OCHI is pleased to present Stone Fruit, Lilian Martinez’s fifth solo exhibition with the gallery, on view by appointment in Ketchum, Idaho from October 23 through December 4, 2021.

Stone Fruit features new large-scale paintings and works on paper that depict a visionary world inhabited by women of color who bask in comfort as they enjoy leisure, sport, and snack. Ladies stroll, play tennis, eat fruit, use the sauna, and lounge in landscapes and interiors of soft blues, sun-faded yellows, blush, and lavender. With calm expressions and relaxed poses, they are framed by palms, monsteras, and blooming cacti, often accompanied by their pets.

Martinez’s protagonists represent a collective desire to occupy space peacefully and safely—and so their beautiful, brown bodies expand physically and metaphorically across each surface and take up space! Full of large limbs, generous curves, and comfy, flowing fashions adorning larger than life figures—there is no room for negative energy, physical or emotional violence, or false scarcity in any painting. Eschewing aphorisms such as fake-it-till-you-make-it, Martinez builds the world she wants to live in, populating it with individuals she can relate to. Her ongoing interest in classlessness—a push away from systemic hierarchical thinking—underscores her general philosophies of inclusivity and attainability.

With time, energy, and many gentle brushy marks, Martinez presents women that don’t just survive, but thrive. The paintings in Stone Fruit offer juicy flesh surrounding a hard pit—none of which is possible without the right conditions or context. Simultaneously signifying sculpture, culture, and history, Martinez carves out a space for herself and others like her—what’s so funny ‘bout peach, love, and understanding?

Lilian Martinez (b. 1986, Chicago, IL) makes bright and bold drawings and paintings that blend representation, historical iconographies, and contemporary motifs that visually prioritize happy and healthy brown women. Martinez earned a BFA in Photography from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and currently lives and works between Yucca Valley and Los Angeles, CA. Alongside her studio-based practice, Martinez operates BFGF, a lifestyle art brand that produces accessible and functional art objects. Martinez’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at venues including the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, VA; The Naughton Gallery in Belfast, Ireland; Gallery Commune in Tokyo, Japan; Taymour Grahne in London, UK (forthcoming); SWISH Projects in San Diego, CA (forthcoming); and OCHI in Sun Valley, ID and Los Angeles, CA. Her work has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, ARTnews, apartamento, Juxtapoz, LALA Magazine, Nationale, ArtPractical, and AUTRE.