“Self Control” July 1 - July 29
August 1, 2017Self Control PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Projects Gallery is pleased to present, Self Control, a collection of seven Los Angeles
based artists work that exemplifies life struggles. The group exhibition runs from Saturday, July
1st to Saturday, July 29th, 2017. The opening reception takes place on Saturday, July 1st, 2017
from 5pm-10pm. This event is free and open to the public.
Self Control brings together seven Los Angeles based artists backgrounds in graffiti art,
tattooing, and Jiu Jitsu. Each artist has faced their own daily struggle yet through their artist
ability and discipline, produce passionate, emotional, and energetic work. Just like in Martial
Arts, this exhibition exemplifies the discipline and integrity that needs to be approached when
handling life’s uncertainties.
The artists in this exhibition include, AXIS (b. London) is a hyper-stylized, freehand graffiti artist,
painter, and illustrator has expanded his talents beyond the streets and has exhibited his work in
galleries and museums such as the Pasadena Museum of California Art and the Getty Research
Institute (GRI). Defer (b. Los Angeles) is a graffiti artist who’s work transcends into the realm of
fine art; His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums such as the Pasadena Museum
of California Art and the Ben Maltz Gallery at OTIS College of Design and is part of the Getty
Research Institute’s special collection. Bob Roberts (b. Los Angeles) is an influential tattoo
master with an immeasurable impact on the tattoo world. Currently, he is still tattooing at
Spotlight Tattoo with his son Charlie Roberts and he has expanded his art form from ink on skin
to paintings that reference his unique style of tattooing. Charlie Roberts (b. Los Angeles) infuses
classic American and Japanese tattoo styles to create his own flair in his tattoos and his
paintings. Chris Haueter (b. Los Angeles) is a martial artist and illustrator whose style is a
unique blend of modern comic art and a dark, Caravaggesque naturalism. Through a style
reminiscent of Baroque realism and with subtle modern pop art influences, Haueter conveys the
depths of the human condition through the lenses of martial arts. Ernesto Vazquez (b. Los
Angeles) is a painter and illustrator who uses his unique style and a variety of materials to
convey his thoughts on varied subject matters that have been pertinent to his life. These matters
include social justice, comic books, graffiti art, religion, and death. And Chali 2na (b. New
Jersey) a rapper and hip hop artist who was part of the group Jurassic 5. Always involved in the
arts, Chali’s artistic talents go beyond his musical career and he also creates drawings heavily
influenced by comic books. His participation in Hip Hop culture has molded him both visually
and musically into the artist he is today. All of these artists have many different artistic outlets
and have shown their work or performed all over Los Angeles and in different parts across the
country.