Jose Alvarez

Gavlak Los Angeles is pleased to present, The Promised Land, a solo exhibition of Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.) drawings of 28 ballpoint pen on paper portraits alongside an exuberant collage. This is Alvarez’ second presentation in Los Angeles and his fifth with the gallery. The portraits are of fellow detainees, made during Alvarez’ two-month detention at the Krome Detention Center in Miami, Florida in 2012. Though the drawings in his Krome series are in strong contrast to Alvarez’ oeuvre, they evoke a similar awareness - the ability to recognize our true selves in another human being.

As Alvarez notes, while much contemporary art today delves into the horrors of modern-day life, his work chooses to also explore the compassion, generosity, bravery, and immense creativity that exists in the world. Alvarez’s work connects with the thread of humanity that runs through each of us and creates a place where people can be transformed and restored through grappling with the conceptual, aesthetic and transformative power of art. Working in various mediums, such as works-on-paper, mineral crystal paintings, wall murals, and video works, Alvarez explores the intersection of mysticism, science, spirituality and the construction of belief systems all connect to the strong human desire for knowledge and transformation.

Born in Venezuela as Deyvi Orangel Peña Artega, a name he would later reclaim as D.O.P.A., Alvarez immigrated to the United States in the eighties to escape a life of persecution as a gay man. When Alvarez’s visa expired, the artist acquired false papers and assumed the name of Jose Alvarez. Under this name, he started his art career and performed alongside his partner The Amazing Randi – a magician well known for debunking the myth of psychics. In 2012, Alvarez was brought up on charges of identity theft, ultimately spending two months at Krome Detention Center.