We Are… Portraits of Metro Riders by Local Artists
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Javier Carrillo - "Jose Carrillo, El Taquero"
"Jose Carrillo, El Taquero" portrays the artist’s father, a taco vendor, in the uniform he wears during his daily Metro commute. Emphasizing the subject’s weary face and soiled apron, the admiring portrait gives a voice to the hardworking immigrant community where the artist was raised and thrived. Artist: Javier Carrillo
Adele Renault, "Auntie Shelley"
"Auntie Shelley" fondly recognizes a longtime resident of the Crenshaw Corridor. As the block captain and founder of a neighborhood daycare, Shelley is a familiar, friendly face to many raised in Leimert Park. Artist: Adele Renault
"The Poet" portrays Kamau, an instrumental figure in Leimert Park’s cultural renaissance. The poet, musician, educator and South LA community activist helped establish the World Stage performance art space and worked with the Watts Writers Workshop and Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra. Artist: Sam Pace
"Traveler" honors the drifters, explorers, migrants, nomads and tourists. Airline ephemera and vintage photos are combined with drawings of Colombian and Californian flora to humanize immigrant families’ experiences, like the artist’s, of navigating Los Angeles while staying connected to their home countries. Artist: Carolyn Castaño
J Michael Walker, "Lisa D on the E"
"Lisa D on the E" is a timeless and contemporary portrait of Walker’s friend and fellow artist. Lisa—whose image, as a woman of color, has been excluded from the art-historical canon—is shown serenely lost in thought and immersed in the rhythms of the train in a pose inherited from Renaissance portraiture Artist: J Michael Walker
Carla Jay Harris, “Self Portrait in Motion
In "Self Portrait in Motion", fluffy seed pods envelop Harris on the Metro, which was a lifeline and gateway for the artist as a new LA resident in 2013. The cotton depicted, a wild variety thriving in the Southwest, symbolizes the artist’s transformative journey from Virginia to Los Angeles. Artist: Carla Jay Harris
Susu Attar, “Self Portrait with Ancient Ones”
"Self Portrait with Ancient Ones" muses on how history and context make meaning across time with a portrait of the artist honoring her Mesopotamian roots. Artist: Susu Attar
Simonette David Jackson, “Sanctuary”
"Sanctuary" is a tender portrait of a mother and child, Pia and Paolo, shielded among hydrangeas, monarch butterflies and bees. This reminder of a secure, loving embrace provides a visual haven for weary travelers in need of solace. Artist: Simonette David Jackson
Yolanda González, "We ride the train toward memories of beautiful travels"
"We ride the train toward memories of beautiful travels" memorializes the artist’s late mother who shared the artist’s name. The painting is inspired by their enduring connection to Metro and soulful bond that evolved with time and age. Artist: Yolanda González
Metro Youth Council members tour the Metro Art Bus during a preview for Metro's State of the Agency Event on July 7, 2022 with Tania Taylor.
"Legacy" depicts the artist’s mother, who has been riding the Metro A Line (Blue) to and from work every day since her family moved to Long Beach from the Philippines. The system’s accessibility and convenience throughout her daily ridership since 2002 provides her the freedom to continue her full schedule. Artist: Bodeck Luna
Cody Lusby, "Playful Transportation"
"Playful Transportation" shows mother and child playing with a toy train as an early introduction to transportation. The birds-of-paradise, Los Angeles’ official flower, grow in the artist’s front yard and helps locate Metro’s A Line (Blue) corridor as another regional asset. Artwork: Cody Lusby
"Vovó Santinha" is a portrait of the artist’s Brazilian grandmother, whom the she would often think of on her commute. The artist would take mental snapshots of passing views as she recollected how vovó ironed her blanket before tucking her in, walked with her to pick wildflowers and treated her to sugar on her pacifier. Artist: Cat Ferraz
Chelle Barbour, "A Kaleidoscope of Butterflies Followed Me to the Station"
"A Kaleidoscope of Butterflies Followed Me to the Station" is an allegory for Metro riders, liberated from city traffic and connected to one another as they migrate the city. The butterflies symbolize movement, freedom and transformation. Artist: Chelle Barbour
Miles Lewis, “A Walk and Talk”
"A Walk and Talk" celebrates Metro for providing access to LA’s vibrant creative community and increasing public mobility through bike integration. The artwork shows the artist, an avid cyclist, in conversation on a Metro bikeway with his friend Sri, a music journalist, art model and exclusive public transit user. Artist: Miles Lewis
"Roosters" is a semi-autobiographical painting of a man portrayed with empathy and vulnerability rather than traditional markers of physical strength. The flat coral background features silhouettes of roosters, a symbol often linked with masculinity, in a color associated with peace and tranquility. Artist: Daniel Barajas
Moses X. Ball, “Ms. Assata Umoja”
"Ms. Assata Umoja" celebrates the South LA activist for her empowering presence in the Hyde Park community. In honor of Assata’s legacy, the painting incorporates four African Adinkra symbols referencing reflection, strength, beauty and wisdom. Artist: Moses X. Ball, “Ms. Assata Umoja”
Omar Martinez, “We Are The Heritage”
"We Are The Heritage" reflects the importance of preserving one’s cultural heritage. Andrea—a regular Metro rider, local jewelry designer and doula whose work is rooted in her homeland’s indigenous practices—is shown with Guatemala’s national bird and flower, and wearing a traditional Huipil garment. Artist: Omar Martinez
Installation view of "We Are...Portraits of Metro Riders by Local Artists" in the Union Station Passageway Art Gallery looking east. The exhibition spans the length of the Passageway and features thirty five artists. Visible are rider portraits by Chelle Barbour, Carolyn Castaño, Maria Piñeres and Kaylynn Kim. Photo courtesy of LA Metro.
