"King of the Impossible" vs “Ming the Merciless”

May 2 – 21, 2026
Reception: Saturday, May 2 from 3:00-6:00pm

Step into a world where fantasy and history collide into childhood memories. "King of the Impossible" vs “Ming the Merciless” combines photography, sculpture, and cosplay to recreate scenes from artist Bruce Yonemoto and his brother Norman Yonemoto’s (1946–2014) adolescence. Yonemoto blends the fictional world of the 1930’s serial film Flash Gordon with reality, emphasizing a budding conflict between personal identity and popular culture. Cosplay and photography become a way to re-cast the Yonemoto brothers’ relationship as arch-enemies Flash Gordon and Ming the Merciless, through which Yonemoto examines how those characters served as unattainable cultural icons. Featured prominently in the exhibit, the sculptural re-creation of his weathered playground slide spotlights the tension between the heroes and villains on-screen and the realities of Asian American experience for the Yonemoto brothers.

"King of the Impossible" vs “Ming the Merciless” was curated and produced by the Spring 2026 ART 342/542 Exhibition Design Class in collaboration with artist Bruce Yonemoto and CSUN Art Galleries. The exhibition is made possible through the support of the Virginia A. Orndorff Artist-in-Residence Program. Additional support provided from the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication; Instructionally Related Activities Committee; and Arts Council for CSUN.

Exhibition Press Release