January in Los Angeles begins with ten captivating exhibitions that challenge historical narratives and explore new aesthetic possibilities. Elias Hernández delves into cartoons, video games, and Salvadoran history within his imaginative universe. Carolyn Castaño, a Colombian-American artist, engages with her late father’s photographic archive to create multimedia pieces that examine themes of immigration and identity. At Art + Practice, a group exhibition celebrates Black motherhood’s cultural and communal significance, while Angels Gate Cultural Center presents Sustainers of Life, featuring Indigenous women artists reclaiming their representation through art.
At Lisson Gallery, a succinct retrospective of Colombian artist Olga de Amaral runs until January 17. This exhibition spans her career from the early 1970s to 2018, showcasing her unique blend of textiles, painting, and sculpture. Amaral’s work draws inspiration from Mesoamerican traditions, Japanese aesthetics, and minimalism, utilizing materials like wool, horsehair, and gold to create pieces ranging from the monumental to the intimate.
The Getty Center hosts Recent Acquisitions: Photography until January 19, offering a global snapshot of the medium while exploring its history. Featured works include Annie Hsiao-Ching Wang’s ongoing project on motherhood, Lebohang Kganye’s ethereal images, and Omar Victor Diop’s revisionist narratives in Being There (2023). Meanwhile, at Central Server Works, Elias Hernández’s Hidden Relics From The Forbidden Jungle extends his fantastical realm through ceramics, drawing from Salvadoran culture and magical realism.
John Birtle’s More Is More at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery embraces a maximalist approach, questioning authorship and meaning through diverse media. The exhibition runs until January 24, alongside Sustainers of Life at Angels Gate Cultural Center, which delves into the complex identities of Indigenous women artists. Marina Stern’s retrospective at Bel Ami and CW American Modernism re-evaluates her eclectic style, featuring surrealist and landscape works from various periods of her career.
ReflectSpace presents Carolyn Castaño’s Viajero del Tiempo/Time Traveler until February 1, a vibrant examination of immigration and identity through personal history. Marianne Vitale’s Blowing Robots at Journal Gallery critiques modernity with sculptures made from decommissioned locomotives, running through February 14. Giving You The Best That I Got at Art + Practice, open until March 7, highlights Black motherhood with pieces by 20 artists, while Riverside Art Museum showcases Noé Montes’ Regional History, documenting Southern California life, through April 19.
