The Californer - Eastern Projects Presents: Ernesto de la Loza "LA Real"

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This is a landmark show, Ernesto de la Loza is one of Los Angeles' most influential and underrecognized muralists, and LA Real offers an unfiltered look at the cultural, political, and personal landscapes that have shaped his work and the city.

LOS ANGELES - Californer -- Eastern Projects Gallery is honored to present "LA Real," the first retrospective survey of work by veteran Chicano muralist and painter Ernesto de la Loza at Eastern Projects. Curated by his sister, Sandra de la Loza, this landmark exhibition features a wide range of paintings—both small- and large-scale—alongside ephemera and archival materials that trace de la Loza's nearly five-decade-long artistic journey.

A lifelong resident of Los Angeles, Ernesto de la Loza has served as both a witness to and participant in the city's ever-unfolding story. His work reflects the tectonic cultural shifts, political movements, and diverse landscapes that have shaped Los Angeles. Through a singular and evolving body of work, he captures the city's layered histories—interweaving its complexities, aesthetic traditions, and the beauty and tragedy of its sunny facades and shadowed realities. From public murals rooted in civil rights and environmental justice to intimate plein air studies of Echo Park and gold-leafed portraits of "fallen angels," de la Loza's work spans movements, media, and generations.

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"LA Real" features murals, letter-based art, portraiture, and plein air paintings that leap across time, mythologies, and cultural lexicons—each as expansive, dynamic, and unruly as Los Angeles itself. His serene Echo Park lake scenes are juxtaposed with haunting depictions of wildfires and glowing sunsets. These images sit beside portraits of everyday Angelenos and larger-than-life cultural figures, capturing fleeting moments of resilience, beauty, and struggle. Paintings such as Collapse of the Empire, American Icon, and L.A. Patrona reflect de la Loza's distinctive blend of realism, symbolism, and deep community engagement. Whether channeling the spirit of Ruben Salazar or responding to the complexities of changing neighborhoods (Attack of the 50 ft. Churro Lady), his visual language is at once grounded, visionary, and culturally charged. The exhibition also includes works from his Echo Park plein air series, multi-panel paintings that explore themes of community, justice, and cultural identity, as well as mural documentation that speaks to his lifelong commitment to public art and civic expression.

https://www.easternprojectsgallery.com/