Salvadoran-American artist John Rivas holds close to ancestry and cultural identity in his work. In raw, expressive scenes of loved ones, domestic life, childhood memories, and familial histories, Rivas aims his art-making through a deeply personal lens, honoring the work and voices of those closest. His practice has long been characterized by material resourcefulness and a necessity-driven approach that layers found fabrics, drygoods, heirlooms, embroidery, gifted materials, household supplies, and painting into earnest, sensitive representations of the people and places around him. In his newest exhibition Rise above it, Rivas expands on his familiar mixed-media vocabulary, venturing into hand-carved and painted wooden sculpture as an extension of the assemblage-based language of his practice. Inspired by redwood carvings in Northern California and global traditions of polychrome wooden sculpture, the eleven works that comprise the exhibition bring to life Rivas's subjects and his enduring painterly interests in labor and cultural celebration. ...
Since 2009, François Ghebaly has presented an innovative, eclectic program of Los Angeles-based and international artists. With a history of identifying and championing diverse voices and emerging talent, the gallery’s roster has grown to include 27 artists and 2 artist estates, ranging from early career, such as Sharif Farrag and Ludovic Nkoth, to mid-career, like Christine Sun Kim, Meriem Bennani, Kelly Akashi, Farah Al Qasimi, and Genesis Belanger, to well established, including Sayre Gomez, Kathleen Ryan, Neïl Beloufa and Candice Lin as well as underground legends, like Patrick Jackson and Mike Kuchar. The gallery advances the reach of its artists’ visions by publishing exhibition catalogues and producing artist editions. Located since 2013 in a 12,000 square foot warehouse space in Downtown Los Angeles, the gallery is a mainstay of the burgeoning Arts District community, and recently expanded to New York's Lower East Side. François Ghebaly’s program demonstrates a commitment to challenging work across all media and to fostering the progressive, boundary-pushing practices of its artists. ...
