In Echo Park, Musée du Al debuts Kanemitsu on Traction. This exhibition focuses on the printmaking art of Matsumi (Mike) Kanemitsu (1922–1992). Curated by Nancy Uyemura, Katy Crowe, and Kevin Walker, the solo show brings together work that the artist produced at his studio on Traction located across the street from Al’s Bar in downtown Los Angeles. The exhibition spotlights lithographs and woodcuts developed over two decades. Therefore emphasizing how printmaking became a vital extension of his Abstract Expressionist language. Kanemitsu was trained in NY, however his his Los Angeles years and engagement with lithography significantly expanded his artistic vocabulary.

Matsumi Kanemitsu

Matsumi Kanemitsu – Homage to Henry Seldis II, lithograph, 21.75” x 29”

Born in Ogden, Utah, Matsumi Kanemitsu spent his youth in Japan before returning to the United States. He then renounced his Japanese citizenship and enlisted in the U.S. Army. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he became both an American soldier and a prisoner of war. Authorities subsequently confined him at several military bases across the country. He later resumed service and carried out assignments throughout the United States and Europe. Needless to say this deeply affected his life as well as his artistic perspective.

After the war, Matsumi Kanemitsu rose as a key voice within Abstract Expressionism. He built his career in Baltimore before relocating to New York. There, Jackson Pollock gave him the nickname “Mike.”

Kanemitsu on Traction

During the 1960s, he regularly traveled to Los Angeles for annual exhibitions at Virginia Dwan Gallery. He also completed residencies at Tamarind Lithography Workshop. Notably, the Oscar-nominated short Four Stones for Kanemitsu documented his work there. By the 1970s, he moved permanently to Los Angeles to teach at Chouinard Art Institute. He later taught at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), and, subsequently, at Otis Art Institute.

This is when the artist maintained a studio on Traction Avenue. During this time, he worked in relative solitude while still staying connected to his creative community. His proximity to Al’s Bar and friendship with gallerist Marc Kreisel placed him within an influential artistic network without making him a social fixture of it.

Musée du Al is located in Echo Park. If you would like to attend the opening event on February 28, 2026 from 4-7pm, you must fill out the form at museedual.com/contact. You will then be contacted via email and given the address to the gallery.