Don't miss these seven artists at Frieze Los Angeles

Frieze Los Angeles, the premiere art fair on America’s west coast, is returning for its sixth edition, running 20-23 February. The fair will see an impressive roster of over 100 galleries flock to the city, including an international cohort from over 20 countries, as well as local dealers showcasing the most coveted names in contemporary art. Transforming the grounds of the historic Santa Monica Airport with an exhibition space designed by Kulapat Yantrasast’s architectural studio WHY, the fair will also host an impressive presentation of site-specific installations curated by Art Production Fund that feature artists like Lita Albuquerque and Madeline Hollander exploring the culture and landscape of LA.

Frieze is taking place just over a month after the city faced some of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, devastating entire communities and claiming nearly 30 lives. Included among the thousands affected are dozens of artists who lost their homes and studios. Several local dealers, artists and museum leaders supported the return of Frieze and concurrent events like Felix Art Fair as part of an effort to foster the city’s revival. Frieze and other cultural institutions have also joined forces to launch the LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund, which raised over $12 million to support those impacted by the fires.

Organised in two sections–Galleries featuring seasoned dealers and Focus showcasing solo booths presented by ventures launched in or after 2013–the fair offers one of the best opportunities to discover leading names in art today.

Kelly Akashi

In the Galleries section, several booths stand out, including that of global powerhouse Lisson Gallery, which will bring works by several names on its roster, including Kelly Akashi. The artist, who creates stunning sculptures that combine materials like glass, bronze, rope and candles and often feature casts of hands and elements of the natural world, is one of several LA residents who lost their homes and studios during the wildfires. The gallery will also open a solo exhibition of Akashi’s work on February 20 at its West Hollywood location. As resilient as she is talented, Akashi has been working steadily to make new pieces for the show, as many were lost in the fire.

April Bey

A staple of the city’s art scene for over twenty years, Vielmetter Los Angeles is staging a solo booth of LA-based, Bahamian-American artist April Bey, whose multidisciplinary practice blends pop culture, social media and Afrofuturism to investigate colonial systems and constructs of race. Her vibrant, mixed-media figurative works on view will include We Will Not Apologize for Being the Universe; Our Own Constellation. Don’t You Know Light Lives in Dark Places Too?, 2024, a stunning portrait of four Black women made with jacquard woven textiles, sherpa blanket, giant clothespins and beads and spanning over 20-feet long.

“April’s fundamentally joyful vision of our collective future will be a welcome experience for our audience in this difficult and dark time,” Susanne Vielmetter tells Wallpaper*. Like other LA dealers, Vielmetter views the fair’s decision to move forward as crucial for the city. “The fires have shown us how fragile our world is and LA needs the support of the art world now more than ever,” she says. “Frieze has been the first and only fair that has brought a truly international audience to our city and we know that we can recover if this support continues.”

Rebecca Campbell

Also a pioneer of the local scene, L.A. Louver will present five LA artists, including Rebecca Campbell, whose oil paintings on view exemplify her thick, intense brushstrokes and range of subjects from dreamy portraits to dramatic landscapes. In its gallery in nearby Venice, L.A. Louver is reflecting on its own role in the creative growth of the city with a group show, “L.A. Louver Celebrates 50 Years: 1975 to Now,” on view through June 14.

Catherine Wagner

Nearby in Jessica Silverman’s booth, the San Francisco-based gallery will showcase a selection of new works by Sadie Barnette exploring politics, civil rights and the Black femme experience, including a graphite and coloured pencil drawing that reads “good people,” alongside pieces by Atsushi Kaga, Rose B. Simpson and Catherine Wagner, among others.

Shaniqwa Jarvis

For the Focus section, which affords younger businesses with the opportunity to exhibit at a subsidised rate, a promising selection of dealers stands out. Indeed, the section, which was curated for a second time by Essence Harden and sponsored by the luxury fashion brand Stone Island, often features breakout stars of the fair. This year, several local galleries shine for their noteworthy displays, including LA-based Sow & Tailor’s booth featuring Shaniqwa Jarvis, who creates mixed media works and photography that explore memory, identity and shared experiences. With stunning hues of fuchsia, the photographic collage I'm So Allergic, 2023 features portraits of a young child and images of flowers overlaid with a white, lacy pattern, altering the viewer’s perception and creating an ethereal air.

February James

Another highlight will be the nomadic Superposition Gallery, which is showing a curated solo booth of Washington, D.C.-based artist February James. Titled 'A Matter of Belief,' the display features raw portraits that consider systems of belief and are inspired by Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi’s “Butterfly Dream,” in which he dreamt that he was a butterfly and woke up to find himself still a man, leaving him unsure whether he’s a man dreaming of being a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming of being a man.

Helmut Lang

As always, with the influx of collectors and creatives in the city, local organizations are staging buzzworthy presentations to bring visitors through their doors. This year’s top draws includes 'What remains behind,' iconic artist Helmut Lang’s first solo institutional show in the city, which will fill the early modernist rooms of the Schindler House at the MAK Center for Art and Architecture with abstract steel sculptures.

Whether you come for the fair or the robust offerings around town, this year’s LA art week will undoubtedly be a testament to the vibrancy of the city’s creative community and a positive way to jumpstart its revival.

Frieze Los Angeles runs 20-23 February at the Santa Monica Airport