April 8 - May 30

Artwolf Gallery - Una Casa Privada,

Hollywood Hills, CA.

California Poppy is Justina Blakeney’s first solo exhibition, presented in collaboration with Artwolf Gallery at Una Casa Privada. Drawing inspiration from the wildflower that folds inward at dusk and unfurls with the morning sun—bold, rhythmic, protected, and wild—this body of work explores cycles of identity, resilience, and creative regeneration. Through vivid color, layered pattern, and intuitive form, the paintings reflect the dance between the patterns we inherit, the rhythms we create, and the disruptions that reshape them. This collection is a tender unfolding that honors what rests beneath the surface, what returns with the light, and what insists on blooming, again and again.

New works on view with Artwolf Gallery at
Una Casa Privada.

These paintings were made during a time of rupture and return. Some emerged slowly—others, all at once. They’re stories told in symbols: roots, rhythms, rings, and remnants. Some are prayers. Some are portals. Each piece makes me. The art makes the artist. Like the California poppy, whose seeds are activated by fire, these works rise—carrying smoke and heat.

Justina Blakeney (b. 1979, Santa Rosa, CA) is a Los Angeles, California-based multi-disciplinary artist. Drawing upon themes of identity, spirituality, and connection to the natural world,  Justina’s artwork serves as a visual exploration into identity, the essence of the “true self” and the concept of being a "human being" rather than a "human doing".  She primarily employs gouache, acrylic and chalk and often incorporates mixed media components such as wire, and natural elements into her work. 

Her artistic vision emerges from a diverse array of references,  from wrestling with and celebrating her curls, curves, and curiosities to explorations of pattern, cubist abstraction, and magical realism. 

Through her work, Justina seeks to uncover and uproot binary thinking and inspire herself and others to embrace creativity, celebrate diversity, and honor the interconnectedness of all living things.

About The Artist

Photo by TRAMP.studio