Ten Essential Local Artists Inspired by the City of Angels
February's two huge annual art events — Frieze Los Angeles and the LA Art Show — promote the local art market on a global scale, exponentially elevating its influence and impact. With collectors, creatives, celebrities and art aficionados of all kinds coming together to showcase, enjoy, buy and sell, Los Angeles' art scene has finally gained not only commercial viability but the respect it richly deserves.However, in the wake of last month's Southern California wildfire damage and loss, celebrating our city's creative spirit is about more than prestige or commerce. It's an opportunity for healing and unity — to advocate for our fellow Angelenos, and to express our ideas, emotions, hopes and dreams.From pop art painters to eclectic photographers, street artists to fine artists, portraitists to muralists, multimedia forms of expression in L.A. have the spotlight right now — and rightfully so. But the truth is, art flourishes every day, year-round, in times of joy and times of sorrow, bringing diverse communities together and inspiring us all. We need art now more than ever.Here, we spotlight 10 essential L.A. artists who've put their vision into practice this year, reflecting the shared experiences of living and creating in the City of Angels.
The local Latino artist, who grew up in Boyle Heights and blew up in Downtown L.A., took his career to new heights last year. Vargas completed two huge murals — of the Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani and Fernando Valenzuela — both promoting his ethos of community representation. With a square named after him in his old neighborhood and his own designated City of Los Angeles day (Sept. 8), he's one of the most popular and active artists in town. After creating one of Los Angeles magazine's three special covers this month honoring the city's first responders, he'll be live-painting a massive mural called 'HEROES' (a tribute to the L.A. firefighters), at the LA Art Show later this month.What's Next: His 14-story 'Angelus' mural at Pershing Square, currently in progress, is set to break the world record this July as the largest freehand mural by a single artist. @therobertvargas
Featured in LACMA's current Imagining Black Diasporas: 21st-Century Art and Poetics exhibition, Cullors' meld of art and activism continues to evolve and thrive. Known for her work with Black Lives Matter and the Center for Art and Abolition, her multimedia creative commentary incorporates cultural artifacts, textiles and metalwork that manifest 'a sanctuary of reflection and empowerment.' An artist-in-residence for the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture's Homeless Initiative, Cullors also served as executive producer on the HBO docuseries Eyes on the Prize, about the civil rights movement. What's Next: In March, Cullors' West Hollywood billboard project 'Black Women Rest' will debut, and she'll perform her Sacred Resistance piece at UC Irvine.patrissecullors.com
A native Angeleno who's paid homage to the soulful resilience of his hometown for over three decades (including one of Los Angeles special February print edition covers), Swing lives up to his 'Mr. L.A.' moniker. With a background in street, fine and pop art, his abstract expressionist work can be found at major L.A. restaurants and hotels, and at galleries and public spaces around the U.S. Swing's amalgamation of classic iconography and proud street vibes will be a highlight at this month's LA Art Show — and it's just the beginning for 2025.What's Next: Swing will be a part of Burning Bright - The Strength, Struggle, and Survival of LA Artists at Art Share L.A. and the AAF spring N.Y. fair, both in March. He'll also partake in the AMP San Francisco Art Fair in April, the Ampersand Show in May, the Hamptons Fine Art Fair in July and additional group shows in New York City and Miami. guerinswing.com
A figurative painter blending reality with fantasy in a fresh and defiantly feminine way, Fabia's work uses saturated color palettes and bold lines to arrest the viewer. Her oil-painted nudes and portraits convey magical moments in time and many local figures in her hometown of L.A. With a photographic yet surrealist approach that also evokes the punk rock energy of her homelife as a wife (to Bad Religion's Jay Bentley) and a mother, she's also commissioned for projects and has a line of fine art merchandise.What's Next: In addition to teaching painting classes at her O.C. studio and recently releasing a line of paint brushes, Fabia is working on an upcoming solo show in Los Angeles and will be administering a two-week painting workshop in Rome this summer. nataliafabia.com
With notable works at Watts Towers Arts Center, 18th Street Arts Center, Barnsdall Art Park and LACMA over the years, Grant's oeuvre gives rise to conversations about identity and love. She examines language and written texts through the mediums of painting, neon sculpture, video and books. The latter comes via the X Artists' Books imprint — launched with her partner, actor Keanu Reeves — publishing art books with a philanthropic component that's central to her vision.What's Next: After a solo exhibition in Berlin at Carlier|Gebauer, Grant will partake in a group show at The Pit in Glendale. She's the honorary chair of Project Angel Food's Angel Art Transformation benefit on Feb. 27 and her just-launched LOVE Wine, featuring labels designed by her favorite artists, will release its second drop this summer. alexandragrant.com
