A Summer of Remembrance: Evita Tezeno and “Body Memory” at Luis De Jesus Los Angeles

From the rhythmic joy of Creole life to the reclamation of the physical form, two concurrent exhibitions invite viewers to explore the layers of collective history.

This summer, Luis De Jesus Los Angeles presents two powerful explorations of memory and identity. Running through August 15, 2026, the gallery features the fourth solo exhibition by Evita Tezeno alongside a provocative group show, Body Memory. Together, these exhibitions transform the gallery into a space for both celebration and deep reflection on how we see ourselves and each other.

Evita Tezeno: The Rhythms of Creole Kinship

In the main gallery, Evita Tezeno’s Coming Home: A Gathering of Voices debuts a series of complex collage paintings that draw from her childhood in Port Arthur, Texas. Her work honors the “living heritage” of the “Golden Triangle,” a region shaped by Creole communities whose traditions in music, language, and cuisine continue to thrive.

Tezeno’s process involves masterfully composing hand-painted, patterned papers and drawings into multidimensional scenes that capture the “sensory rhythms” of her roots—the energy of Zydeco music, the slapping of dominoes, and the shared nourishment of home-cooked meals. By assembling these fragments, Tezeno creates a site of celebration where “joy resounds,” inviting viewers to join in a sense of kinship and collective memory.

Body Memory: Reclaiming the Politics of the Gaze

While Tezeno celebrates the communal fabric of the past, the group exhibition Body Memory examines the physical form as a site of resilience and transformation.

This exhibition brings together a diverse group of artists—including Rebecca Campbell, Zackary Drucker, Hely Omar González, and James Williams II—working across drawing, photography, and mixed media. Body Memory proposes that seeing is never a passive act, but an embodied one shaped by power and history. At its center is the intervention of figurative art as a means of reclamation. By raising Black, Brown, queer, and vulnerable bodies to prominence, these artists refuse to let their subjects be reduced to stereotypes. Instead, they insist on complexity and interiority, redirecting the “politics of the gaze” toward recognition rather than consumption.

A Call to Gather and Reimagine

Though distinct in style, both exhibitions challenge viewers to think about how collective memory is formed and sustained. Whether through Tezeno’s vibrant depictions of Black American joy or the multidisciplinary strategies of the Body Memory artists, the works celebrate acts of transcendence and invite us to reimagining our shared futures.

Exhibition Details:

Social Media: @luisdejesuslosangeles

Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, is located in the downtown Los Angeles Arts District at 1110 Mateo Street, 90021

Both exhibitions run through August 15, 2026

Contact: 213-395-0762 | gallery@luisdejesus.com | Website