actual y la superación de tragedias, el miedo y el odio. Su exposición en ICA San Diego se presenta como una peregrinación, en la cual los visitantes pueden experimentar su historia a través de la contemplación y la acción de plantar semillas que den nueva vida. —Terremoto
Artist Greg Ito Explores Family Ancestry at the Institute of Contemporary Art
At Greg Ito’s All You Can Carry, you start on a hill and end inside a burnt home. Make your way around large-scale paintings framed in charred wood. From a distance, they are serene landscapes drenched in color; up close, hidden symbols point to themes of trauma, loss, memory, perseverance. —Erica Nichols
Ito likens the keyhole to a tunnel that reflects a relationship to the past that is at once distant and proximate, which speaks to a question he's been thinking about since his daughter's birth: how to heal generational trauma and move forward. —Stephanie Bailey
"I like to think about the paintings functioning as dirty mirrors. You see a reflection of yourself, but it's not fully clear who you're looking at. When I complete a painting, one of my favorite activities is to sit in front of it and translate the work from end to end, reflecting and revisiting all the visual connections I integrate into the painting." —Greg Ito
Ito explores themes of new life, metamorphosis, and the ghosts we live with—personal history, generational trauma, and the invisible weight of being alive. — Anna Schneider
“Apparition,” assumes the form of an immersive installation and is suffused with yearning—for a deeper connection to the past or, perhaps, a better today. — Annabel Osberg
By interspersing both aspects of destruction and decay with growth and wonder, Ito’s work represents the non-linear and complex process of change, both good and bad. — Anna Brosnihan
When Greg Ito moves from the canvas to work in sculpture and installation, whether crafting vistas for the wall or walk-in environments, his narrative symbolism is always pursued with a painter’s sensibility. — Shana Nys Dambrot
"The moments in my life that define who I am today are my inspiration for the works and exhibitions I create. Navigating the world we live in can be a mysterious and challenging journey, and I investigate the duality of life, both the hopeful and the tragic." —Greg Ito
"I found out that making work that connects to your life is, one, easier to talk about. I'm not trying to talk about any critical theory or fill the work with any abstract meaning or... I don't really do research-based work. It's all a reflection of my life and things that I experience, things that I think are interesting, and also later on it starts to take a turn to include more of my family history and stuff." —Greg Ito
For Hong Kong, Ito has created a new series that extends from earlier paintings and installations that focus on a home setting located on an isolated island: depictions of interiors, landscapes, and window views executed in pop-tastic colours that invoke at once a pyschedelic trip and the hues of an oxygen-sucking, gas-fuelled apocalypse.—Stephanie Bailey
Sneak Peek into the Art Basel Hong Kong showcasing Artists
More than a painter, Ito's work often involves immersive and surreal installations and sculptures that match the narrative of his paintings. Surely his flat, bright colours will gather lots of attention at the fair. —Artscapy
Artist Greg Ito and gallerist Anat Ebgi on family, collaboration, and their ambitious Hong Kong plans
As Ito considers his family history and future as inextricable elements of his art, his relationship with Ebgi gets happily woven in. ‘It all ties into my life experiences. Building a family, and also my art family, with the gallery,' Ito says. 'Anat’s offering baby chairs and stuff like that to me, you know what I mean?’—Nicholas Nauman
Edition 6 series by Greg Ito x Numbers skateboards
For its 6th edition of boards, the brand founded by Eric Koston and Guy Mariano called on Greg Ito. The Los Angeles artist has worked his boards in a palette of colors he is very fond of, based on shades of pinks, purples and blues. His flat design graphics were created for Miles Silvas, Antonio Durao, Rodrigo Teixeira and the two co-founders of Numbers. —The Daily Board
