A giant yellow emoji pillow greets visitors to Misaki Kawai’s latest show at The Hole on the Bowery, signaling that the artist’s sense of humor is still lively. Her bright, fun, faux-naïve style comes across in text paintings and furry sculptures that invite touch (a sign on the wall and a dispenser of hand sanitizer confirm that this is allowed). Citing the notion of ‘heta-uma,’ or ‘bad but good,’ Kawai challenges notions of taste, but all in good fun. (On view through Feb 14th. Masks and social distancing are required.)
