Thoughts on Frieze, Los Angeles, 2026
My Favorite Booths and Artworks
Arriving at LAX Thursday night and hosting a walkthrough at Art + Practice the following morning (you can watch the highlight reel here), and then running off to Frieze right after, Friday was packed. The first artfair I ever went to was Frieze LA in 2019 at Paramount Studios (also their 1st in LA). I was so new to the art world that I don’t really remember much, but I remember how excited I was to be in the room. It felt like a homecoming. Seeing LA for the first time in three years and returning to an artfair that was my first. It did not disappoint.
The last artfair I went to was Art Basel and Untitled Art Fair in Miami in 2022. I absolutely loved Untitled (I highlighted that fair on my Instagram) and couldn’t wait to leave Basel (lol). I tend to stay away from art fairs. Between the harsh lighting, stuck-up gallerist, mediocre or overhyped art, and the overpriced coffee, alcohol, and people, it just isn’t a good time. But I had a feeling about Frieze this year. This time, I would be coming off a high from seeing my own work hanging up in LA, and I would be with my friend and curator, Breeana Thorne.
We arrived at Frieze around 3:30. After the walk-through, the drive, parking, and walking in 80 degree weather, I just kept thinking, I wasn’t going to survive this fair. Over 100 galleries were showing… Then, suddenly, in my thoughts of defeat, something miraculous happened. I looked up and saw a little stand serving coffee. It took almost 30 minutes to get a cold brew, and I paid $9 for it, but it brought me back to life. After that, I was ready to go. We were in there until 7 pm.
I had a blast. Running from piece to piece, comparing notes and thoughts with Bree, running into people, talking to the gallerist, handing out my postcards, and sharing my work. This time, I wasn’t afraid to ask about the prices of works. I was ready to ask questions about the work, artists, and the gallery itself. Most importantly, I knew how to talk about myself and my work. There are plenty of emerging artists to keep your eyes on and plenty of exciting, fresh artwork being made. Frieze showed me that.
In this Artletter I highlight my favorite booths and artworks. Enjoy!
With love,
Ciarra K. Walters
P.S. If you are in LA, I highly recommend seeing the Hauser & Wirth exhibition, Destiny Is a Rose: The Eileen Harris Norton Collection, which is on view until August 16th.
My Thoughts:
I love the setup at Santa Monica Airport. It was accessible and had tons of free parking. When you first walk in, there are outdoor installations, a few performances, and an outdoor food area. On the inside, it had the best lighting I’ve seen at an artfair. The tent allowed natural light to filter through, and the standard white overhead lights didn’t overpower the space. It didn’t feel like a science lab (cough cough, Basel).
I appreciated seeing a mix of galleries, from well-established to emerging, to ones I had never heard of. I felt like it was a good mix, and there were several booths I enjoyed.
Overall, I give this fair an 8/10. I discovered multiple new galleries, artists, and felt excited about the work other artists are making. There wasn’t much political art (shocker), but it was nice to take a break from politics and remember how art can be political; it needs to be, but it also can be fun, dreamy, and outrageous.
Senga Nengudi once said, “Art is like a boat, and there’s enough room for all of us.”
My Favorite Booths:
Galerie Frank Elbaz - Paris
This is one of the last booths that I saw. Although I can’t say I loved every work in here, I thought artist Mungo Thomson’s work was fun and well presented. Unfamiliar with Thomson’s work, I later learned that the wallpaper with multiple images, colorful frames, and lenticular prints is a recurring presentation style. Moving back and forth to see the image move from all sides, I was in love. I later learned that Thomson uses found imagery from sources like the encyclopedia to highlight what is being forgotten or left behind in society. I am now a huge fan of Thomson.
Carvalho, New York — Élise Peroi
We spent a lot of time in this booth. I will admit it was one I overlooked, but Bree and a few other women we were with were drawn to the work. (This is why it is important to see art with others.) Élise Peroit is a French artist who paints on silk (with gouache), shreds it, and then reconstructs it on a tapestry loom. Through her gallerist, Jennifer, we learned that Peroit's inspiration comes from native flora and landscapes in the area where her work will be presented. For this body of work, she studied native flora in Southern California. I love the intention behind each of her work and overall its delicate and sturdy nature.
