04/01/2022
Simchowitz DTLA
Julio Rizhi &
Takunda Regis Billiat
On view 03/24 -> 04/14
725 East Washington Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90021
By appointment: [email protected]
Simchowitz is pleased to present the inaugural exhibition at its new project space, Simchowitz DTLA. Featuring artists Julio Rizhi and Takunda Regis Billiat, the exhibition will be on view from March 24–April 14, 2022, with an opening reception on March 24th from 11am to 2pm.
Simchowitz DTLA is a dynamic new programmatic space and extension of Simchowitz Gallery (located at 8255 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048) that will fluctuate between exhibition, residency, and studio space, housing artists and innovative projects on a rotating basis.
The exhibition features two emerging Zimbabwean artists whose practices employ the use of found, discarded, and industrial materials to make effecting sculptural works seeped in socio-political commentary. Julio Rizhi utilizes brightly colored melted plastic on mesh wire to create alluring pieces that have the effect of mystical scales and fur. Through his work Rizhi explores the connections between consumption and waste through the socio-ethical prism of contemporary Zimbabwe.
The works of Takunda Regis Billiat’s featured in the exhibition similarly recast found objects–cow horns, strips of fabric, and wire–into haunting pieces with an animalistic quality as horns and claws take form into uncanny, twisted shapes. Evident in his titling, the works explore the role of Christianity as a social construct, and the rise of charismatic churches in Zimbabwe, and their history of exploitation.
Launching the gallery’s second space in Los Angeles with this exciting exhibition, highlights Simchowitz’s long- standing commitment to collecting, supporting, and showcasing contemporary African art.
