Los Angeles Art Association is proud to present DUETS, a special collaborative exhibition opening at Gallery 825 on March 1, 2025. In addition to DUETS, LAAA will also present solo exhibitions by Suzanne Edmonson, Linda Kunik and Kuniko Ruch.

DUETS invited LAAA artists to collaborate with randomly selected partners, combining their unique talents and perspectives to create innovative, all-media artworks. In an era marked by division, DUETS celebrates creative collaboration as a catalyst for change, showcasing the transformative power of teamwork. Each pair’s artistic synergy symbolizes the broader social necessity of cooperation and dialogue, fostering empathy and collective progress. Juried by the Feminist Image Group (FIG) from San Diego, known for organizing impactful multimedia exhibitions that amplify underrepresented voices, DUETS challenges traditional norms and redefines artistic expression. All works will be featured online, with a portion curated for the in-person exhibit at Gallery 825.

DUETS Participating Artists Include:
Adeola Davies-Aiyeloja + Richard Hutman
Aleka Corwin + Nancy Mills
Alison Hyman + Tama Takahashi
Andy England + Emily Goff
Anne Bedrick + Debra Vodhanel
Barry Jackson + Elyse Wyman
Brenda Welsh + Maryam Najvan
Brianna Young + Gwen Freeman
Caitlyn Baidas + Crystal McDonald
Cameron Stephens + Susan Springer Anderson
Carlos Batchelor + Elizabeth Gorcey
Deborah Ianino + Lianne Goldsmith
Diane McLeod + Lorien Suarez
Elizabeth Janss + Lorraine Triolo
Erik Koelle + Scott Young
Faina Kumpan, Karen Hochman Brown + Liberty Worth
Francisco Alvarado + Mark Indig
Gina M + SameSource
Glenn Grubbs + Maria Bjorkdahl
Joanne Chase Matillo + Olga Volk
Julienne Johnson + Somaya Etemad
Kevin Hughes + Suzette Belouin
Meghan DeRoma + Seda Saar

Suzanne Edmonson’s exhibit Faerie Tales: The Secret Life of Animals is an invitation into a whimsical world where the ordinary meets the extraordinary. Edmonson draws inspiration from everyday scenes and animals, reimagining them through bold colors, floating objects, and a flight of imagination that reveals their hidden personalities and desires. Each animal is painted in oil with striking realism, yet their surroundings, attire, and aspirations take on a fantastical twist—offering a glimpse into the secret lives they might lead if given the chance. A deep love for animals fuels Suzanne’s artistic vision as she uncovers the many layers of their personalities and emotions. Their expressive eyes, captured with remarkable detail, invite genuine eye contact, drawing viewers into their world and creating an intimate connection. In pieces like Portal, a simple cat tucked in a dresser drawer space becomes much more—an entryway to an entirely different world, much like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. What appears to be a familiar reality is merely a threshold; beyond it lies an unseen life, rich with adventure and possibility. This collection explores the ways animals might see themselves, their place in society, and the boundless dreams they may secretly harbor.

Linda Kunik’s solo exhibition RAW BEAUTY, What has been given is now taken, the artist  manipulates photography both perceptually and physically through three series of photo based artworks.The first set of photographs are archival pigment prints on Slickrock with laminate that produce a synthetic dimensionality where none exists, sometimes appearing representational, other times abstracted. The second set features an emulsion process, where Kunik hand-separates an ink emulsion image from its original support in a liquid bath, making the image movable and translucent-taking on a life of its own. The third set creates a 3-D installation of the forest after a major fire, inviting you to use your imagination to explore a transformed place. Raw Beauty explores the aftermath of a forest fire in Sequoia National Forest in October, 2021. Kunik discovered burnt, lifeless tree trunks, the holes where roots still smoldered, and white ash and cinders covering the land. Taking photographs from afar and up close, changed the way Kunik looked at the forest-the boundary between representational and abstract fell away.

Kuniko Ruch’s exhibit Observation Meets Revelation is an exploration of particular people and places that have been paid little attention in our busy, light speed modern life. Before digesting old information, Ruch finds new ones waiting for her investigation. Ruch takes a camera to these places for documenting and recording purposes before transforming the scenes into paintings. The artist views every person and place is quite complex, nuanced and never simple. Once a cityscape is complete the particular location becomes very personal to the artist and later the viewer. 

When: March 1 - 28, 2025
Reception: January 18, 2025, 10am - 5pm
Where: Gallery 825, 
825 N. La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90069

Admission: By appointment only.