KARLA DIAZ
Born 1976, Los Angeles, CA
Lives and works in Los Angeles, CA
EDUCATION
2003 MFA, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA
1999 BA, California State University LA, Los Angeles, CA
1998 Hunter College, New York, NY
1994 CSSSA Grant Award
1993 CSSSA Grant Award
SELECTED SOLO & GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021 Karla Diaz: Insomnia, Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
2018 Prison Narratives, Pitzer College Art Gallery, Claremont, CA
Unfamiliar Family, Los Angeles CA
2016 Mini Art Museum, LAXART, Hollywood, CA
2015 To Live and Dine in L.A., Prison Gourmet installation, Los Angeles Public Library, Los Angeles, CA
2013 Psychic Outlaws, Cal State University Los Angeles gallery, Los Angeles, CA
The Past is Present, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Detroit, MI
Around The Table: Food, Creativity, and Community, San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA
2012 Los Angeles Biennial: Made in L.A, organized by the Hammer Museum in collaboration with LAXART, Los Angeles, CA
West is More, curated by Veronica Martinez, Los Angeles, CA
2011 Bucket Brigade: Hip Hop Opera, Sur Biennial, curated by Robert Miller, Los Angeles, CA
Possible Worlds: Mario Ybarra Jr., Karla Diaz, and Slanguage Studio Select from the Permanent Collections, LACMA, Los Angeles, CA
2010 Invisible Cities, curated by Kris Kuramitsu and Christopher Miles, Madrid, Spain
Let Them Eat This!, “Prison Gourmet” curated by Fallen Fruit, LACMA, Los Angeles, CA
2009 Engagement Party Series, Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Los Angeles, CA
Slanguage this!, Institute for Contemporary Art, Boston, MA
2008 Zero One Biennial, Space 47 Gallery, San Jose, CA
2007 Prague Biennial 3, Prague, Czech Republic
2006 California Biennial, Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach, CA
Police and Thieves, curated by Jens Hoffman, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL
2005 Uncertain States of America, curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Daniel Birnbaum, and Gunnar B. Kvaran, Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo, Norway, traveling to Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, New York; Serpentine Gallery, London, UK; Moscow Biennale, Moscow, Russia; CCA Warsaw, Poland; Le Musee de Serignan, Serignan, France; Galerie Rudolfinum, Prague, Czech Republic; and Songzhuan Art Centre, Beijing, China
SELECTED PROJECTS/PERFORMANCES
2016 “Prison Gourmet” the Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art, Rancho Cucamonga, CA
2015 “Fearless! (Except When Riding a Rollercoaster), Pasadena, CA
2014 Box And Draw, Honor Fraser Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2013 “Thumb Wrestling” Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA
“My Immigrant” Santa Ana CA, Dia Del Nino, in collaboration with C.H.I. R. L. A (Coalition for Human Immigrants Rights Los Angeles), Los Angeles, CA
World’s Worst Words, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, Los Angeles, CA
2012 “My L.A.” and “Artists Anonymous” performances for Made in L.A. Biennial, Los Angeles, CA
Actions Speak Louder than Talk, Creative Time, New York, NY
2011 “Bucket Brigade: Hip Hop Opera” performance and multimedia installation, part of Sur Biennial, Cerritos College, Los Angeles, CA
“…like a cow visiting a butcher shop” performance ARCO Fair, Madrid Spain
2010 “Prison Gourmet,” Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Los Angeles, CA
2009 Dislexicon: A word Performance, Engagement Party, MOCA, Los Angeles, CA
“Where I’m From” part of Performing Economies, Los Angeles, CA
2008 Zero One Biennial, Space 47 Gallery, San Jose, CA
2006 “The Peacock Doesn’t See His Own Ass: Let’s Twitch Again! Operation Birdwatching London”, Serpentine Gallery, London, U.K. performance/new Installation part of the Uncertain States Traveling Exhibition.
1995 Poetic Action, diverse Los Angeles locations, series of curated artist poetry readings, CA
SELECTED RESIDENCIES
2018 Montalvo Arts, Los Gatos, CA
2017 New Comb Art Museum, New Orleans, LA
2015 18th Street Art Center, Santa Monica, CA
Pasadena City College, Pasadena, CA
Art Matters, New York, NY
2014 Los Angeles Public Art Grant, Residency at William Grant Still Center, Los Angeles, CA
Asian Cultural Grant, research residency, Tokyo Japan
2013 Artist Curatorial Residency, Hyde Park Center, Chicago, IL
FDR Art Residency, Torino, Italy,
2012 Made In L.A. Biennial, LAXART/Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2011 Encuentro Medellin 2011, Medellin Colombia
2010 Engagement Party Series, Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles, CA
2007 Montalvo Arts Residency, Los Gatos, CA
SELECTED AWARDS AND GRANTS
2015 Art Matters, New York, NY
2012 Curatorial Arts Grant, Riverside Art Museum, CA
2013 Tiffany Foundation, New York, NY
City of Los Angeles, Great Latina Women Artists award, Los Angeles, CA
2008 Prague Biennial 3 Award, Czech Republic (traveling exhibition grant)
The Garage, San Diego, CA
2001 CalArts James Irvine Institutional Grant, Los Angeles, CA
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2017 Prison Gourmet, Times, New Orleans, CA
2010 Prison Gourmet, Los Angeles, CA
2013 Engagement Party: Social Practice at MOCA (2008-2012) Exhibition Catalogue, MOCA, Los Angeles, CA
2012 Made In L.A. Biennial Exhibition Catalogue, Los Angeles, CA
The Tío Collection, Oxnard: Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum
2005 Uncertain States of America, Oslo: Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art
2007 Exchange, edited by Tsatsos, Irene Millard Sheets Gallery, CA
2006 Cuban Biennale, “Trafficking Poetry” Los Angeles, CA
2005 PCH Club, Santa Monica, CA
2002 Democracy When?, curated by Tone O. Nielson, Los Angeles: Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, Los Angeles, CA
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2019 “Call and Response Transcends Generations,” Random Length News, Los Angeles.
2017 Prison Food. The Times. New Orleans.
2016 Pardes, Arielle. “The Art of Gourmet Cooking in Prison.” VICE, Venice, CA.
Buckley, Annie. “Prison Gourmet.” Radical Actions, Los Angeles, CA
2015 Kun, Joshua. To Live And Dine in L.A., Los Angeles, CA
De Batty, Regine. We Make Money, Not Art, “Prison Art” Interview, Los Angeles.
2014 Shaw, Matt. “Drive-By Art: I-10’s Billboard Masterpieces.” Architizer, June 30.
2013 Spampinato, Francesco. Come Together: The Rise of Cooperative Art and Design, pgs. 28-30.
2012 Knight, Christopher. “Art Review: The Hammer Biennial ‘Made in L.A. 2012’ Succeeds.” Los Angeles Times, June 8.
Garcia, Cesar. “SLANGUAGE,” in Made in L.A. 2012. Los Angeles: Hammer Museum, p. 3. (catalogue)
Finkel, Jori. “Hammer Biennial Lends Artists Helping Hand.” Los Angeles Times, May 2.
2011 Mizota, Sharon. “Art Review: ‘Possible Worlds’ at Los Angeles County Museum of Art.” Los Angeles Times, July 14.
2010 Thompson Nato. Living As Form, Boston: MIT Press, p. 224-25.