LILIAN MARTINEZ

Lilian Martinez makes work that blends representation and iconographies of the past with the present and an imagined future, combining classical architectural elements with contemporary pop cultural references to create the settings for her portraits, landscapes, and still lifes. Her flat, bold style recalls iconic predecessors, while her impetus to center brown bodies that have historically been essentialized, if not omitted altogether, from these sorts of historical artworks recontextualizes the roles of the artist and subject at once. Martinez’ figures are usually engaged in everyday leisure activities, and her work indulges color and mood, all while maintaining a charming nonchalance. Even in the works bold simplicity, a matrix of historical and cultural signifiers exposes a boundlessness, both in connection through nostalgic specificity and limitlessness in the lack thereof.

Martinez (b. 1986, Chicago, IL) earned a BFA in Photography from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and currently lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. Alongside her studio-based practice, Martinez operates BFGF, a lifestyle brand that produces accessible and functional art objects. Martinez’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at venues including the Green Family Art Foundation in Dallas, TX; Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, VA; The Naughton Gallery in Belfast, Ireland; Gallery Commune in Tokyo, Japan; Taymour Grahne in London, United Kingdom; and OCHI in Sun Valley, ID and Los Angeles, CA. Her work has been featured in publications such as Frieze, The New York Times, Architectural Digest, ARTnews, apartamento, Juxtapoz, LALA Magazine, Nationale, ArtPractical, and AUTRE. Martinez is represented by OCHI.

Featured Works

A painting of a nude woman reclined and facing the viewer holding a watermelon. Beside her are lush green leaves and in the background, we see a clothesline hanging a white button up shirt, white nike socks, and a pink bra.A painting of a woman sitting in a green chair with a dog in her lap. Beside her is an avocado, a pink cup of McDonalds Fries, a dragon fruit, and a basketball. There is a fireplace and a potted orange tree behind her.This painting is of someone sitting in a green chair in a room with a pink wall and gray floor. Behind them is a white jacket hanging from a hangar and there is a basketball and a pair of pink shoes under the chair. The figure is wearing a blue dress, green shoes, a pink bra, and is facing the viewer.This painting is of two women arranged in front of each other in the center of the composition. The one in the back is standing, laying her hands on the neck and chest of the one in the front, who is sitting. Beside them are two dogs and a few trees.An acrylic painting on linen by artist Lilian Martinez of a woman sitting down, surrounded by flora with a dog sitting by her side. A bowl of fruit rests on a small column next to her.An acrylic painting on linen by artist Lilian Martinez of two women standing, forward facing in a side by side embrace, with a melon balanced on their shoulders.A lady is standing and resting her left hand on a small pillar while the other one is holding a fern leave

CV

LILIAN MARTINEZ

Born 1986 in Chicago, IL

Lives and works in Los Angeles, CA

EDUCATION

2009

BFA The School of the Art Institute of Chicago

SELECTED SOLO & TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS

2024

Women & Dogs, OCHI, Los Angeles, CA
Frieze Los Angeles, presented by OCHI, Los Angeles, CA

2022

NADA Miami with Adam Beris, presented by OCHI, Miami, FL
Lilac, Plaster, Gucci, Sandal, Taymour Grahne Gallery, London, United Kingdom

2021

Castillos y Cuecas Joyas y Piedras, Swish Projects, San Diego, CA
Stone Fruit, OCHI, Ketchum, ID
Sunrooms, OCHI, Los Angeles, CA (online)

2020

Coral Caves, Taymour Grahne Gallery (online)
Bart Beethoven Wifi, OCHI, Los Angeles, CA

2019

Rosa Mariposa, Gallery Commune, Tokyo, Japan
Soft Shades, Nationale, Portland, OR

2018

Woman and Women, OCHI, Los Angeles, CA
Solo Booth, Art Los Angeles Contemporary, OCHI, Los Angeles, CA

2017

Clay Architecture, Commune, Tokyo, Japan
Get’cha Head in the Game, The Naughton Gallery, Belfast, Ireland
Solo Show, NADA NY, presented by OCHI, New York, NY

2016

Mystery, Feelings, Internet, OCHI, Los Angeles, CA

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2024

Some Dogs Go To Dallas: A Selection of Artworks From The Collection of Pamela and David Hornik, Green Family Art Foundation, Dallas, TX

2022

Wish You Were Here, OCHI, Sun Valley, ID

2021

Cake Show, The Pit, Palm Springs, CA
Expanded Field, OCHI Aux, Los Angeles, CA
Bananas, Fort Makers, New York, New York

2020

A Very Anxious Feeling: Voices of Unrest in the American Experience; 20 Years of the Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection, Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, VA

2019

Group Show, CONDO Mexico City, presented by Karen Huber Gallery + OCHI, Mexico City, Mexico
Group Show, UNTITLED San Francisco, presented by OCHI, San Francisco, CA

2018

Soft Pretzel, OCHI at Vacation, New York, NY

2017

Does it Make a Sound, OCHI, Ketchum, ID
Group Show, Art Athina, presented by OCHI, Athens, Greece

2016

Figure as Form, ltd los angeles, Los Angeles, CA
WOOF, Carlos Queso, Los Angeles, CA
Girls Who Dance in Dissonance, Wayside Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

