Las Vegas Weekly

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If you, too, have been spellbound by the rolling waves and dense clouds in artist Sush Machida’s paintings, you’ll be delighted to know he’s taken up residence in the Cosmopolitan’s P3 Studio through October 7.

The residency is more than just an exhibit of his large, serene works referencing nature and its elements. Machida, more accustomed to working in solitude, has created a studio space inside P3 that invites visitors in for tea (literally) and a chance to talk with him as he paints, giving guests more than a glimpse into his process, from drawings and ideas to completed works.

In some ways, it’s like walking into Machida’s depictions of nature, rendered in minimal but vibrantly colored paintings. A wave painting, created using cut vinyl, will mark the windows of the aquarium-like space off the P3 Commons, meaning you’re sort of walking beyond the Edo period-inspired moment to get a look behind the scenes. There sits a large completed mural and other works influenced by the philosophy of Zen culture in Japan—more specifically, Basho’s haiku on the sound of a frog jumping in water—meaning you find beauty when you are aware of it.

It’s a rare opportunity to see work by the Japan-born Las Vegas artist, who’s represented by Western Project in Los Angeles.