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Moko Fukuyama

@happy_mountains

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Artist ✦ New Yorker ✦ Japanese ✦ Memphian
Works on view @decordova_museum @longhousereserve @brooksmuseum
New project @publicartfund 🏓 @smackmellon 🎣

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@__the__sphinx__ is thrilled to present sculptures by Moko Fukuyama @happy_mountains at @split_level_fair, opening tomorrow. Come on by!

Moko Fukuyama at SPLIT LEVEL
Curated by The Sphinx
Rimadesio NY
102 Madison Avenue
New York, NY
October 1-3, 2026

VIP PREVIEW
THURSDAY, OCT. 1ST / 3 - 6 PM
OPEN HOURS
THURSDAY, OCT. 1ST / 6 - 8 PM
FRIDAY, OCT. 2ND / 12 - 6 PM
SATURDAY, OCT. 3RD / 12 - 6 PM

We’re excited for the performances (by @mfreemanwriter and more) and the curatorial presentations throughout the fair, and we’ll be next to @katyhamer’s presentation of @maxrazdow and @jjjjeeerremy / @fermi.nyc. Thanks again @jaquelinecedar / @split_level_fair for including us! taken in Rimadesio New York by @happy_mountains

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19 days ago

Sharing some installation views of Old School, my new work, a playable sculptural ping-pong table at Rockaway Beach, commissioned by @publicartfund 🏓🌊 🐙 🦑 🪵 🚤

Summer is in full swing ☀️ Come out to the beach and enjoy a game by the ocean!

📍 Beach 67
🚆 Easy to get to (A train stops right in front)
🏖️ Kiosk is open Friday–Sunday for paddles and balls rental. Otherwise, bring your own 🏓

📸 by @timothyschenck

Old School, 2026

Aluminum boat, reclaimed wood, epoxy resin, automotive paint, steel

A salvaged boat from Marina 59 in the Rockaways and a ping-pong table top are gripped by a giant sea monster. The mysterious, octopus-like being evokes mythical figures like the Scandinavian Kraken—a creature that has fueled sailors’ superstitions since the 1700s—or the Japanese Akkorokamui—a sea deity said to appear on calm waters before quickly turning them tumultuous. Fukuyama crafted the sea monster’s tentacles from a reclaimed walnut tree and finished them with bright automotive paint, giving them an alluring, otherworldly presence. The aluminum boat, prized in the 1950s for its innovative design, lies capsized on the shore, suggesting the impermanence of human-made objects and the forces of nature that eventually consume them. Through a mix of nautical imagery and playfulness, Old School revisits legends of the sea, reflecting on the enduring power of myths and how they shape our understanding of the vast, uncontrollable forces of nature. taken in Rockaway Beach by @happy_mountains

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3 months ago

Thank you again, @split_level_fair / @jaquelinecedar for including us and so much thanks to all who came by! Loved connecting with those who came through and honored to be in such good company at @split_level_fair 💛. And thank you @happy_mountains for collaborating with @__the__sphinx__ a second time. And thank you again @katyhamer for teaming up! by @happy_mountains

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15 days ago

LAST DAY of SPLIT LEVEL Fair 🙌
SATURDAY Oct 3 / 11am - 6pm

Please join us for VIP highlight tours, public tours, and performances ⚡️

Full schedule & ticketing linked in bio 🔗👆
www.splitlevelfair.com/visit2026

See you soon 💛💛💛 by @happy_mountains

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17 days ago

Fabulous opening of @split_level_fair last night and thanks to all who came through! We’re open today and tomorrow 12-6 pm, come on by and see works by Moko Fukuyama happy_mountains, presented by @__the__sphinx__ . We’re on the lower level next to @katyhamer ‘s presentation of works by @maxrazdow and @jjjjeeerremy / @fermi.nyc.

Split Level, hosted by Rimadesio

102 MADISON AVENUE / NEW YORK NY 10016 by @happy_mountains

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17 days ago

@__the__sphinx__ is pleased to present sculptures by Moko Fukuyama @happy_mountains at SPLIT LEVEL at Rimadesio NY. Please join! Thanks @split_level_fair / @jaquelinecedar for including us!

Image: Moko Fukuyama, Jig, 22” x 21” x 5”, Fallen timber (oak), acrylic urethane paint, epoxy resin, inkjet print on photo paper, steel, fox tail hair, nylon, 2026

Moko Fukuyama at SPLIT LEVEL
Curated by The Sphinx
Rimadesio NY
102 Madison Avenue
New York, NY
October 1-3, 2026

Moko Fukuyama is a multidisciplinary artist working across sculpture, installation, experimental film, and collaborative projects. She has exhibited and collaborated with institutions including The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, The Kitchen, Socrates Sculpture Park, Lighthouse Works, The Shed, Recess, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, and Public Art Fund. She is a Guggenheim and NYFA/NASCA Fellow, and has completed residencies at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Art Omi. She is also an International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP) honoree.

