Omid Mokri

April 10 - May 13, 2021
961 Chung King Road, Los Angeles CA 90012

Huma House is pleased to present paintings and works on paper by Omid Mokri. Curated from a body of work made during an intense period of two years while he was incarcerated. The selection centers on humanizing those who are dehumanized by the prison system, and uses vignettes of religious history to counter cultural rhetoric.

During this incredibly challenging period, Omid foraged for materials through clandestine efforts to create a visionary body of work. He created paintbrushes from plastic spoons and hair, pigment from crushed colored pencils and floor wax, and used tea and milk to treat the canvases. With these minimal supplies, he produced expansive paintings with exquisite jewel like details and technical skill learned from his time in Tehran, painting Persian masterworks fo the Qajar period. In the portraits he took individuals out of their prison uniforms and into the robes of kings or biblical figures to reflect their true incandescent power. Woven in the fabric are deep themes of anguish, hope, and ultimately - resilience.