OCHI is pleased to present Por Debajo, a solo exhibition of new works by Los Angeles-based artist Ozzie Juarez. This will be the Artist’s first exhibition with the Gallery. Por Debajo will be on view at OCHI Aux, located at 3305 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, California from July 16 to August 27, 2022. An Artist’s Reception will be held on Saturday, July 16^th from 5:00 to 9:00 pm PST.

Blending generational histories, ancient folklore, unsanctioned public art, and pop culture, Ozzie Juarez uses visual language and cultural signifiers to examine notions of place and complex personal concepts of self. A former scenic painter specializing in physical simulation at Disneyland, Juarez entertained himself on the job by contemplating the colonial histories of American animation and by observing how shared experiences are constructed—the perfect parallel to Juarez’s ongoing research into surviving and destroyed Mexica (Aztec) culture. Juarez appropriates fragments from the four unadulterated Mexica codices—pre-Columbian paintings and texts on animal hide—and tessellates them into repeating patterns that resemble DNA sequences. This multiplication and extension of a language almost lost to colonization, is a spiritual act for Juarez that honors the Mexica people, culture, and deities while generating protective spells for any space that houses these art objects. Layering these patterns on top of neo-noir sunset gradients, homage paintings of contemporary street art, and unique wall texturing technique, Juarez creates portals into the past, present, and future.

Repurposing discarded objects found in South Central, Mid City, Boyle Heights, and adjacent neighborhoods of Los Angeles, Por Debajo features painted camper shells, storefront awnings, and construction materials, recontextualized as Juarez honors the life and legacy of these cultural artifacts. Juarez’s fluorescent Mexica codex patterns spread across the façade of the gallery, activating the building as a spiritual space and celebrating a lifelong commitment to street art—a passion taken on in his youth to satisfy an urge for large-scale self-expression. Drawn to the ephemeral nature of public paintings and the collaborative dialogues that are created across time and space as new images appear atop old murals, Juarez’s OCHI mural features bold neon lines weaving through the bodies of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl—Aztec divinities popularized in Chicano culture for their tale of eternal love. Through each textured surface, reclaimed object, and call to the past, Juarez paints with a deep respect for his identity and existing surroundings, meditating on the freedom of each autobiographical moment.

Ozzie Juarez (b. 1991, Compton, CA) earned his BFA from the University of California Berkeley. Juarez’s work has been exhibited in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Miami, and Mexico City.  His work has been featured in publications including HYPERALLERGIC, LAist, and Artful Hare. Juarez is the organizer and curator of TLALOC studios, an artist-run community gallery and studio building in the South Central neighborhood of Los Angeles. TLALOC evolves with its members, providing a space that encourages and promotes the possibility of a sustainable life as an artist, or as Juarez says, “a lifestyle worth living.”