Abel Alejandre
The Age of Heroes
A dual-portrait tribute to the legends of a continent
May 17 – June 21, 2025
LAUNCH Gallery
170 S. La Brea Ave. #202
Los Angeles, CA 90036
LAUNCH Gallery and The National Tourism Board of Xicanoland proudly present new drawings by celebrated Mexican-American artist Abel Alejandre. In this new series, The Age of Heroes, Abel honors twelve pivotal figures whose brilliance forged modern Xicanoland. Themes of masculinity, valor, patriarchy, and the capacity to look to the future with purpose and assurance are addressed through twelve ink portraits on paper, each capturing a statesperson, scientist, or cultural luminary whose vision reshaped Xicanoland.
Inseparable from Xicanoland’s belief in cyclical life, every human portrait in The Age of Heroes is accompanied by a painting of a Xoloitzcuintle—the sacred dog that, by tradition, escorts the soul into the next realm. These twelve canine guardians transform the gallery into a spiritual corridor, guiding visitors through a meditation on legacy, mortality, and endurance.
This current series of drawings continues the saga of Xicanoland with its alternative history of real and imagined ancestors in a society that acknowledges past miss-steps while embracing hope for a better future. This personal story shares years of thought and introspection through his art practice and visual language.
Born in Mexico and raised in Southern California, Abel draws upon his immigrant experience and proud Mexican heritage to reflect on a bygone era and an uncharted timeline. Art making serves as a vehicle and medium for him, allowing exploration of his past while interpreting the dynamics of contemporary American society and his role within it.
About Abel
The first seven years of my life unfolded in Tierra Caliente, a remote stretch of Michoacán where running water and electricity were myths whispered by travelers. Our extended family gathered regularly in Apatzingán—the nearest town with paved streets—until we emigrated to Los Angeles in 1975. Crossing that border felt like leaping a full century, and the shock of redefining what it means to belong has never left my work.
During my formative years we lived in Wilmington, California, in a time-worn Spanish-style complex we called “The Standing Dead.” Wilmington is still the hometown that shaped me. Its mosaic of communities—some welcoming, others wary—taught me to read the subtle codes of public space. Salvation arrived each afternoon at the local Boys Club, where I could sketch, read, and shoot billiards in blessed quiet. Those after-school sessions with stubby pencils marked the first stirrings of a vocation that would become consuming.
Today I work primarily in graphite on paper, canvas, or wood, though process often dictates medium. A single finished drawing may devour hundreds of hours and entire fistfuls of pencils, yet the patience required feels devotional rather than tedious. I also practice self-taught printmaking, a discipline I have pursued for more than two decades.
Masculinity threads through much of my imagery, it has been a life long interrogation of the codes of conduct. Roosters appear frequently—regal, ordinary, relentlessly combative—standing in for men whose codes of honor are equal parts armor and burden. I do not search for definitive answers; I record what I observe in hopes of mapping the contradictions.
Recent milestones have expanded that map. In early 2025 MUZEO Museum and Cultural Center mounted “¡CUARENTA!,” a 40-year retrospective curated by Mat Gleason that gathered drawings, woodcuts, and large-scale installations created between 1984 and 2024. The exhibition affirmed four decades of restless inquiry while introducing new audiences to the quieter whispers of my archive.
LAUNCH LA believes exposure to the arts enhances quality of life and strengthens community for all through the shared appreciation of creative expression in all its forms and hybrids. LAUNCH LA is passionate about providing all artists regardless of background, race, color, creed or sexual orientation with quality opportunities to present themselves and their creations that reflect our times to curious and enthusiastic audiences at our Gallery and at important happenings throughout Los Angeles County.
LAUNCH LA recognizes our presence on Tovaangar, the unceded ancestral lands of the Gabrielino-Tongva people who are its rightful caretakers and whose connection to the land. Water, and culture we benefit.