Open Mind Art Space is honored to present "Love and Peace in L.A.", a solo exhibition of new paintings and a permanent outdoor mural by New York artist Chris Riggs. A reception for the artist will be held on Saturday, January 26th from 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM, with a mural reveal ceremony starting at 8:30 PM. The exhibition will be on view from January 26th through February 23rd, 2019.

"Love and Peace in L.A." will be Riggs’ first solo exhibition in Los Angeles. The show will feature Riggs’ newest paintings from his ongoing Love and Flower series, which he began in 1988 as an effort to promote world peace through his street art and contemporary paintings. Riggs’ works juxtapose the grit of street art with the affirmation of the hippie counter-culture Flower Power movement that emerged in the late 1960’s as a reaction to the Vietnam war, whose members advocated for non-violent political activism, coining the popular slogan, “Make love, not war.” Riggs’ vibrant paintings are layered with the word “love” written repeatedly throughout each canvas and intertwined with flower, heart, and peace sign motifs, similar to the archetypal symbols used by Flower Power hippies to promote love and peace. The paintings serve as positive visual mantras that encourage people to practice compassion and kindness, which Riggs believes is vital to a more peaceful world.

Open Mind Art Space has offered its rear exterior wall for the artist to paint a permanent mural as part of his ongoing global street art tour and mission to share his uplifting message. The mural will be painted in the same graphic style as the paintings in his solo exhibition with Open Mind Art Space, and will be certified as an Original Art Mural with the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. The gallery hopes the mural will be a colorful addition to the neighborhood and inspire more public art to be made accessible to the local community.

Chris Riggs (b. 1973) is an international contemporary artist based in New York and Miami. He is known for his colorful graffiti murals and abstract paintings. Riggs studied painting and political science at the City College of New York and Columbia University, which influenced his art practice dedicated to social justice and activism. Riggs’ works are inspired by New York City street art of the 1980’s and the iconic street artists of that era such as Keith Herring and Jean-Michael Basquiat. His public murals can be seen in major cities throughout the United States, Europe and Asia, and his paintings are in museums, galleries and private collections worldwide.