SoCal Street Culture Exhibition at Harris Art Gallery

Made You Look: When Art Demands Your Attention

Step into a world where each piece tells a story, but not in the way you’d expect. Made You Look, curated by Gajin Fujita, isn’t just an art exhibition. It’s an experience designed to capture your gaze and challenge your perception. Amid a sea of conventional beauty, this exhibit demands that visitors question not only what they see but how they see it. With each turn, the art seems to come alive, urging you to engage, reflect, and ultimately, never look away.

The Harris Art Gallery at the University of La Verne buzzed with creativity, color, and camaraderie as it hosted this week’s opening reception. The event was more than a simple introduction; it was a reunion. Ten SoCal artists and  curator came together to reconnect over shared roots, graffiti art styles, and creative journeys, filling the space with energy and nostalgia.

The mission of the Harris Art Gallery reflects the university’s commitment to diversity and quality in education. The gallery develops outstanding contemporary art exhibitions for the campus, La Verne and surrounding communities, providing students with access to the wider art world while encouraging engagement with diverse ideas through artistic expression.

Defer, Cryptik, and Jose “Prime” Reza’s works are a feast for the eyes—bold, intricate, and alive with movement. Their detailed marks and symbols pulse with rhythm, capturing the meditative essence of street art. Spiraling, shimmering, and interlocking compositions showcase their technical mastery and creative flow.

Gregory Bojorquez, Alfonso Gonzalez Jr., and Carlos “Kopy” Talavera capture Los Angeles from their unique perspectives. Bojorquez’s photographs document raw emotions in Boyle Heights and iconic urban scenes. Gonzalez Jr.’s paintings, inspired by cityscapes and freeway construction, highlight LA’s changing face. Talavera’s nature-meets-city stop sign paintings evoke the layered intersections of urban life.

Jesse Simon and Nehemiah Cisneros share personal stories and symbolic worlds. Simon transforms old surfboards into a tableau that blends beach culture with personal history. Cisneros’ vivid, dreamlike scenes are filled with symbolic characters and layered meanings.

Color and texture come alive through Robert Acuña and Ruben Ochoa’s explorations of form and material. Acuña’s metallic, lowrider-inspired abstracts shimmer with style and structure, while Ochoa’s textured canvases and rusted, bronze tortilla sculptures evoke an urban aesthetic, where decay and heritage intersect to celebrate family traditions and the beauty of imperfection.

Up next, the Harris Art Gallery will shine a spotlight on student talent in the upcoming