La Luz de Jesus has always been one of the great leaders and originators of the lowbrow tradition that our own publication is so connected with. There's a kinship. We were excited, then, to see that our friend Calvin Wong was showing new ceramic works in Manifest, alongside the works of BIJIJOO, Emily Casares, and Skyler Simpson. All the works in the show have stream of consciousness style to them, from cartoons to comics, portraits to the surreal.
The Manifest exhibition takes the viewer on a journey through the execution of a thought pattern. Wide-eyed amoebas, facial features on man-made objects, appropriation of the human form, and rich color environments offer archetypes for esoteric feelings. This exhibition encourages nonverbal cues and questions the importance of a comfort level.