"With every step forward, we work with our fellow humans to advocate for, support and foster a brighter future. We must cherish every moment. We must cultivate and share love with every action." —Greg Ito
From canvas to cardboard: how artist Greg Ito is supporting LA’s protests
“ I took a look at the media and noticed how they were curating their images, and how signs played a big role in their section process. Images with strong messages in signs tend to be selected because you can’t read what’s going on in the protester’s mind, but you can read their sign. I took my artist brain and put it to work using what I know from my practice, and what I had in my studio and put the two to work.” —Greg Ito
“Not being able to go outside or see our loved ones brings new narratives to explore. Even the hands in the vignette paintings grew a new meaning as we are instructed to not touch one another or our surroundings.” —Greg Ito
Los sueños lúcidos de Greg Ito: transiciones sentimentales a color
Las instalaciones de Ito adaptan espacios surrealistas con técnicas escénicas utilizadas para las producciones de películas, las cuales le permiten establecer el tono con el que busca provocar al espectador, para así, potencializar su experiencia cuando interactúe con las pinturas y esculturas en exhibición. —N Cansecoa
The most eye-catching of these is undoubtedly Greg Ito’s apocalyptic takeover of Anat Ebgi’s booth. With its blue carpeting and baseboards, the booth evokes a disastrous déluge, which matches the scenes of flooding and fires in Ito’s elegant, ominous paintings. —Benjamin Sutton
Greg Ito’s meticulous portfolio of paintings explores “time, love, loss, hope, and tragedy”
Ultimately, Greg’s works present a dichotomy between the surreal imagery he depicts and the precision through which they are depicted. There’s a melancholy to his paintings and sculptures, balanced by his choice of colours, the romantic images that make up his compositions, and the graphic language that grounds each of his paintings. —Ruby Boddington
Greg Ito & Honor Titus: Enter The Garden @Penske Projects in Los Angeles
Ito and Titus’s complementary bodies of work come together in this exhibition to navigate the viewers through a tour of the magical urban gardens they have created through their work. —Autre
You might not be surprised that Ito's art practice frequently deals in dichotomy and duality. For example, an image of smoke rising — a recurring piece of Ito's visual language — can be “either a sign of disaster or a signal from another person,” the Los Angeles-based artist said in a phone interview. —Jim Fischer
Greg Ito: “All The Interesting Things Happen at The Transitions”
"When I look at my paintings, it reminds me of times I wake from a dream and can only remember fragments, leaving me to piece it together to find meaning. I hope people do the same when they see the work." —Greg Ito
Enchantment ties everything together using various treatments with light, paint, carpet, and constructions as Ito transforms Arsenal Toronto into a surreal dream where magic still exists to create space to see the world we live in through a new lens. —Anne Doran
The exhibition engages in the emotionality of his family history, Ito’s grandparents falling in love despite being imprisoned in an Arizona internment camp. The symbols used in the paintings such as a rabbit, a spider, and snake, could symbolize rebirth and resiliency, addressing love as a powerful force of spiritual rebirth after significant trauma. —Adi Berardini
When artist Greg Ito collaborates with ‘Top Chef’s’ Richard Blais, you get ArtxFood
The meal, masterminded by chef and restaurateur Richard Blais of “Top Chef” fame, is served in a gallery space filled with paintings, installations and sculptures by Los Angeles artist Greg Ito. —Sonaiya Kelley
Richard Blais and Greg Ito Create Pure Palatable Art at ArtCubed LA’s ArtXFood
“The dinner is all based on inspiration from his images. The theme is sort of,’ everything is not what it seems’ and you see a lot of that in Greg’s work. There is a lot of romantic tension in his work..." —Richard Blais
Greg Ito Is Offering Everyone A Seat at The Coolest Supper Club Table
