Step 1: Identify opens June 8, 2022 at TAG Gallery, 5458 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036. TAG is open 1pm-7pm, Wed-Sun
“Leah Knecht is one of those rare creators who combine immense technical skills with a strong vision, therefore making objects both meaningful and exquisitely wrought.” -- Break The Painting—The Subversive Riddles of Leah Knecht by Toti O’ Brien
In this exhibit, Knecht grapples with issues of racial, cultural, and sexual identity, including being bi-racial and the conflicting forces at play. The art is somewhat experiential, as she employs depth, shadows, and projections in this series. Some works are more akin to wall sculptures, and others appear flat at first glance, but have layers of fragments embedded in resin beneath the surface. Vintage window frames form the structure for several pieces, with hand-painted sections, colored resin and film, and various objects and ephemera. The bright colors and graphic sensibility are a nod to Japanese art, packaging and design.
Identify refers to both personal and group identity, and identifying problems that exist, which is the first step in resolution. This is Knecht’s most personal work, evolving from her solo show “Equal Justice Under Law,” at the Ontario Museum of Art and History, which ran concurrently with an exhibit on the Tule Lake incarceration of Japanese Americans, and the recent increase in anti-Asian hate in this country.
About the Artist: Leah Knecht, based in Pasadena, CA, came from a centuries-old lineage of Japanese artists. She was therefore exposed to the arts since childhood, and influenced by diverse art from Japan, Mexico, Africa, and Europe. After graduating college, Knecht worked in creative careers, while refining her own fine art practice.
About the Gallery: TAG is a fine art gallery located on Museum Row in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1993, the gallery represents award-winning contemporary Southern California artists working in all mediums and styles.
