Jackie Amézquita at Charlie James Gallery

Jackie Amézquita’s Nuestro Norte siempre a sido el Sur (Our North Has Always Been The South) is the artist’s first exhibition at Charlie James Gallery. For those who were unable to attend the last iteration of the Made in LA biennial, this exhibition provides an opportunity to view work in dialogue with what was exhibited at the Hammer Museum. Here, Amézquita is again using soil, fruit, masa, rainwater, copper, and other natural materials to create works that engage with a variety of socio-political issues. The fourteen-feet long work bajo el cielo sobre el mismo suelo (2024) serves as the centerpiece of the exhibition. The multi-panel “paintings” trace the U.S. and Mexico border and are made using soil from the contentious locale. Ultimately, the individual panels, which “break down the idea of a monolithic border,” serve as a “palimpsest of hope and adversity, natural beauty and barber enforcement.”

The exhibition also features new works made of copper such as SUDOR de mi GENTE as well as soil paintings that incorporate color for the first time. The opening night also featured a performance, como el agua que fluye (2024) by Amézquita in collaboration with 19 friends and artists, who joined her on a walk from downtown Los Angeles to the gallery space.

Photo: Jackie Amézquita, bajo el cielo sobre el mismo suelo (details), Courtesy of the artist and Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles. ©2024 Jackie Amézquita; Photo ©2024 Yubo Dong @ofphotostudio