A timely exhibition celebrating one of Los Angeles’s most groundbreaking artists

Exhibition dates: October 6, 2022 through February 25, 2023

ArtCenter Exhibitions is pleased to announce Victor Estrada: Purple Mexican, a survey of works by the Los Angeles-based artist, Victor Estrada. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Victor Estrada has produced paintings, drawings, sculptures and installations that deftly navigate the realms of pop and conceptual art. A consummate Angelino, his work is informed by the unique cultural landscape of the sprawling metropolis and the Southwest—1980s Los Angeles and South Bay punk rock; Chicano art, music and politics; the art collectives ASCO and Los Four; and the enduring socio-political ramifications surrounding the US/Mexico border. Estrada congeals this and more in his surreal forms, pushing the boundaries of abstraction while also teasing the viewer with eruptions and viscera of his own identity. His work challenges us as it upends prevalent systems of control, oozing its way into our collective consciousnesses as a byproduct of natural, chaotic and complex forms of subsistence in an illogical, hostile world.

The exhibition is accompanied by a 134-page, color-illustrated catalog, titled Purple Mexican: Victor Estrada (2022). Featuring an essay by Nikki Darling and an extended interview between Estrada and artist Vincent Ramos, among other texts, the catalog marks the first publication to focus solely on Victor Estrada’s work. The exhibition is curated by artist Marco Rios, with support from ArtCenter Exhibitions. Victor Estrada: Purple Mexican is made possible through a generous grant from the Pasadena Art Alliance.

Public Programs:
In Person Exhibition Walkthrough: Victor Estrada and Marco Rios
Saturday, October 22, 4 p.m.

In Conversation: Victor Estrada and Vincent Ramos (online)
Thursday, January 26, 7 p.m.
RSVP here.

Exhibition hours:
Wednesday through Saturday, 12 p.m. through 5 p.m.
ArtCenter is closed for holidays on November 11, November 24–27, and December 23–January 2, 20

Please contact exhibitions@artcenter.edu for further information.