Élise Peroit was recently featured as one of 10 artists in Artsy’s Vanguard: 2026. You can watch her video here.
Murmurs Gallery - Los Angeles
I have been a fan of Y. Malik Jalal's work since seeing pictures of his debut solo show at Murmurs Gallery. Based in Atlanta, Jalal works with steel, “found materials from urban environments,” and sourced photography around Black people, particularly from the 1980s-2000s (a time period when film and photography became accessible to ordinary people).
As someone who uses photography in unusual ways, I appreciate other artists who find ways to display photographs that are beyond the standard metal/wooden frame. I found out through his gallerist that he used to work in construction and that is where he discovered his love for metal. Seeing the spade, I immediately thought of David Hammons’ spade series. I desperately want to see them next to each other. Keep your eyes out for this artist.
Sea View Gallery - Los Angeles
I have been a huge fan of Zenobia Lee’s work for a while now. She is one of the most exciting sculptors of this time. Her booth with Sea View gallery did not disappoint. It sold out, and her piece, Why allow the tendrils of the heart to twine around objects (abject) - for Harriet Jacobs, won the California African American Museum Acquisition. This booth is an extension of her current exhibition at Sea View, "Demesure,” and is up until March 28th. I also loved that this booth was across from Y. Malik Jalal. There was a nice energy between the two.
Some of My Favorite Works:
Jenny Holzer, INTRODUCTION TO INTERDICTION, 2024
This Jenny Holzer piece, INTRODUCTION TO INTERDICTION, stopped me immediately. The colors, shine, and abstractness gave me a physical sensation. I was shocked when I found it was a Jenny Holzer piece. Holzer, known for wordplay in her art, is 76 years old. This piece was made two years ago, and I would have never guessed it was hers. It is rare to see a new style of work from an established and award-decorated artist.
This piece is just beautiful. If you look closely at the top, it says INTRODUCTION TO INTERDICTION.
Every year, the CIA releases declassified documents, but they redact most of them, making it difficult or impossible to understand what you’re reading. Staying true to Holzer’s style, she takes this redacted document and turns it into a painting. It makes you wonder, what was taken out, what is left behind, and why.
Mungo Thomson & Y. Malik Jalal
What I learned from this fair is how artists are using and describing found imagery. In a time when nostalgia has culture in a chokehold, it’s difficult to make extraordinary artwork using found imagery. Mungo Thomson and Y. Malik Jalal are two artists who are doing it exceptionally well. From framing choice to presentation, both of their work stood out to me the most at Frieze.
James Turrell, Carat and Schtik, Rounded Diamond Glass, 2021
The name of an artist carries a lot of weight. I walked right past Carat and Schtik, Rounded Diamond Glass in Pace’s booth. After finding out it was a Terrell piece, I decided I liked it (smh, I love his work). It is unclear if the wall-frame was included in the sale (which sold for $950,000). The materials listed for this piece are “ED light, etched glass, and shallow space.” Shallow space is a little pretentious for my taste, but I think we get the point. The lights are continuously changing and have a run time of 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Jessie Henson, Whispering (Lightly), 2025
Jessie Henson uses watercolor paper and, with a sewing machine, sews thread onto it, creating ripples and wave-like forms. I love the play between fragile and sturdy in her work. The Broadway Gallery booth featured only her work, displaying multiple pieces from this series in a variety of colors. I am not a fan of the white, negative space shown in these pieces, but nonetheless, I was impressed by the technique and color choices.
Martha Jungwirth, Untitled, 2025
This piece reminded me of DeKooning. What drew me to this piece was the color. What made me stay is the framing. Looking closer, it’s a piece of recycled board mounted on stretched canvas and framed in a box frame. I love the layering, framing, and the pink. When you look at the actual painting, what do you see? I see a body.
Lee Bae, Brushstroke-JV2, 2026
This was another piece I overlooked, but Bree was drawn to it, so I stopped and looked at it too. It reminds me of an X-ray of a cheesecloth or thin fabric. It is soft, flowy, and I love the charcoal ink.
