The holiday season has officially wrapped up, and for that, many are grateful, but for those who still yearn for festivities, the LA art scene this weekend certainly delivered. With galleries revved up into full gear, we were overwhelmed by the array of possible openings to attend. However lucky for us, we found ourselves amongst colorful hanging lanterns and enthused gallery viewers in LA’s Chinatown where we were able to hit several shows, all of which were delightfully stimulating and in proximity. 

To begin our night, a DJ’s lively set in front of Charlie James Gallery drew us into the solo show of Lee Quiñones, If These Walls Could Talk. The entrance music set the vibe and the opening was filled with viewers, all of whom were excited to see the impressive range of work on display. The show encompassed a cohesive vision of the graffiti artist’s practice, whose pieces incorporated a mix of visual and written components. Some of this work consisted of slabs of drywall and wood paneling that once were the walls of the artists’ studio. Quite literally, Quiñones showed us that his walls did in fact have a lot to say.

The more attention grabbing and larger scale works lived in the front of the exhibition, yet as we explored the space, we were interested to see preliminary sketches and notes, which were the foundation of Quiñones’ works. The artist had quite the devoted fan base; some even approached Quiñones with paraphernalia that the good-natured artist willing signed. Stepping outside once again, the DJ set was still in full swing. To our delight, viewers young and old even engaged in a little post gallery dance party. 

Next, we unexpectedly found ourselves wandering into the intimate photography show of Hatnim Lee, Greek Summer, at Burgeoning. The works were composed of images from the artist’s Athena Standards Residency in July 2018. Each photo’s intrigue was heavily informed by the subjects, who seemed both aware and uninhibited by the focus of the camera, capable of bringing their world to us. We found ourselves invested in each image, which granted insight to each character’s narrative. One woman floating in water lost in her own train of thought, while in another, a child peered straight out of the photo with bold curiosity. The simple, yet thematically stunning photos were extremely satisfying as they illuminated beauty in the mundane and allowed us to glimpse into the life of another.