"Working on this unique installation has allowed me to approach the space in new undefined ways not normally found in my practice. It will be an experience to remember: One of hope, fear, love, and loss." —Greg Ito
Ito, whose paintings utilize the format of manga, graphic novels, or storyboards, traces the history of his family’s internment and dislocation in Los Angeles through a mixture of macro and micro scenes. —Anne Doran
"I’ve had the pleasure of installing numerous exhibitions as a prep, fabricating art and props, managing studios and back rooms of galleries, various productions for commercials and photo shoots. From all those experiences I’ve learned that anything is possible, which has helped expand the reach of what can be accomplished in my studio practice. Pushing a space to its limit is always a goal in mind." —Greg Ito
Greg Ito Offers a Pictoral Landscape for our Dreams
Using icons and imagery from childhood fairytales, anime, and classical western art, Greg Ito paints unique moments that form a larger narrative around psychology, love, and life. —Alex Anderson
Behind an arch made from a plywood room divider whose patterned incisions gave the effect of palm fronds, candles flickered in a purple haze created by the tinted tubing that lined the rim of the pink gallery walls cradling Greg Ito’s “Soothsayer.” The screens prepared one to see the exhibition as a rebus. —Grant Johnson
Despite threats of impending doom, Ito’s installation is curiously soothing: twilight-ish neon light, domestically-scaled arabesque panels, black-and-white striped candle holders, and the pleasures of a pared-down graphic style. Ito’s three paintings are crisp and geometrically composed, achieving both easy communicative power and alluring mystery. But like reading from a deck of tarot cards, the viewer is left to conjure what meaning may, or may not, amount from disjunctive, if stylishly rendered, symbols. —Aaron Hurst
Louisa Gagliardi, Adam Cruces and Greg Ito “Over and Under” at monCHÉRI, Brussels
Yet in Greg Ito’s work the fruits’ perishable disposition is integral; the sculptures are set out to an increasing state of mutation due to their natural consistency. Their gradual decomposition during the course of the exhibition can be read as an equation with the decay caused by the passing of time. By including mirrors that possibly refer to the motif of vanitas, the withering character of Ito’s work is furthermore enhanced. —Laura Indorato Erba
“Our work is similar in the ways we talk about self and identity,” Greg, 27, says. The San Francisco Art Institute graduate — who cofounded SFAQ magazine and Ever Gold Gallery — is calling from LA, where he now lives. “My paintings rotate around ideas of romance and how a person fills their life with people, and his are about how individuals fill their lives with commodities and form their identities with brands or objects.” —Kimberly Chun
Gregory Ito was born in Los Angeles lives and works in San Francisco. This is his first ever solo exhibition with the world renowned Water McBeer Gallery in SF. —Van Edwards
"Artist Spotlight: Greg Ito." BOOOOOOOM! 8 October 2021. (Link)
Nys Dambrot, Shana. "Meet Painter and Sculptor Greg Ito." LA Weekly. 27 September 2021. (Link)
Lew, Agnes. "Agnes Lew Interviews AAPI Artist Greg Ito." Reach Further/East West Bank. June 3, 2021. (Link)
Nauman, Nicholas. "Artist Greg Ito and gallerist Anat Ebgi on family, collaboration, and their ambitious Hong Kong plans." ArtBasel.com. May 2021 (Link)
Hill-choi, Lee. "Art Basel Hong Kong: everything you need to know about Asia’s largest art fair." South China Morning Press. 19 May 2021. (Link)
Bailey, Stephanie. "Art Basel Hong Kong: Artist Highlights." Ocula. 12 May 2021 (Link)
2020
Ito, Greg. "The Seer." LALA Magazine. Summer 2020. [Print] (Link)
Preston Zappas, Lindsay. "Art Insider: Artist sets up sign-making stations at LA protests." KCRW. June 9, 2020. (Link)
Voon, Claire. "7 Artists on Creating New Work during Quarantine." Artsy. May 5, 2020. (Link)
Freeman, Nate. "Frieze Los Angeles Opens With Big Sales to Mega-Celebrities and Hollywood Muscle Alike." artnet. February 14, 2020. (Link)
Reizman, Renée. "This Year, Frieze Los Angeles Feels Grand, Celebratory, and Actually Kind of Fun." Hyperallergic. February 14, 2020. (Link)
Sutton, Benjamin. "The Ten Best Booths at Frieze Los Angeles." Artsy. February 14, 2020. (Link)
