A founding member of the Chicano art movement in Los Angeles, Gilbert “Magu” Lujan shares several of his famous and whimsical sculptures and two-dimensional works in Soy de Aquí. By emphasizing the car through humorous distortions of content, color and shape, Magu seeks to affirm the importance of the automobile as a cultural icon and multi-layered symbol of freedom. Magu’s cars are internationally known, and he has received numerous commissions from prominent sponsors, including the City of Los Angeles, for creation of permanent murals and installations. His expansive installation “Hooray for Hollywood” greets visitors to the famous corner of Hollywood and Vine every day. Magu is also featured in a traveling exhibition, Chicano Visions:American Painters on the Verge, currently on view at the Smithsonian Institution. The show’s five-year, 15-stop tour will include Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Installing "Heart Car" in the gallery

 

"Beyond Borders" acrylic over plaster

 

"Woody" wood and copper

 

"Heart Car" wood and acrylic