Nancy Rubins, Drawing, 2021
Drawing instantly stood out to me in the Gagosian booth. Made from rag paper and graphite pencil, this drawing is turned into a sculpture by folding and pinning the paper to the wall. It reminded me of Richard Serra’s 1967 piece, To Lift, made with Vulcanized rubber. Without reading the materials, I thought this piece was made of a sturdier material. I was impressed.
Romany Eveleigh, Oracle Series, 2018
I love work that looks like it’s been through something. This small piece caught my attention immediately. I like to think about the time an artwork takes and the layering of materials. I was also impressed by this work because I asked the gallerist how much this was (it’s $80,000), and she told me it was only for institutional sale, which I had never heard of. Glad I know now.
Robert Longo, Untitled (Mirrored Flag), 2015
I am a huge fan of Robert Longo’s work. I am familiar with his large-scale, hyper-realistic drawings, but not his sculpture work. His work leans towards the political side (and was the only political art I saw at Frieze). This sculpture is the perfect representation of America. A blurry reflection around ourselves, our past, and our country. I have been into a lot of flag art lately. There is a great exhibition around the American flag (America Will Be!) up at the Driskell Center in College Park, Maryland. On view until May 8th.
Zenobia Lee, Aluminum Domino III, 2026
Zenobia Lee’s ability to take familiar objects, blow them up in size, and put her spin on them never ceases to amaze me. This domino piece is beautiful.
Sophie Calle, Why her ?, 2018
From afar, I couldn’t see the last word and thought it said, Because “Why not?” I walked closer and saw her, instead of not. I was upset. I immediately felt embarrassed for the artist, like wow…desperate much? As I stood there and continued to look at it, I began to think, but hadn’t I had this thought at some point in my life? The answer is yes. Although this question screams insecure, desperate, and maybe a lack of confidence, haven’t many women (if not all) had this same question? Can’t say this is a favorite, but it stuck out and stayed with me. I also liked how it was hung. In a box frame, connected to a pole, with the fabric hanging loosely.
Devin Johnson, A Curious Affair & Looking Glass, 2026
Devin Johnson's work reminds me of Noah Davis. This dreamy, drippy, shawdowy, otherworldly dimension of Black people. I would love to see their paintings side by side. With that said, Johnson has his own distinct voice, giving us a classical, streetart style. He recently had a baby and posted on his Instagram story a video of him painting A Curious Affair with his baby strapped to his chest at 5 something in the morning. That made this work even better.
Urs Fischer, Ghostrider, 2026
As someone who uses silkscreen in my practice, I am always curious about how other artists use it. I am not sure what this is, but the size and the materials were cool.
Anish Kapoor, Red mix 2 over Oriental Blue, 2020
This is easily one of my favorite pieces. Anish Kapoor’s sculptures always bring you into another world. This sculpture is made of stainless steel and lacquer. The color changes as you move, and so does your view. I had a lot of fun with this piece. Also, when I asked how much this was, the gallerist kind of giggled and said, “900,00.” I laughed too (lol).
Amanda Ross-Ho, Untitled Orbit (MANUAL MODE), 2026
And finally, the, if not most impressive artwork from the fair was a duration and endurance performance titled, Untitled Orbit (MANUAL MODE) by artist Amanda Ross-Ho. Throughout the duration of Frieze Ross-Ho pushed a 16-foot, 75-pound inflatable globe around the three-acre turf field at the Santa Monica airport for eight hours a day. For four days, she did this, putting in 32 hours of labor, in unusually hot weather for LA in February, I might add.
Ross-Ho tells The Art Newspaper, “The work of living feels especially acute right now…It’s poking fun at our habit of carrying and doing too much. But it’s also holding up a mirror to a real weariness and sense of exhaustion.”
Seeing her push this globe by herself, I thought about how our world continues to spin regardless of what we have going on in our personal lives, and how small we actually are on this planet. I love Ross-Ho doing this seen physical labor during an art fair. It’s a reminder of how much labor the artists, gallerists, installers, and everyone in between put in for that moment to come together.
Zenobia is taking over! 🖤