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Ben Sakoguchi

Ben Sakoguchi (b. 1938) is a painter and printmaker who has lived in the Los Angeles area his entire life. After studying painting in the 1960s at the University of California, Los Angeles, he developed a distinctive style that is rooted in pairing a narrative painting tradition with a pop culture vocabulary.

He is best known for his long running "Orange Crate Label" series, using the classic crate label format to explore diverse subject matter and to combine them in a way that allows for both sharp critique and wry humor. His work is deeply and politically engaged, and he takes a deep delight in the craft and beauty of painting itself. Sakoguchi was a professor at Pasadena City College for nearly 35 years. Visit his website at www.bensakoguchi.com.

Orange Crate Label Series 1974-81: WWIII Brand (1974-81), Ben Sakoguchi. Acrylic on canvas 10 x 11 in. © Ben Sakoguchi. Collection of Marcia and Ed Nunnery.