Hammer Edition: rafa esparza, <em>Untitled</em>, 2024

rafa esparzaCeramic tile, groutDimensions: 19.75 x 19.75 x 1 in.$8,500 In this new Hammer Benefit Edition, rafa esparza creates a work that brings together his blue ball point drawing practice and the traditional ceramic tiling technique known as azulejos. The work memorializes queer LA clubs that have been casualties of gentrification within the last 15 years. These clubs were historic institutions that left an indelible mark on queer communities of color. The image featured in this work, depicts a tender moment outside of the exterior facade of The Circus, the first queer club that rafa ever attended. The ball point pen drawings, an art form innovated by incarcerated artists in prison, is known as paño art. Additionally, the azulejos tiles are ceramic tiles widely considered to come from Portugal but actually have origins in Mesopotamia. The fired ceramic tiles were used to both adorn and protect mud dwellings from weather - relating to rafa’s adobe works. The tiles also have Chinese