The French-born, L.A.-based street artist known as Mr. Brainwash incorporates a dizzying aggregation of ideas, mediums and references in his work, but his main inspiration is joy. His mantra, 'Life is Beautiful,' is imparted through all he does, from his whimsical Beverly Hills museum to his latest exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum — which celebrates the beauty and significance of cars through his signature collision of pop culture and fine art. In December, he set a Guinness World Record for the largest dual-sided mosaic made with Rubik's Cubes. He also created one of Los Angeles magazine's three February print covers and did a mural of the piece for everyone to enjoy at 1255 S. La Brea Ave. in Mid-Wilshire.What's Next: Guetta's work will next be seen at the Bob Marley Museum in Jamaica (on the reggae great's birthday) and in a new installation on Rodeo Drive, which includes over 18 sculptures and immersive photo backdrops inspired by famous artworks. mrbrainwash.com
Known for incorporating L.A. cityscapes into his edgy work, the native Angeleno's heightened reflections are both cinematic and thought-provoking. The city after dark conjures a special kind of energy and Israel — who's collaborated with everyone from Bret Easton Ellis to Louis Vuitton — captures it with animated realism and moodiness. Shamrock Social Club tattoo shop, Trashy Lingerie and the Troubadour are just a few of the landmarks included in his latest Gagosian exhibit, Noir. Paused during the fires, it reopened on Feb. 6 and spotlights nostalgic odes to his hometown haunts.What's Next: His next solo show, Heaven, in partnership with Aspen One, opens at the Aspen Art Museum this month. Through a lift ticket, an exhibition and on-mountain signage, he integrates pop culture, celebrity and entertainment. @alexisrael
Movement and physical communication are revelatory art forms, and the L.A.-based, Japanese-born interdisciplinary performer incorporates both in dynamic ways. Specializing in Butoh dance, Kuramochi weaves live painting, video and tangible installations into her work, making for a uniquely visceral and theatrical kind of entertainment. Her immersive cultural commentary also explores history and rituals via a posthuman feminist perspective. What's Next: This month, Kuramochi is in a group show called Raze the Whitebox Presents a Butoh Opera at the Philosophical Research Society in Los Feliz, and Moon & Stars in the Desert at Palm Desert's Walter N. Marks Center for the Arts. In June, she'll present a new solo show at the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles.ibuki-kuramochi.com
Ilse Valfré's enchanting female-driven universe has built an avid fan base through her brand, which includes apparel, home decor, day planners and artwork. The Mexican contemporary illustrator, who splits her time between L.A. and Nayarit, is known for evoking cosmic, character-driven aesthetics and dreamy narratives with a pop culture flair — as seen on her big mural outside the Spotlight nightclub at Cahuenga and Selma in Hollywood. She also just released a new book of her most popular pieces and launched a collaboration with Golden Goose sneakers.What's Next: Exhibiting at international art fairs — in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Madrid and Tokyo — is in the pipeline. Valfré is also working on an upcoming solo show in L.A. and setting up her own space in Mexico City, called Casa Valfré. valfre.com
His iconic street art brand Obey Giant might own the most recognizable L.A. graphic designs ever, but Fairey has never rested on his laurels. From his powerful 2008 "Hope" portrait of Barack Obama to his "We the People" series during the 2017 Women's March and his Echo Park Gallery Subliminal Projects, Fairey's output has redefined how social commentary-driven street art makes people think, feel and see the world.What's Next: 'Warning Signs' opening Feb. 7 in New Orleans, features painted and printed works from his repertoire centered around combating injustice. 'The Golden Compass' opening Feb. 27 in collaboration with Over The Influence in Bankok, explores the human struggle to find balance and manage rage and grief. His gallery also a full schedule of events this month, during Frieze and the LA Art Show. obeygiant.com
After so many local artists and creators lost their residences, studios and livelihoods, or were otherwise been impacted by the L.A. fires, local arts organizations and philanthropists joined forces to create the LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund, an emergency relief effort to help them. Led by the J. Paul Getty Trust (getty.edu), the coalition's many partners include the Mohn Art Collective (Hammer Museum, LACMA and MOCA); philanthropists like Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani of Qatar; and foundations like Steven Spielberg's The Hearthland and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. The fund launched with $12 million and applicants can apply through the Center for Cultural Innovation at .
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