‘Do It! (Bad Decisions Are Contagious)’ Spraypaint + acrylic paint + charcoal on canvas
HERAKUT’s new solo show “Masters of Wrong” opens this Saturday at the Corey Helford Gallery in downtown Los Angeles. Featuring over 20 paintings, the exhibit includes some installations that incorporate works created onsite.
The duo, consisting of HERA (Jasmin Siddiqui) and AKUT (Falk Lehman), have been working together and travelling the world since they merged names and styles nearly 12 years ago.
Self-proclaimed ‘storytellers’, their work – which can be found in every continent – represents a dialogue, not only with the public, but also among themselves. They create imaginary worlds and inspiring characters that bring beauty and optimism where there is darkness. Combining HERA’s beautiful gestural strokes with AKUT’s photorealistic skills, each piece is enriched by text, allowing the viewer the immediate opportunity to absorb the narrative and become involved with it.
One of the main motifs in HERAKUT’s art are the social and political themes aiming to “draw attention towards problematic social issues, personal ones or those of global scale”, but always with a positive outcome. This becomes evident when we consider their involvement with a variety of charity organisations around the world and their work with children in schools and youth programs. It is this social commitment and extraordinary talent that has made them known and appreciated in almost every corner of the world, being also visible in every piece of the show.
‘I Could Sit With You Forever’ Spraypaint + acrylic paint + charcoal on canvas
‘I Know How, Just Don´t Know Why’ Spraypaint + acrylic paint + charcoal on canvas
‘It Must Really Suck…’ Spraypaint + acrylic paint + charcoal on canvas
‘Masters of Wrong’ Spraypaint + acrylic paint + charcoal on canvas
‘Who Is Too Blame’ Spraypaint + acrylic paint + charcoal on canvas
In addition to the preparations for their “Masters of Wrong” show, HERAKUT spent a few days painting a couple of murals, one in collaboration with the art program at Culver City High School and painted on campus, and the second, painted on the exterior wall of Corey Helford Gallery’ as part of the exhibition. Again, their sosial consciousness and existentialist approach to art becomes evident through their storytelling where contrasts between the good and the evil, beauty and ugliness teaches us a lesson of life.
‘Masters of Wrong’ opens Saturday, March 26 from 7:00-11:00 PM at the gallery located at 571 South Anderson Street in downtown Los Angeles and will remain on display through Wednesday, April 20.
Many thanks to Corey Helford Gallery for the images.
Herakut at Culver City High School. Photo © Eric Minh Swenson
Herakut at Corey Helford Gallery in Downtown Los Angeles. Photo © Herakut
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