This July, Leiminspace proudly presents Dolce Far Niente a solo exhibition of new works by Jheyda McGarrell. Curating the show is Sage Adams, co-founder and McGarrell’s fellow curator at Art Hoe Collective. The opening reception will take place from 7-10:30 pm on the evening of Saturday, July 7th at 443 Lei Min Way in Chinatown, Los Angeles. The show is open to the public until July 21st, 2-6 pm, Thursdays through Saturdays. All inquiries please email leiminspace@gmail.com

Dolce Far Niente is a coalescence of photographic work and installation that meditates nakedly on the sweetness in doing nothing. Dense with self-portraits and sprinkled with photos of friends, the exhibition presents photos which often depict one unitary subject, a simplicity that coaxes viewers into the hyperfocus of solitude. Lo-fi textures and moody hues echo the murkiness of the solitary subjective experience— a private space in which one can play, think, overthink, and escape. McGarrell’s images encourage viewers to flow mentally inward and then outward toward external reality. Family photos touch the exhibit with the warmth and safety of tradition; images of friends hanging out and lovers touching speak softly of the beauty of living amongst others. Virgin Marys, Durags and Crucifixes recur throughout the exhibit: familiar objects that let cultural contexts glimmer softly around the space without obtrusively claiming race. Angels with their faces and bodies painted black reaffirm this context as an active part of McGarrell's dialogue, but the history of oppression does not dominate the gestalt of the exhibition. Upstairs, fresh roses are left to wilt for the duration of the show, reminding viewers of the inevitability of entropy. In Dolce Far Niente, McGarrell does not envision a utopia free of oppression, instead they offer viewers proof of a lived experience oscillates harmoniously amid pain, love, oppression, joy and time