An art exhibition about death does not sound like a cheerful afternoon out.

The show now on view at Cal State Dominguez Hills makes the case that it can be a warm one.

The University Art Gallery in Carson is presenting an exhibition titled "me and you … let's get away…" through Saturday, December 19.

Admission is free, and the gallery is open to the public.

Two artists, one shared life

The exhibition brings together solo and collaborative work by Los Angeles artists Juan Capistrán and Hazel Mandujano.

According to the university, the pieces reflect on death, the loss of family members and the way grief reshapes everyday life.

The gallery says the artists face the subject head-on, using humor as a form of care rather than a way of brushing pain aside.

Mourning, as the show presents it, is uneven and ongoing, yet creativity and connection carry on after a loss.

Capistrán was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and raised in South Los Angeles.

He works across sculpture, painting, performance, photography and sound.

Mandujano is an artist, designer and educator whose work spans art, publishing and exhibition design.

Together they co-founded mandujano/cell, an Inglewood gallery, bookstore and publishing platform that operated from 2015 to 2019.

What visitors will see

The campus newspaper, The Bulletin, reported that the exhibition is built around four displays.

One places a silk rug beneath a canopy tent, with a cartoon image of the couple and looping projections of a pair of eyes.

Another folds an X-ray image into an accordion-style book as a tribute to Mandujano's late father.

Sculptures and other works draw on the couple's shared grief and on Los Angeles culture.

Mandujano told the student paper she thinks of the show as a "mausoleum" and a place for reflection, though one with joy tucked inside.

It is a quiet, thoughtful stop as the holiday season, a tender time for many families, gets underway.

If you go

The gallery is on the first floor of LaCorte Hall, room A-107, at 1000 E. Victoria Street.

Hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.

The gallery does not list Sunday hours, so the next chance to visit is Monday morning.

Visits are also available by appointment.

The university says the exhibition was made possible with funding from the Pasadena Art Alliance.

Hours can change around campus holidays, so check the gallery's website at gallery.csudh.edu before visiting during Thanksgiving week.

A campus map and directions are posted at csudh.edu/visit-us.

Sources: CSUDH News, University Art Gallery exhibition announcement (https://news.csudh.edu/university-art-gallery-me-and-you-lets-get-away/); CSUDH University Art Gallery (https://gallery.csudh.edu/); The Bulletin, CSUDH student newspaper (https://www.csudhbulletin.com/grief-loss-and-love-on-display-at-university-art-gallery/).

Photo by Julia Taubitz on Unsplash