Paintings by Koichi Sato celebrate cherished characters in American culture. The portraits feature wrestlers, bodybuilders, preachers, cheerleaders and musicians. Individuals and groups bedazzle with cheerful smiles and uplifting optimism. “To me, these characters are my friends. They like beer, they’re very trashy.” Trained as a graphic designer and in film, Sato is not formally educated as a painter. That said, the Tokyo-based artist Tomoo Gokita has been a mentor to him over the years. To create the works, Sato uses a mix of acrylic and oil paint influenced by the Japanese Sumi-e ink technique. Quick brush strokes create a dense, textured effect – semi-transparent washes of paint evoke faces and hands. Throughout, the colour palette is bright and intense.