Strange Friends and Neighbors: Curated by Roger Herman

These are all good, strange artists who do not have much in common. Or maybe they do, in their individual, odd way. Many are somewhat related to the Black Dragon gallery in Chinatown. I started with only three and the list grew. I could have had more. But that’s where I stopped.

-Roger Herman

Heather Brown delves into modernist abstraction through an intuitive process of improvisation and layered revision. Known for her intricate interplay of form and surface, Brown often employs techniques such as masking, sanding, and reworking the canvas to reflect how past experiences shape present understanding. Her paintings embody a sense of ambiguity evoking dreamlike, abstract imagery that feels familiar yet elusive. “The language I have developed is filled with and emptied of meaning,” says the artist. “It is epic in proportion and utterly banal. Nightmarish, perfunctory, funny, and sometimes sweet.”

Heather Brown (born 1977 in Berkeley, CA, US; lives and works in Los Angeles, CA) holds an MFA from UCLA. She has had solo exhibitions at Five Car Garage, Santa Monica, CA, US; Alto Beta, Altadena, CA, US; Monte Vista Projects, Los Angeles, CA, US; Parker Jones, Los Angeles, CA, US; Carter & Citizen, Los Aneles, CA, US; and Black Dragon Society, Los Angeles, CA, US.

Edgar Bryan blends Classicism, Romanticism, and pop culture, offering introspective yet humorous reflections on the artist's role. Known for reimagining traditional still lifes and portraits, Bryan creates theatrical compositions that balance vulnerability with playful absurdity. His works incorporate the motif of the saddle, deconstructing traditional masculinity in domestic settings to invite viewers into themes of identity, failure, and introspection.

Edgar Bryan (born 1970 in Birmingham, Alabama) holds an MFA from UCLA. His work has been exhibited at M+B, Los Angeles, CA, US; Philip Martin Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, US; Regen Projects, Los Angeles, CA, US; Grifter, New York, NY, US; Pacific Design Center, Los Angeles, CA, US; Night Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, US; among others. His work can be found in the collections of the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo; and Museum der Morderne, Salzburg. Edgar Bryan lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.

Gerald Davis is known for his introspective and autobiographical work that is both familiar and unsettling, exploring themes of childhood trauma, sexuality, and memory. Often rendered in muted or monochromatic palettes, his paintings present unconventional reinterpretations of classical subjects, blurring the line between reality and dreamlike states. Davis’s process is marked by a deep interest in excavation—of both physical materials and of the psyche—offering a layered exploration of personal and universal human experiences.

Gerald Davis (born 1974 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; lives and works in Los Angeles, CA, US) holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute. Solo exhibitions include Lundgren Gallery, Mallorca, ES; La Loma Projects, Los Angeles, CA, US; LTD Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, US; Salon 94, New York, NY, US; Parker Jones Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, US; and Black Dragon Society, Los Angeles, CA, US; among others.

Charles Karubian creates paintings that are raw, contemplative explorations of human experience. His paintings merge figuration and abstraction, using light and scale to reflect on the messy complexities of life. Tending towards themes of desire, power, and the inevitability of change, loss, and finality, his work draws inspiration from both history and the unfolding banalities and dramas of the world around him.

Charles Karubian (born 1969, Los Angeles, CA, US; lives and works in Los Angeles, CA, US) holds an MFA from UCLA. He has had solo presentations at Future Fair, New York, NY, US; Jancar Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, US; Parker Jones, Los Angeles, CA, US; Suzie Q Projects/Galerie Bob van Orsouw, Zürich, CH; Galerie Patrick Ebensperger, Graz, AS; Black Dragon Society, New York and Los Angeles, CA, US; Aliceday, Brussels, BE; and Hayworth Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, US; among others.

Cyril Kuhn paints recurring figures and themes that trace back to his childhood obsessions. In his work, boxing legends, Victorian interiors, political figures, cats and cows, Roman busts, and William Morris wallpaper intertwine with symbols like ships and traditional masks from Swiss, Japanese, and African cultures. Each piece weaves these eclectic elements into a complex tapestry, reflecting his fascination with the mysterious connections between personal history and collective memory. His work often dialogues with that of his mother, Rosina Kuhn, and his grandmother, while also grounding itself in the unique textures of the Los Angeles landscape.

Cyril Kuhn (born 1970, Zürich, CH; lives and works in Los Angeles, CA, US) holds an MFA from California Institute of the Arts. Exhibitions include Jancar Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, US; Guggenheim Gallery at Chapman University, Orange, CA, US; Pacific Design Center, Los Angeles, CA, US; and Laguna Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA, US. 

Nick Lowe captures the dynamic, layered experience of Los Angeles, translating the frenetic energy of urban congestion into dense clusters of marks and abstract forms. His paintings and drawings emerge as condensed impressions of cityscapes, with chaotic arrangements that hint at traffic, graffiti, and architecture, all flattened onto the canvas to convey the intensity of movement and noise. Inspired by animation, graffiti, and observational urban scenes, Lowe’s works explore a balance between abstraction and familiarity, evoking the LA landscape’s restless pulse rather than its literal appearance. His layered compositions, often sanded down and reworked, suggest a complex dialogue between line, color, and texture that mirrors the city’s blend of constant motion and vivid stillness.

Nick Lowe (born 1980, San Jose, CA; lives and works in Los Angeles, CA) holds an MFA from University of California, Riverside. Solo presentations include Harper’s, Los Angeles, CA, US; Left Field Gallery, Los Osos, CA, US; Grice Bench, Los Angeles, CA, US; Richard Telles Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, US; Marc Jancou Contemporary, New York, NY, US; and Black Dragon Society, Los Angeles, CA, US; among others. His work is held in the collections of the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, and Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York.

Erik Otsea works between sculpture, photography, and painting. Otsea’s ceramics often take the form of household items like cups and plates, yet they evoke mechanical and anthropomorphic qualities, resembling automotive parts or ancient totems. Playful and inventive, Otsea integrates quasi-letter forms and whimsical titles in his work. His "petit machins"—small, enigmatic objects—exist in a space between the technical and the personal, drawing viewers into a rich dialogue between material and meaning. 

Erik Otsea (bron 1960 in Fullerton, CA, US; lives and works in Los Angeles, CA, US) holds an MFA from California Institute of the Arts. Solo exhibitions include council_st, Los Angeles, CA, US; Couvent San Francescu, Corsica, FR; Jan Kesner Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, US; Sue Spaid Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA, US; and the Guest Room, Los Angeles, CA, US; among others.

Christian Vargas creates structures and vessels reminiscent of ancient ruins unearthed from the landscape. Rooted in the present, Vargas explores his connection to California’s Central Valley through material, color and texture. His sculptures explore the tension between the sacred and the mundane, reimagining icons in materials like clay, plaster, cardboard and bronze. Often embellished with objects sourced from swap meets and estate sales, his works are layered with meaning and symbolism. 

Christian Vargas (born 1986 in Fresno, CA, US; lives and works in Fresno, CA, US) holds an MFA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN. Solo exhibitions include South Willard, Los Angeles, CA, US; and The Valley, Taos, NM, US.