#United States #Contemporary Art #West Hollywood #MASH Gallery #By Hand & By Heart

MASH Gallery’s Summer Exhibition: By Hand & By Heart

MASH Gallery in West Hollywood is set to spotlight creativity and craftsmanship through its latest group exhibition, By Hand & By Heart, which opens on July 25, 2026. This summer showcase unites the visions of eight talented artists—each expressing their individual styles across various media, including painting, mixed media, fiber, and sculptural installations. Unlike conventional showcases that often celebrate style, this collection emphasizes the process of creation, demonstrating how the act of making is integral to the work itself.

The exhibition challenges traditional notions associated with specific mediums, responding to an art world increasingly saturated by digital and automated creations. Here, the handmade gains significance, inviting audiences to reflect not just on artistic outcomes but on the labor, discipline, and intuition embedded in each piece. The artists featured in By Hand & By Heart—Tina Bluefield, Anthony Liggins, Christy Hopkins, Diane Holland, Thomas Piekunka, Aaron Sheppard, Haleh Mashian, and Belén Senra—are noted for their distinct approaches that defy material constraints, exploring what art can be rather than what it should be.

Artists at a Glance

• - Tina Bluefield (California) finds inspiration in renowned artists like Agnes Martin and Richard Diebenkorn. Her works utilize hard-edge oil techniques, transforming color into atmospheric experiences. The structured grids she employs enable a mesmerizing absorption into the color, inviting viewers into a vivid spatial experience rather than just observing a painting.

• - Anthony Liggins (Miami) channels the influence of Abstract Expressionism infused with musical rhythms and cultural legacies from the African diaspora. His vibrant canvases are characterized by layered gestures and evocative color fields that evoke emotional and spiritual journeys, challenging the stereotype of austerity in serious art-making by cultivating joy through his work.

• - Christy Hopkins (Seattle) carries on the legacy of Joan Mitchell, layering acrylic paints on expansive canvases without predetermined intentions. Her process, where each layer reacts to its predecessor, results in rich and dynamic surfaces that embody emotions rather than merely representing them.

• - Diane Holland (San Francisco) combines the essence of Pop Art with poignant social messages. Her installations, employing paint, photo, and collage, create dense narratives that preserve historical artifacts while making bold artistic statements, thus redefining cultural expressions through her art.

• - Thomas Piekunka (Los Angeles) revolutionizes traditional painting by questioning the limitations of the canvas itself. His innovative methods suspend paint in three-dimensional spaces, creating an artistic form that escapes conventional definitions and resonates with contemporary dialogues.

• - Aaron Sheppard (Joshua Tree, CA) fuses multiple influences into raw and visceral assemblages that confront viewers with their complexities. His artworks explore identity and desire, forcing an engagement with the body as a battleground of ideas and representation.

• - Belén Senra (Spain) connects with historical fiber arts, crafting large-scale installations that merge artistic intentions with organic materials. Her works engage the tactile nature of fibers and challenge the distinctions between art and craft, emphasizing emotional resonance across cultures.

• - Haleh Mashian (Los Angeles), the gallery’s founder, engages in Contemporary Abstract Expressionism that blurs the boundaries between painting and sculpture. By layering texture and form, she creates pieces that communicate themes of resilience and metamorphosis, elevating materiality to serve a conceptual foundation.

Exhibition Details

Visitors to MASH Gallery are encouraged to immerse themselves in this innovative exhibition from July 25 to August 29, 2026. Located at 812 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, the gallery welcomes art enthusiasts Tuesday through Saturday from 11 AM to 5 PM, with appointments available for personalized visits. More information can be accessed via their official website or by phone at (323) 272-3235.

In a world dominated by digital interfaces, By Hand & By Heart reaffirms that authentic creativity often emerges from the touch of the hand, resonating deeply with viewers and elevating the role of the artist’s labor in contemporary art today.