2024

Boltt, Isobelle. “5 Artists on Our Radar in March 2024," Artsy, Mar. 5
Rabb, Maxwell. “What Sold at Frieze Los Angeles 2024," Artsy, Mar. 4
Silverman, Erica. “Essence Harden Curates Frieze LA’s Focus Platform, Whitewall, Mar. 2
Stromberg, Matt. “Dispatches from Inside (and Outside) Frieze LA," Hyperallergic, Mar. 1
Villa, Angelica. “Building Frieze LA’s ‘Focus’ Section is a Challenge for Curators and Galleries," ARTnews, Feb. 29
Bythewood-Porter, Taylor. “How “Focus" Gallerists Reflect the Aura of Los Angeles," Frieze, Feb. 27
Appleford, Steve. “State of the Art," Los Angeles Magazine, Feb. 26
Brown, Evan Nicole. “Women Artists to Watch at Frieze Los Angeles," The Cut, Feb. 21
Durón, Maximilíano. “The ARTnews Guide to a Great Day at Frieze LA," ARTnews, Feb. 16
“Stone Island Exhibition on the Occasion of Frieze Los Angeles," JTDapper Fashion Week, Feb. 16
Rabb, Maxwell. “At OCHI, Generational Love of Art Mirrors a Lifelong Commitment to Artists," Artsy, Jan. 9
“Essence Harden’s ‘Ecologies’ of the Present at Frieze Los Angeles 2024," Frieze, Jan. 5

2023

Lee, Audrey. “AD Editors Share 25 of Their Favorite Hispanic- and Latinx-Owned Businesses," Clever, Sep. 15

2022

Lee, Audrey. “AD Editors Share 15 of Their Favorite Hispanic- and Latinx-Owned Businesses," Clever, Sep. 20
Gore, Sydney. “Welcome to Demi Lovato’s Trippy Modern Farmhouse," Architectural Digest, Sep. 7
“New in Figurative Painting," Artsy, Feb

2021

Dixon Evans, Julia. “San Diego Weekend Arts Events: Lilian Martinez, ‘to the yellow house,’ ‘Boil the Ocean,’ Michelle Bradley and Kazim Ali," KPBS, Nov. 18

2020

Douglas, Sarah. “A Message from the Editor," ARTnews, Jul. 9
Barber-Way, Mish. “Lilian Martinez," apartamento
Lindsey, Aleiya and Amani Olu. “NADA Six Artworks To Stay Home With," Artsy
Pricco, Evan. “Art in Uncertain Times: Lilian Martinez on Bart, Beethoven and Wifi," Juxtapoz, Apr. 21

2019

Recinos, Eva. “Artist Lilian Martinez Welcomes Us Into Her Artsy Desert Retreat," Hunker, Dec. 5
Chan, Carmen., Exposure, Vol. 1 (catalogue)
“Lilian Martinez," LIFE WATER
Fleetwood, Amelia. “Under Blue Skies," LA LA Magazine
Costello, Lindsay. “Tenacious Repose: Lilian Martinez’s Soft Shades," Art Practical, Mar. 6
“Soft Shades: Lilian Martinez @ Nationale, Portland," Juxtapoz, Feb. 03
Lewton-Lepold, Gabi. “Interview: Lilian Martinez," NATIONALE, Jan. 30
“Lilian Martinez," WRAP, Iss. 12

2018

Staffon, Bese. “BESE Meets: Lilian Martinez," BESE, Nov. 7
“Mirror Mirror," Ash Magazine, Iss. 1
Trock, Lani. “Lilian Martinez’s Woman and Women Opens @ Ochi Projects," AUTRE, May 4
“Lilian Martinez," MAPS, Vol. 116, Jan. 2

2017

Judson, Kirsten. “BFGF Artist Lilian Martinez Is Matisse of the Instagram Era," Observer, Dec. 26
Uchida, Yuka. “Lilian Martinez," Casa Brutus, Sep. 26
“Lilian Martinez: Clay Architecture," Time Out Tokyo, Sep. 21

2016

Rae, Haniya. “She makes wearable art that channels Matisse, as well as ‘The Simpsons,’", Los Angeles Times, Oct. 20
Bourton, Lucy. “The Intuitive and Engaging Art of LA-based Lilian Martinez," It’s Nice That, Aug. 12
Pienaar, Sanri. “The Incredible BFGF," ELLE Decoration, Jun. 3
“A Seductive Paradise of Coconut Kisses From Lilian Martinez of BFGF," MOLD, May 13
Olsen, Katie. “Art Brand BFGF," Cool Hunting, Jan. 4

AWARDS & RESIDENCIES

2024

Artist Residency, Sam & Adele Golden Foundation for the Arts, New Berlin, NY

2022

Honoree, Frieze Los Angeles Artist Luncheon, The Cultivist, Los Angeles, CA

2018

Artist Residency, Macedonia Institute, Chatham, NY

Facebook Artist in Residency Program, Menlo Park, CA

SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Nike, Beaverton, OR

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

Xiao Museum, China

News

  • Lilian Martinez

    Open Studio: Golden Foundation

    New Berlin, New York

    November 14, 5pm – 7pm

    Link

  • Lilian Martinez
    Women & Dogs
    Artforum Must-See
    September, 2024
    LINK

  • Lilian Martinez
    5 Artists on Our Radar in March 2024
    Artsy
    March 5, 2024
    LINK

  • Lilian Martinez
    What Sold at Frieze Los Angeles 2024
    Artsy
    March 4, 2024
    LINK

  • Lilian Martinez
    How “Focus” Gallerists “Reflect the Aura of Los Angeles”
    Frieze Magazine
    February 27, 2024
    LINK

  • Lilian Martinez
    L.A. Art Week 2024
    Paris LA
    February 26, 2024
    LINK

  • Lilian Martinez
    Get Ready for Frieze L.A.
    Los Angeles Magazine
    February 26, 2024
    LINK

  • Lilian Martinez
    Women Artists to Watch at Frieze Los Angeles
    The Cut
    February 21, 2024
    LINK

  • Lilian Martinez
    Ecologies of the Present in “Focus” at Frieze Los Angeles 2024
    Frieze
    January 4, 2024
    LINK