The exhibition closes on October 31 at the Asosal facility, an organization located near MacArthur Park.
LOS ANGELES — Faces, landscapes, and people emerge in this exhibition that brings together the paintings and sculptures of five Salvadoran artists. These works transport Latin American migrants to their homeland by highlighting the culture of this region.
This exhibition, organized by the Association of Salvadorans of Los Angeles (Asosal), opened on October 11 with the presence of painter Fausto Pérez, who exhibited 10 works from his catalog, which he regularly promotes in Southern California.
“It brings back memories of our childhood,” says Mayra Lacayo, a community organizer who left El Salvador at age 13, who attended the opening with about 50 people. “The vibrant colors are the colors of our cities, beautiful landscapes; that's really who we are.”
The exhibition, which closes on October 31st at Asosal, includes sculptures by Alberto Merino and paintings by Milton Pocasangre, Luis Serrano, Miguel Ramírez, Hermanos FaBrus, and Crystal Sánchez Girón.
In his 45-year artistic career, Pérez has participated in group exhibitions in Spain, Israel, Canada, the United States, and the Philippines. A graduate of the now-defunct National Center for the Arts (Cenar), this 63-year-old painter has focused on the naive art movement, characterized by spontaneity and simplicity.
In his strokes, the artist points out, landscapes and picturesque elements of Latin American towns emerge, such as colonial churches and rural homes. His pieces always feature cats fighting on rooftops, figures of boys and girls playing in squares, chickens in houses, and circuses in villages.
“For me, these figures are nostalgic and pleasing,” says Pérez, an artist who traveled from El Salvador exclusively for the opening of this exhibition. Several of his pieces are promoted locally by his agent based in Fullerton, California.
Since its founding in April 1991, Asosal has promoted Salvadoran art by holding painting exhibitions and artisan fairs, as well as events where they promote Salvadoran literature, music, and cuisine. Since 1992, they have had a folkloric ballet that has performed in various musicals such as Las Placitas, Fiestas Patronales, and Cuzcatlán in various theaters in Los Angeles.
For this exhibition, Miguel Garza loaned most of the works he began collecting in 2004. To date, he has acquired 25 paintings by different artists, 90% Salvadoran. Among the pieces, his home features a sculpture donated by the legendary artist Fernando Llort, recognized as the creator of emblematic figures that identify El Salvador, blending Mayan culture using techniques such as painting, ceramics, wood, and glass. Llort's artistic concept initially spread among the artisans of La Palma, in the department of Chalatenango, but has now spread around the world.
"These pieces represent something of El Salvador," says Garza, 53, about the local exhibition. In the future, he says he doesn't rule out donating his collection to a museum so the works can be appreciated by other communities in Southern California.
Each painting features features of the countryside and striking faces. One piece showcases the deep gaze, tanned skin, and furrowed face of a dancer from Panchimalco, a town that preserves its indigenous heritage south of the Salvadoran capital.
"We are promoting Salvadoran talent," says Teresa Tejada, executive director of Asosal. This cultural promoter points out that her fellow citizens not only contribute to the growth of this city with their labor force, but also contribute to the arts, science, academia, and organizational work, making the United States a great nation.
Since its inception, Asosal has assisted the Latino community with low-cost immigration counseling services. It offers a legal clinic once a week. Its offices are located at 1930 Wilshire Blvd #800, in Los Angeles.
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