Ltd los angeles opening reception last Sunday titled, “and I’ll have a pepper=shaker in my cave, so laugh” resulted in an intimately playful group show that engaged, informed and challenged. The exhibition featured works of Margaret Haines, Nova Jiang, Linnea Kniaz, Hannah Lees, Lila de Magalhaes, Ariana Papademetropoulos, Tenant of Culture, Marian Tubbs, Shanna Waddell, Alice Wang and Faye Wei Wei, and was curated with Kate Eringer, who works at ltd los angeles. This eclectic lineup of artists combined medium and application, which informed each other and heightened the overall experience.

Nova Jiang, Violence and its Echoes

Upon entrance into the gallery, we were met by a range of manifestations of form— including, but not limited to, works on paper, hanging silk sculptures, ceramics and found objects. 

Nova Jiang, Shirley Morales, Kate Eringer, Marian Tubbs

I was able to talk to several of the artists and Eringer was gracious enough to walk me through the exhibit— intimating details of various works to me. She explained that the object-based show focused on the concept of preciousness in relation to an artists’ studio practice. This theme evolved during various studio visits, Eringer reflected, “Artists are quite specific and mindful of what denotes preciousness and what doesn’t.” Whether due to material, application, display or subject, this interest resulted in a group of selected works evoking intimacy and fragility, while maintaining a provocative, playful, and engaging approach.

Shanna Waddell, Untitled

Some works addressed this concept through display, such as pieces exhibited on lower plinths or even placed directly on the floor. Artist Faye Wei Wei’s use of extremely frail willow bark resulted in delicate whimsical drawings, which were displayed on unframed paper and simply hung on the wall in alluring vulnerability. Alice Wang’s digital print of a photo from the first sunset of the year in Antarctica captures a unique window of time. Wang’s other piece recontextualizes 1,000-year-old clam shells, which she then gilded in silver and piled on the floor in the corner—a flashy emphasis on preciousness but anything but timid.

Tenant of Culture, Sample Sale

It’s uncommon to see such varied works coexisting so effortlessly, but Eringer’s curation achieved a desirably lyrical and intimate experience. The reception engaged the lively viewers with additional interactive performances. A continuous thread of vulnerability strung each piece together like a poem itself, offering beauty through each perspective—making every work precious.

Photos by Avery Wheless