Los Angeles’ beautiful diversity is reflected by the various exhibitions by artists in the city’s museums and galleries. From serene paintings to somatic installations, these artistic gems celebrate unique experiences, reflections, and approaches.
Since exhibits are on display for only a short time, Shondaland has compiled a guide for you of five exhibits worth checking out this spring and summer.
“Handwriting on the Wall” by Thornton Dial
Blum & Poe
Through June 10
Thornton Dial, a native of Emelle, Alabama, was a significant contemporary artist. His artwork highlighted his experience as a Black person in the South, along with his various trades and professions — from picking cotton at age 5 to making train cars for 30 years. Exploring Dial’s artwork is the equivalent of delving into an inclusive and complex version of American history through the eyes of someone who’s witnessed and experienced the human condition in many landscapes. Dial’s work reflects themes of the Great Migration, the civil rights movement, the election of the first Black president, and beyond. He has diverse artistic creations, but his drawings focus on women and their intricate roles as sources of power and love. His grandmother and great-aunt raised him, and their influence on his life and art was profound and enduring. Dial’s exhibit at Blum & Poe is something you don’t want to miss.
Chiharu Shiota
Hammer Museum
Through August 27
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Berlin-based Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota’s captivating installation is the first featured in the Hammer’s newly renovated lobby. Shiota’s installations, sculptures, and performance art are powerful conduits to psycho-geographic spaces where memory, emotions, and the cyclical nature of life and death intertwine. Shiota meticulously weaves intricate environments using red, black, and white yarns that extend across entire galleries, evoking organic structures like cobwebs, veins, and fractals.
“The Flower Show”
L.A. Louver
June 7 to September 1
“The Flower Show” at L.A. Louver features more than 50 artists, each bringing their unique craft and cultural perspectives to the table while using flowers as a motif. Flowers have continued for centuries to be an enduring source of inspiration for artists. The diverse approaches encompass various styles, mediums, and time periods. Through the work of artists, including sculptor Zemer Peled and contemporary artist Ang Tsherin Sherpa, this exhibit brings forth a rich tapestry of artistic expressions centered around beautiful flowers.
“Coming Back to See Through, Again” by Njideka Akunyili Crosby
David Zwirner
Through July 29
David Zwirner’s new gallery features the work of Nigerian-born, Los Angeles-based artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby. She was awarded the MacArthur Fellowship in 2017. In 2022, her artwork was featured in a solo exhibition curated by Hilton Als for the Yale Center for British Art. Her artwork mirrors her personal experiences and the complexities of African diasporic identity by merging painted portraits, locations, and themes from her life with photographs sourced from her personal images and Nigerian magazines.
Party/After-Party by Carl Craig
The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA
Through July 23
Carl Craig is a Detroit-based DJ and producer. He boasts 30 years of international experience and has headlined at Berlin’s infamous nightclub Berghain. His immersive installation, which complements the architecture of the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, is a somatic experience that creates a journey for visitors where they experience a club night through a DJ’s point of view. The entry point of the installation honors the trailblazers of techno and electronic music who were Black artists. In addition to the immersive installation of Party/After-Party, Carl Craig extends the experience with “Party/After-Party Sessions,” a series of three live concerts.
Sharmin Rahman is a fiction writer and screenwriter, who recently completed the UCLA Writers’ Program. Raised in Brooklyn, Rahman currently lives in Los Angeles where she is working on her first short story collection. Follow her on Twitter @sharminerahman.
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