Originally from Japan and now based in Brooklyn, Fukuyama has lived in various cities across the United States, where she closely observed how urban societies interact with nature. Her work addresses the environmental and cultural challenges shaping both American society and her personal experiences. Drawing from her interest in recreational sports fishing, Fukuyama incorporates the concept of “lures” into her sculptures, using them as metaphors for human manipulation of the natural world. Her work, often made from salvaged wood and painted with vibrant automotive finishes, explores the dynamics of attraction among diverse forms of life. Fukuyama’s sculptures reflect themes of overconsumption, consumerism, sustainability, and urbanization, as well as the tension between human desires and environmental impact. by @happy_mountains

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24 days ago

One last serve before summer slips away. 🏓 🌞 Make one last trip to Rockaway Beach this weekend for “Between Tides.”

Six artists have transformed ping-pong into something unexpected, from sea monsters and musical instruments to maritime flags, an ancient Mesoamerican ballgame, and even a sculpture designed with marine life in mind. Rooted in the cultural and ecological landscape of the Rockaways, “Between Tides” invites you to play, experiment, make up your own rules, and see the beach, and public art, a little differently.

📍 Beach 67, Rockaway Beach
📅 Through Sunday, September 13
🏓 Free paddles + balls available Saturday + Sunday, 12–6pm. Or bring your own and play anytime the beach is open

Last weekend. Last chance to play. Come get one more game in! taken in Far Rockaway Beach 67 (Surf Beach) by @happy_mountains

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a month ago

Everything has an end. It’s hard to believe that there are only a few weeks left before Between Tides closes. (@publicartfund’s summer exhibition in Rockaway Beach) Feeling emotional over here🥲

I’ve been reflecting on everything I went through to bring my ping-pong table, Old School, to life, and I want to share a 90 sec slide show with some snippets from the making of the work…From the initial proposal and sourcing materials to the full execution! I also want to express my gratitude to all my friends who supported me throughout this process whether through physical help, technical expertise, or emotional support. I couldn’t have done it without you. And I feel especially blessed to have an amazing partner, Aaron, whose knowledge, skill, creativity, and love have been my guiding light throughout this journey 💡 ❤️ (He’s anti-social media, so he won’t even see this 😝)

Thank you, Public Art Fund, for giving me this incredible opportunity and for trusting me to make this work. And to all the artists whose work is part of this exhibition. (@amaliapica @lashermanasiglesias @m_a_t_o_s @superflexstudio & Ilana Harris Babou) I am in awe of what they created. Each and every ping-pong table brought so much joy to nyc beachgoers this summer 🏓 🏖️ 🌊 It has been such a pleasure to be part of this fun project.

Come to Rockaway Beach (Beach 67) and see Between Tides before it ends on September 13! Special thanks to:

Gabriela López Dena (Public Art Fund)
@goodness.gravy (Public Art Fund)
@setcoh (Public Art Fund)
@backtomatter (Public Art Fund & beyond)
@clongworth (Studio 40)
@domantayart
@zaqlandsberg @alycatcnc
Tom Miller, Alec Stresser
Rene Argueta (All American Tree)
Torsilieri by @happy_mountains

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2 months ago

🏓🌊 A little friendly competition goes a long way! Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Sand & Paddle Classic, our one-of-a-kind ping-pong event, “Between Tides” brought players together across six artist-designed playable sculptures by Moko Fukuyama, Ilana Harris-Babou, Las Hermanas Iglesias, Carlos H. Matos, Amalia Pica, and SUPERFLEX for an afternoon of competition, creative exchange, and connection.

Set against Rockaway’s vibrant cultural landscape and delicate coastal ecosystems, the exhibition invites us to experience the beach in unexpected ways and reminds us of the shared spaces we’re here to enjoy and protect.

Experience “Between Tides” at Beach 67 through September 13. Free paddles and balls to borrow Fridays, 10am–4pm, and Saturdays & Sundays, 12–6pm. Plan your visit at the link in bio.

📸 : @jovanao__ taken in Far Rockaway Beach 67 (Surf Beach) by @happy_mountains

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2 months ago

A sea legend, reimagined for play. 🐙

For “Between Tides,” Moko Fukuyama transforms a salvaged Rockaway boat and reclaimed walnut tree into “Old School,” a playable sculpture where a mysterious sea monster grips a ping-pong table. Drawing on nautical myths and the uncontrollable forces of nature, Fukuyama brings sculpture, play, and legend together on the sand.

Come play your way through “Between Tides” at Beach 67 through September 13. Plan your visit at the link in bio.
🏓 Free paddles + balls: Fri 10am–4pm | Sat–Sun 12–6pm. taken in Far Rockaway Beach 67 (Surf Beach) by @happy_mountains

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2 months ago

Six tables. Six ways to play. One beachside afternoon of art, play, and connection. 🏓🌊 Join us for the Sand & Paddle Classic at “Between Tides,” a one-of-a-kind ping-pong event where players of all levels can explore six artist-designed playable sculptures, each offering a new way to play. From unconventional surfaces to unexpected challenges, come test your reflexes, improvise your game, and connect with fellow players on the sand.

📅 Saturday, August 22 | 5:30–7:30pm
📍 Beach 67, Rockaway Beach
🎟️ Free and open to all. RSVP at the link in bio

Paddles and balls provided. Come for the games, stay for the good vibes. taken in Far Rockaway Beach 67 (Surf Beach) by @happy_mountains

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2 months ago

How to defeat the kraken in ping pong!

@happy_mountains 🏓 taken in Far Rockaway Beach 67 (Surf Beach) by @happy_mountains

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2 months ago