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Devon represents a Crenshaw resident whose grandparents resettled in the area after their internment during WWII. Words from the Webb-Haney Alien Land Law of 1913, which prohibited Japanese immigrant farmers from leasing or owning California land, delineate Devon’s portrait to raise awareness of the unjust historical narratives shaping many minorities. Artist: Bryan Ida
"Blue Sights" is a portrait of LP’s wife riding the light rail between Long Beach and Los Angeles, while looking into the vast LA basin during a sunrise. The subject reflects how residents of this textured city navigate between individualism and interconnectedness. Artist: LP Ækili Ross
Dave Van Patten, “Modern Prometheus”
"Modern Prometheus" represents various creative fragments within a community that forge together to build a person. Just as bodies are made up of many cells that work together for survival, individuals are activated and built stronger through the support and inspiration of one another.
Honoring the selfless community service of the many individuals in our periphery, "Ebony" depicts daily Metro-rider Ebony Wilson, who is the Los Angeles Unified School District’s hearing secretary and the admission director of a scholarship program for urban youth. Artist: Sean Cheetham
Gregg Chadwick, “Frida Cano (E Line)”
"Frida Cano (E Line)" is inspired by a local artist, writer and curator who brings the social issues of our times to light. The portrait shows in a contemplative pose as she waits for the train during her commute from Echo Park to Santa Monica. Artist: Gregg Chadwick
Edwin Ushiro, “Better Together”
"Better Together" celebrates public transit’s capacity to create greener citizens, connections and new experiences. The painting is a love message to the artist’s wife, Lynn, whom he met at the Japanese American National Museum (JANM). Metro made commuting to one another more comfortable during crazy rush-hour traffic and he calls it “the lifeblood of their relationship.” Artist: Edwin Ushiro
Eric Almanza, “The Journey Home”
"The Journey Home" focuses on Maricela, a mother of three, a Latina and a resident who travels on the Metro A Line (Blue) regularly. The artist simultaneously recognizes Metro’s ridership and addresses an art historical gap, the vast underrepresentation of women of color. Artist: Eric Almanza
Eliseo Art Silva, “Mga Bayani Sa Ating Paligid (Heroes In Our Midst)”
"Mga Bayani Sa Ating Paligid (Heroes In Our Midst)" shines a light on Filipino American caregivers Teresita, Jade, Marlon and Joan. While largely unnoticed here, they would be heralded for their work and sacrifice in their home country. The Filipino flag’s sun rays connect them each to cultural symbols representing family, respect, and tradition. Artist: Eliseo Art Silva
Installation view of "We Are...Portraits of Metro Riders by Local Artists" in the Union Station Passageway Art Gallery. Each of the thirty-five rider portraits displayed has a story that is personal and universal, intimate and immediate—a single story among the many stories of 840,000 daily riders on Metro. Visible are rider portraits by April Bey, Sheila Karbassian, Carla Jay Harris, Daniel Barajas and Edwin Ushiro. Photo courtesy of LA Metro.
