The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (LAMAG) presents Danila Cervantes: Laberintos de huesos floreciendo, an inaugural exhibition for Los Angeles based-artist Danila Cervantes, curated by Arts Associate Jennifer Payan. Join us for our Opening Reception on Sunday, March 9, 2025, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Cervantes’s works explore the profound interconnectedness between humans, animals, and nature, drawing inspiration from life cycles and behavioral parallels across species. Themes of decay, transformation and renewal are central to the exhibition, offering a poetic meditation on existence and the ways life emerges from endings. The agave plant serves as a poignant metaphor; as it dies, it produces a towering stalk from its core—its corazón—flowering to ensure the continuation of life. Similarly, the xenophora shell, which adopts foreign objects for protection, reflects themes of adaptation, identity, and environment. Other works reference natural phenomena like whale falls, where the lifeless body of a giant becomes a thriving
habitat for deep-sea communities, and volcanic landscapes, where destruction gives way to fertile new beginnings. Infused with personal narratives, they examine cycles through their border identity, queerness, and familial connections, grounding their vision in the interconnectedness of all living things. Through rich symbolism—their imagery conveys movement, transition, and a sense of belonging in flux. The works suggest surrendering to nature’s cycles, embracing decay as a portal to growth, and finding home not in a single place but in a perpetual state of transformation.
The exhibitions open March 6, 2025, through May 18, 2025.
