Del principio hasta el final/From the beginning to the end

Much of Louis De Guzman’s practice involves his signature geometric abstraction style, which creates worlds within worlds, often blending the past and present into one. “Along the Way” is the Chicago-based Filipino American artist and designer’s first solo exhibition in over three years.

It comes after many collaborations, including “SpongeBob SquarePants x Louis De Guzman x J Balvin,” where he made custom abstract geometric sculptures of the characters in SpongeBob SquarePants to celebrate its 20th anniversary. In 2022, he collaborated with the Chicago Cubs to create COHERE, a bronze sculpture of the Cubs’s red, white, and blue logo, permanently installed inside of Wrigley Field. He has also worked with A Bathing Ape on a clothing release and sculpture, and with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.

On the right side hang four paintings from the artist's Key Chain series. In the center of the room are three white plinths with neutral-toned sculptural vessels on top. — In the *Key chain* paintings series, the artist paints the the key charms of different family members.
Credit: Amy Tran

Entering the space, Race Against Time is one of the first pieces I see. It is a circular print in the artist’s unique style, bursting with colors. It offers up a stepping stone into the world De Guzman creates for us to navigate and explore. How does our past shape our present and predict our future? But also, how does our future affect our past and present? The placement of works throughout the exhibition emphasizes both a sense of exploration for audience members but also the concept of time. There are individual signs in the universe and this show brings those things to the forefront—signs that we are on the right path. De Guzman creates pieces that are very personal to him but at the same time remind us of our individual journeys and how we as a collective share this experience.

Reflecting De Guzman’s personal history, his Key chain paintings series uses keys to represent different family members. As a child, he would know who among his extended family was home based on the key chain charms hanging. The paintings are very precise in line work and detail. The background for all of these is the same gray color, helping to draw all our attention to the center where we see bright blue, red, and pink charms attached. While other works embody worlds within worlds filled with monstrous details, these key chain pieces are a zoomed-in version. The key chain paintings, which are zoomed in, and the textile and geometric abstraction paintings, which are zoomed out, coincide with sculptures in between.

To the right hangs a large abstract painting. A pyramid of purple boxes stands on the floor to the right. The artist has painted text on the wall to the left. Merchandise has been set up in the corner: t-shirts hang, posts, and other objects lay on a white table. — The exhibition team created a viewfinder for the show in lieu of a traditional catalog.
Credit: Amy Tan

Also on view was a pyramid made out of the boxes that viewfinders came in; the team wanted to create a takeaway for the show, and instead of it being a catalog, a viewfinder was made. This viewfinder was designed to align with one of the original key chain paintings. In the viewfinder, there are quotes but also photos of some of his works that help guide you on your journey. Every aspect of the “Along the Way” universe that De Guzman has created shapes our past, present, and future simultaneously. In this exhibition, we are living in an in-between space where exploration is not only fostered but encouraged. De Guzman leaves us with the question, “Where to next?” in order for us to realize the value of living in the moment but also looking towards the horizon of what is to come.

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