De Boer Gallery Presents Two Solo Exhibitions: Aaron Maier-Carretero and Julia Elise Hong
De boer Gallery in downtown Los Angeles is currently hosting two solo exhibitions, on view until February 15, 2025. Featuring new works by Aaron Maier-Carretero and Julia Elise Hong, these exhibitions explore themes of domesticity, identity, time, and human relationships through distinct yet complementary approaches to painting and sculpture.
Julia Elise Hong: Today
In Today, Julia Elise Hong presents a collection of oil paintings that meditate on presence, relational dynamics, and the passage of time. Hong’s creative process begins with canvases that match the dimensions of historical paintings, establishing a direct conversation between past and present. Without relying on photographic references, she employs intuitive brushstrokes that blend abstraction with figuration, revealing her subjects as if emerging from the paint itself.
Key works in the exhibition include Parallel (2024), Super Star (2025), and Young Man Seated Beside the Sea (2025), which reinterpret classical themes through a contemporary lens. Hong describes her paintings as abstract yet deeply figurative, capturing moments of fleeting connection and subjectivity. The opacity and flatness of her works create a unique interplay between distance and intimacy, mirroring the ephemeral nature of human relationships.
Hong’s approach to painting likens the act of looking to an intimate conversation—one that fluctuates between clarity and separation, presence and disappearance. Today is an invitation to contemplate time, perception, and the fluidity of personal experience.
Aaron Maier-Carretero: New Works
Aaron Maier-Carretero’s latest exhibition, New Works, presents a compelling selection of paintings and sculptures that delve into the complexities of daily life, personal narrative, and societal critique. Maier-Carretero’s work often balances humor and pathos, capturing the tension between the mundane and the profound.
A standout in the exhibition is his series of still-life paintings, including Still Life #23 (2024), an oil on canvas that transforms everyday objects into deeply resonant symbols. Also on view is a trio of sardine-themed paintings—Pink Sardines, Blue Sardines, and Green Sardines—which explore repetition and variation within a singular subject matter. The Scaredy-Cat series, consisting of paintings and a mixed-media sculpture, engages with themes of vulnerability and perception, inviting viewers to consider how emotions manifest visually.
Maier-Carretero’s sculptural works, such as Fish and Net Sculpture (2024), add a three-dimensional depth to his exploration of the domestic and the familiar, using materials that echo his painted subjects. His ability to expose the jarring yet poetic aspects of everyday life makes New Works a poignant and thought-provoking exhibition.
A Conversation Between Two Practices
Though distinct in style and execution, the works of Maier-Carretero and Hong share a deep engagement with memory, emotional resonance, and the subtleties of human existence. Where Maier-Carretero confronts domestic life with humor and critique, Hong’s paintings capture transient moments with poetic sensitivity. Together, these exhibitions offer a rich dialogue on the complexities of presence and perception in contemporary life.
New Works and Today will be on view at de boer Gallery through February 15, 2025, providing an opportunity for visitors to experience two compelling artistic visions in conversation.