Summer Bernal

Formas de Familia | Duo exhibition by Daniela Garcia and Hedy Torres

Exhibition on view thru April 16th | Gallery hours and appointment link below.

Closing reception: Saturday, April 16, 2022 1:00pm - 4:00pm

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When I was approached by Carlos Rittner to curate this exhibition I felt a strong connection to the idea but I didn’t know, at the time, that it would take on a whole new meaning. "Formas de Familia” was created and it took me on a journey that guided me towards my own upbringing and the history of my family.  Some of us are born from resilient people. We are our Mother’s daughters and our fathers too as well as their parents and generations past. It’s embedded in our DNA and in our bones.

So I sat with thoughts of what the show could be. At that time, I had this idea of having multiple artists in the exhibit but Hedy Torres and Daniela García were the two I had strongly connected with, and the pairing as a duo exhibition ended up making sense. The juxtaposition of these two artists from different but similar backgrounds, sharing visceral bodies of work and telling the stories of their upbringing and part of their parent’s stories of how they came to live in the U.S. The bodies of work are not only visually striking but they bring you back to the idea that oftentimes our similarities are greater than our differences.

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Come see and experience what it means to grow up in a city full of dreams as we carry and honor the history of our past and pave the way to a different future. We can only build a better way by acknowledging our past and committing to do better for ourselves, our families and friends, and those people we cross paths with.

One story,

One memory,

One moment at a time.

Daniela Garcia is a first-generation Mexican American artist. Originally from the Antelope Valley California, she spent her childhood living between the rural town of Lake Los Angeles (CA) and her fathers' hometown, Las Canas Guanajuato, Mexico. As a child she was constantly surrounded by immigrant culture, both the artist' parents were the first to immigrate to the United States in the 1980's. Dani works mainly in drawing and painting, creating work responding to her immersion within Mexican immigrant culture and her dual cultural identity. She was the first to pursue and receive a higher education in her family. She received her B.F.A. in Drawing and Painting from California State University Long Beach.

Dani received her start in the arts from her high school art teacher Bruce Harris, this led her to purse a teaching credential in Secondary Education to pass on the opportunity given to her. Dani is a strong believer in Arts Education and the importance of exposing students to artist of color as well as female artist and the potential to tell their story through art. She is currently teaching art at the High School level in Ventura County and continues to make work from her home studio.

Hedy Torres is a contemporary Mexican painter living in Los Angeles. She immigrated to the United States of America in 2006 and began studying Liberal Arts at Porterville College, then graduated in 2013 with an Associate Degree in Fine Arts. Hedy transferred to California State University, Northridge, and in 2015 received her Bachelor’s in Art with an Emphasis on Painting. In 2018, she obtained her Master’s in Art with an Emphasis in Drawing and Painting at California State University, Northridge. Immigration, human rights, homelessness, and social justice are themes present in her Art. Unfortunately, in June 2021, Hedy Torres lost most of her art pieces in a massive fire. Currently, she is focusing her Art to bring light to Street vendors from Los Angeles and various locations of Mexico.

Gallery Hours:

Wed & Thurs: 1:30–7pm | Saturday: 1–4pm

Or by appointment in the link below. Note: If you would like to schedule an appointment on a date/time that is not available, please e-mail Summer Bernal at: sb@summerbernal.com or text (323) 706-1053 and we can schedule an appointment.

Thank you for your support.