Name: KARLA DIAZ: Mal de Ojo
Start: 2025-09-13T10:00:00-07:00
End: 2025-10-25T18:00:00-07:00
Location: Luis De Jesus Los Angeles

Luis De Jesus Los Angeles is pleased to announce Karla Diaz: Mal de Ojo (Evil Eye) a series of vibrant self-portraits on view in Gallery 3 from September 13 to October 25 2025. An opening reception will be held Saturday September 13 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Karla Diaz: Mal de Ojo presents a series of self-portraits that delve into the many facets of her identity from familial bonds and cultural heritage to her alter egos and with them her fears hopes and dreams. Employing watercolor on paper and acrylic on canvas the artist transforms the genre of self-portraiture into a powerful space of storytelling and collective memory—an invitation to see identity as both deeply individual and inherently shared.
Known for her kaleidoscopic storytelling and richly layered compositions that blend Mexican and American vernacular and pop cultural influences Diaz continues to expand her exploration of the complexities of identity. The exhibition’s title Mal de Ojo (Evil Eye) references a cross-cultural superstition of a malicious gaze believed to bring harm or misfortune. Diaz reinterprets this folklore as a need for both self and communal protection. Through surreal dreamlike imagery and a vibrant color palette she reflects on the power of vulnerability introspection and the shared strength of community.
Diaz’s self-portraits depict more than just herself or state of being; her choices of color clothing objects and backgrounds chronicle a collective unconscious shaped by cultural iconography humor superstition familial traditions current affairs and a myriad of dynamics that shape Latinx experiences. While evoking cheerfulness and joy with vivid washes of color Diaz also invites deeper reflection. Her work challenges viewers to consider how we see ourselves how we see one another and the delicate lines connecting the personal social and political.
Karla Diaz (b. 1976 Los Angeles) lives and works in Los Angeles. She received her MFA from the California Institute of the Arts in 2003 and a BA from California State University Los Angeles in 1999. Diaz is a co-founder alongside Mario Ybarra Jr. of the collective and community artist space Slanguage in Wilmington CA. Diaz’s works (including Slanguage) have been exhibited nationally and internationally at the 18th Street Art Center Santa Monica CA; the Hammer Museum Los Angeles CA; Los Angeles County Museum of Art CA; Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles CA; Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego LAXART Hollywood CA; Pitzer College Claremont CA; California State University Los Angeles CA; San Jose Museum of Art CA; Institute for Contemporary Art Boston MA; Hyde Park Art Center Chicago IL; Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit MI; the Serpentine Gallery London U.K.; and Museo Casa de Cervantes Madrid Spain. Her work is in the collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Los Angeles CA; Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego CA; Dallas Museum of Art Dallas TX; Perez Art Museum Miami FL; and Inhotim Museum Brumadinho Brazil. She has received numerous grants and awards including those from The Latinx Project New York NY; Art Matters New York NY; Tiffany Foundation New York NY; City of Los Angeles CA; Riverside Art Museum CA; and CalArts Los Angeles CA.