STUDIO DDLA
“Queering dreams”
Opening june6th
Studio DDLA x Open Space Therapy Collective are proud to present “Queering Dreams,” a Pride Month art show celebrating the vibrant, imaginative, and diverse dreams of the LGBTQ+ community. The exhibition centers on a collective exploration of queer identity, hopes, and aspirations, featuring artworks that symbolize the power of dreams as a form of self-expression and liberation.
Artists were invited to contribute pieces that explore dreams in all their forms—from personal visions to conceptual interpretations. This show celebrates the idea that dreaming, as a tool of possibility and transformation, transcends boundaries and unites us all. Hosted at Studio DDLA, this exhibition aims to inspire open dialogues about identity, self-discovery, and the beauty of queer dreams through a variety of artistic mediums.
Meet The artists
Jillian Adel (she/her) is a Los Angeles-based multidisciplinary artist, poet and Hermetic practitioner whose work lives at the intersection of the mystical, the intimately personal, and the philosophical. Her work utilizes energetic and emotional landscapes, archetypes, and alchemical processes of death, rebirth, and ritual. She seeks to observe the far corners of the human condition, make the subconscious conscious, and discuss the unseen forces that move us.
For more, visit JillianAdel.com or follow at @JillianBAdel on Instagram or Threads.
Artist Rick Betancourt, from Tijuana, started painting at six, but was encouraged to take it seriously in college.
Inspired by surrealism, particularly Salvador Dalí, he tried recalling dreams through tricks, but music was the key. Falling asleep with a CD player on unlocked his subconscious, a method he still uses today.
His work blends dreams and reality, expressed through acrylic and oil.
“No darkness shall fear me other than my own”- Nitecrawlher
Raw and expressive, Nite Davies’s imagery breaches through the light, exploring the depths of conscious and subconscious matter of pain and the shadow self. A Los Angeles native, and creating since she was five years old, self taught artist, Nitecrawlher has poured her life experiences of darkness, pain, and sadness, into the canvas as a cathartic therapeutic approach. She uses her art to help raise mental health awareness, by turning pain into power, darkness into light. Toothbrushes, fingers, and sounds of industrial and goth, are among the oddities used to evoke the ritualist experience of channeling from within.
Mathilde Huron (b. 1988 La Garenne Colombes, France) is a visual artist from Paris, where she co-founded a design collective, as well as shot and co-produced short 16mm films as part of a residency at the Shakirail artists studios. Her movie “Soil” has been screened in Paris, Tokyo and Los Angeles, as well as featured by Autre Magazine. Her work explores motifs of loss and mutation, primarily through video and drawing. Now based in Los Angeles, she has worked as an art director for local progressive political campaigns, and is currently editing a documentary about a relative’s journey through the process of accessing assisted death in Belgium.
Renae Johnson’s work explores the emotional residue of memory and relationship—how people leave marks on us through presence, absence, and shared experience. As both a therapist and artist, Renae draws from the same source: the blurry, haunting, and beautiful traces of memory. Their fluid painting and sculptural practice invites viewers into an intuitive, nonverbal space where empathy and emotional truth take form.
Casey Kringlen is a queer artist and director living in Los Angeles, CA. His photographic work explores our collective queer history, beauty, and shame—creating images that spark conversation. Deeply personal, Casey’s work is inspired by his own societally injected shame and the subtle ways the psyche protects itself. He gravitates toward imagery that is sculptural, strange, vulnerable, and marked by an endearing oddity—art that invites both discomfort and loving reflection on connection.
Ernesto Martinez (he/they) currently lives and works in Los Angeles as a therapist and multimedia creative. They completed their MA in Clinical Psychology at Pepperdine University, and BA in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley. Ernesto is a ‘community taught artist’ who has developed skills through learning from various community-oriented artists in Los Angeles. They explore themes of bearing witness, connectedness, intergenerational healing, symbolic integration, ancestral knowledge, and the process of becoming ‘one part of a whole’.
Ché Roble Ochtli is a multimedia artist working across ceramics, fiber, printmaking, and photography. Rooted in their queer identity and ancestral Mexican heritage, they explore how material practices shape both personal and collective identities. Their work often embraces vivid color palettes, artisanal techniques, and celebrating cultural memory.
Kaitlyn Pietras (she/her, b. 1987, Jamestown, NY) is a queer, LA-based visual artist and grief worker with a background in stage design. Her practice lives at the intersection of grief, death, and art. Kaitlyn’s work has appeared on stages and in unexpected spaces across the U.S. and abroad—from the Metropolitan Opera to a parking garage in Detroit. Her current explorations involve alchemizing grief through the wisdom of the Jewish ancestral calendar, crafting ritual objects and visual materials inspired by each month. She is the Curator and Director of Programming at Studio DDLA. Instagram: @kaitlynpietras
Torii Wolf is a New York transplant now based in Los Angeles, creating safe space for others through a range of artistic mediums. Wolf’s primal, sensual style fosters intimacy and connection, whether through the visual or sonic realm.
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Studio DDLA
Nestled in the heart of Los Angeles’ Historic Chinatown, Studio DDLA stands as a pioneering space dedicated to death work in the United States.
As a cornerstone of Historic Chinatown, our studio continues the rich tradition of artistic expression that has thrived in this neighborhood since the late 1990s. Originating with the Black Dragon Society, a collective of Art Center College of Design students, this community has long been a hub for emerging artists and innovative galleries. With Studio DDLA, we honor this legacy by providing a platform for local artists and members of our vibrant death doula collective community to showcase their work.
Beyond our commitment to showcasing diverse artistic perspectives, Studio DDLA offers a versatile space for photographers, videographers, event organizers, and more. From immersive art exhibitions to dynamic multi-day events, our studio welcomes a range of creative endeavors.
For gallery use, screenings, photography, video shoots, retreats & other multi-day or closed events, please submit your proposal below. Rental pricing will be determined based on event application.
Questions can be directed to admin@deathdoulala.com.
Hours
by appointment only
Address
944 Chung King Rd
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Submit your proposal
This form is for gallery use, screenings, photography, video shoots, retreats & other multi-day or closed events.