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"Kid," an image of a young girl born and raised in North Long Beach, is one of many paintings and drawings produced over a three-year span. During that span, this girl and her extended family visited the artist’s studio to be photographed together. Artist: Angela Willcocks
"Phajah" expresses the hope and optimism of South Los Angeles through a radiant portrait of a proud Black Leimert Park resident before a palm-lined skyline. Artist: Carlos Spivey
Kaylynn Kim, “We Ride Together”
We Ride Together features snapshots of the artist’s last night out on the train with friends before the COVID-19 lockdown. The work symbolizes accessibility and freedom—to move throughout the city and to connect with friends and loved ones. Artist: Kaylynn Kim
"Last Stop" is a portrait of two Filipino Americans, members of a community with a long history in the area. Through the train car window, viewers can see iconic landmarks as well as places recognizable solely to residents. Artist: Jazmine Atienza
April Bey, “Working 5–9 in the Middle of a Global Panoramic"
Working 5–9 in the Middle of a Global Panoramic acknowledges the many enterprising commuters pursuing their livelihood amid systemic discrimination. The bombastically fly Astra Marie may just as easily be on an intergalactic grocery run via LAX as she may be off to work as a performer, body-positivity pioneer or decolonizing architect. Artist: April Bey
José M. Loza, “Memory and Perspective”
"Memory and Perspective" is influenced by the artist’s memories riding the light rail to Del Amo Station. The child and his aunt also symbolize two perspectives and reflect how the childhood gaze changes in adulthood. Artist: José M. Loza
Lanise Howard, “A Brothers’ Keeper
"A Brothers’ Keeper" honors the sacrifice of essential workers during the coronavirus pandemic. Kevin and Otis, downtown LA security guards and regular Metro users, are shown back-to-back to represent social distance and their brotherhood—backing each other and society. Artist: Lanise Howard
Hedy Torres, “A Gift to the World”
"A Gift to the World" is a self-portrait celebrating the intersection of Inglewood’s Latinx and Black communities. The sunflowers, a gift from Mexico to the world, and dotted outline of a pre-Columbian Colima dog motif pay tribute to the artist’s mestizo heritage while the colorful, abstracted map acknowledges the area’s history of redlining and gentrification. Artist: Hedy Torres
Installation view of "We Are...Portraits of Metro Riders by Local Artists" in the Union Station Passageway Art Gallery. Each of the thirty-five rider portraits displayed has a story that is personal and universal, intimate and immediate—a single story among the many stories of 840,000 daily riders on Metro. Visible, from left to right, are rider portraits by Aiseborn, Susu Attar, Moses X. Ball, Eric Almanza, Lanise Howard and Kristina Ambriz. Photo courtesy of LA Metro.
"Keep Going" depicts poet and urban planner Jenise, who, as a local Afro-Latina, represents the cultural intersection of many South LA communities. In a nod to Black vernacular when giving directions, “keep going” or “sigue adelante” warmly encourages viewers to their destination, and affirms that wherever we choose to go, is home. Artist: Rosalind McGary
Alepsis Hernández, "Monday Morning"
"Monday Morning" is a portrait of Caesar, a California State University, Long Beach student, full-time social worker and good friend of the artist. The portrait is framed with geometric shapes to mimic the urban landscape between the cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Artist: Alepsis Hernández
"Leo" focuses on the newfound independence of a local teenager who uses public transportation to connect with friends and explore skate parks along Metro, between downtown LA and Santa Monica. Artist: Maria Piñeres
"Visionary" conveys the invaluable time afforded by public transit to contemplate the past and present, and envision the future. The Vision Theatre, in the background of this self-portrait, pays homage to Leimert Park and an inspirational period in the artist’s development. Artist: Christen Austin
Sheila Karbassian, “Beautiful Santa Monica"
"Beautiful Santa Monica" portrays the artist’s children—who not only ride Metro to school from Santa Monica but also to cultural events and museums in downtown Los Angeles—surrounded by the natural bounty that their beloved city has to offer. Artist: Sheila Karbassian
"The Great R-38" depicts Joshua, a rail-loving toddler, awaiting the train under the expert guidance of his grandfather Thurman, a 30-year Metro veteran who retired his employee number “R-38.” The circular composition emphasizes the inter-generational bond and inter-city connections forged by Metro. Artist: Aiseborn
Kristina Ambriz, “Wall of Concrete”
"Wall of Concrete" depicts the artist’s daughter and includes elements that celebrate the street art that is prevalent between the cities of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Artist: Kristina Ambriz
"Outward Bound" depicts two young friends engaging with Los Angeles’s diverse cityscape on board the Metro. The painting emphasizes the opportunities that unfold during public transit to build awareness, empathy and an appreciation for others. Artist: Kiley Ames
Metro Art Bus at Union Station
Metro Art Bus at Union Station on June 24, 2022 during its first sneak peek preview