KP Projects, founded by Merry Karnowsky, is pleased to present ‘Obsidian Butterfly,’ marking Camille Rose Garcia’s return to Los Angeles for her first solo show in three years. Having begun her fine art career at the Merry Karnowsky Gallery in 1999, this exhibition is a homecoming in more ways than one, reuniting two female forces with a steeped history in the Los Angeles art scene.

Inspired by Octavio Paz’s poem of the same name, ‘Obsidian Butterfly’ is a collection that explores the symbolism of natural forces, namely the ocean as a vessel to hold and heal feelings of sorrow and loss. While the initial inspiration comes from both the poem itself and the Aztec goddess' namesake, the collection is both universal, and deeply personal. Last year when wildfires engulfed the West Coast, Camille was evacuated, not knowing the fate of her home. In those moments of uncertainty, she headed to the ocean to take solace in the vast body of water. The eerily beautiful colors of the sunset against a fiery sky later became the palette inspired in her current work, while ideas of opposing forces - water and fire - became evolving concepts. From this elemental juxtaposition, the works of ‘Obsidian Butterfly’ were born, like a phoenix rising up from the ashes.