2019
Boddington, Ruby. "Greg Ito’s meticulous portfolio of paintings explores 'time, love, loss, hope, and tragedy'," It's Nice That. (Link)
Ghassemitari, Shawn. "All the Interesting Things Happen at the Transitions," Amadeus. (Link)
![This image depicts an artwork by Greg Ito titled "Past Present Future." This artwork was created in 2023 and measures 58 ¹⁄₂" x 132 ¹⁄₂" [HxW] (148.59 x 336.55 cm). Its medium is Acrylic on canvas over shaped panel.](https://anatebgi.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Greg-Ito_GI1184_1683415012.jpg)
![This image depicts an artwork by Greg Ito titled "Chasing Time." This artwork was created in 2022 and measures 66" x 48" [HxW] (167.64 x 121.92 cm). Its medium is Acrylic on canvas over panel.](https://anatebgi.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Greg-Ito_GI1182_1683415039.jpg)
![This image depicts an artwork by Greg Ito titled "We Can't Promise Forever." This artwork was created in 2023 and measures 40" x 30" [HxW] (101.6 x 76.2 cm). Its medium is Acrylic on canvas over panel.](https://anatebgi.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Greg-Ito_GI1183_1683415015.jpg)
![This image depicts an artwork by Greg Ito titled "The Last Serenade." This artwork was created in 2022 and measures 84" x 210" [HxW] (213.36 x 533.4 cm). Its medium is Acrylic on canvas over panel.](https://anatebgi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Greg-Ito_GI1169_1666127799.jpg)
![This image depicts an artwork by Greg Ito titled "Head Space." This artwork was created in 2022 and measures 60" x 40" [HxW] (152.4 x 101.6 cm). Its medium is Acrylic on canvas over shaped panel.](https://anatebgi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Greg-Ito_GI1166_1663805001.jpg)
![This image depicts an artwork by Greg Ito titled "Cat Nap." This artwork was created in 2022 and measures 88" x 64" [HxW] (223.52 x 162.56 cm). Its medium is Acrylic on canvas over panel.](https://anatebgi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Greg-Ito_GI1156_1663805155.jpg)
![This image depicts an artwork by Greg Ito titled "All You Can Carry." This artwork was created in 2022 and measures 48" x 36" [HxW] (121.92 x 91.44 cm). Its medium is Acrylic on canvas over panel.](https://anatebgi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Greg-Ito_GI1140_1653427294-1540x2000.jpg)
![This image depicts an artwork by Greg Ito titled "The Ceremony." This artwork was created in 2021 and measures 62" x 200" [HxW] (157.48 x 508 cm). Its medium is Acrylic on canvas over panel.](https://anatebgi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Greg-Ito_GI1126_1653427302.jpg)
![This image depicts an artwork by Greg Ito titled "Tunnel Vision." This artwork was created in 2021 and measures 88" x 64" [HxW] (223.52 x 162.56 cm). Its medium is Acrylic on canvas over panel.](https://anatebgi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Greg-Ito_GI1124_1653427313-1506x2000.jpg)
![This image depicts an artwork by Greg Ito titled "Day In Day Out." This artwork was created in 2021 and measures 60" x 40" [HxW] (152.4 x 101.6 cm). Its medium is Acrylic on canvas over panel.](https://anatebgi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Greg-Ito_GI1122_1653427315-1475x2000.jpg)
![This image depicts an artwork by Greg Ito titled "Bloom." This artwork was created in 2021 and measures 72" diameter [HxW] (182.88 cm). Its medium is Acrylic on canvas over panel.](https://anatebgi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Greg-Ito_GI1123_1653427319.jpg)
![This image depicts an artwork by Greg Ito titled "Fire Sky." This artwork was created in 2019 and measures 64" x 54" x 54" [HxWxD] (162.56 x 137.16 x 137.16 cm). Its medium is Enamel on steel, flicker lightbulbs.](https://anatebgi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Greg-Ito_GI1096_1653427350-1431x2000.jpg)
![This image depicts an artwork by Greg Ito titled "The Guardian." This artwork was created in 2018 and measures 21" x 34" x 21" [HxWxD] (53.34 x 86.36 x 53.34 cm). Its medium is Acrylic, uv protective varnish, and neon on cast resin.](https://anatebgi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Greg-Ito_GI1100_1653427372.jpg)
