OCHI is pleased to present Por Debajo, a solo exhibition of new works by Los Angeles-based artist Ozzie Juarez. This will be the Artist’s first exhibition with the Gallery. Por Debajo will be on view at OCHI Aux, located at 3305 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, California from July 16 to August 27, 2022. An Artist’s Reception will be held on Saturday, July 16th from 5:00 to 9:00 pm PST.
Blending generational histories, ancient folklore, unsanctioned public art, and pop culture, Ozzie Juarez uses visual language and cultural signifiers to examine notions of place and complex personal concepts of self. A former scenic painter specializing in physical simulation at Disneyland, Juarez entertained himself on the job by contemplating the colonial histories of American animation and by observing how shared experiences are constructed—the perfect parallel to Juarez’s ongoing research into surviving and destroyed Mexica (Aztec) culture. Juarez appropriates fragments from the four unadulterated Mexica codices—pre-Columbian paintings and texts on animal hide—and tessellates them into repeating patterns that resemble DNA sequences. This multiplication and extension of a language almost lost to colonization, is a spiritual act for Juarez that honors the Mexica people, culture, and deities while generating protective spells for any space that houses these art objects. Layering these patterns on top of neo-noir sunset gradients, homage paintings of contemporary street art, and unique wall texturing technique, Juarez creates portals into the past, present, and future.
