ARRIVE / DEPART GALLERY
ARRIVE / DEPART GALLERY
ARRIVE/DEPART showcases 12 teen artists from Los Angeles who have illustrated various forms of reflection. Whether it’s nostalgic or introspective, the exhibition explores how reflecting is simultaneously a personal and communal endeavor, featuring works that highlight the unique way each artist participates in the universal experience of revisiting the past. The diverse mediums– from traditional animation to photography– mirror these different ways to reflect, as well as MOCA’s commitment to empowering a range of perspectives. As you move through the gallery, we invite you to look back on your own experiences and how they have brought you to this very moment at Teen Night 2025.
Charlene Tsai
30x34 in Distorted Perceptions
This piece is part of a larger collection of pieces called, "Imposter Syndrome but My Whole Life", and it explores how constant exposure to reflections—through mirrors or phones—can distort self-perception. Seeing yourself as you would a stranger can create a sense of unworthiness or even inhumanity. It examines how overexposure to one’s own image can deepen feelings of detachment, emphasizing the struggle to see oneself as real and deserving.
Danielle Green
8 inches height x 6 inches width x 6 inches depth
“Dolly”
As a seventeen-year-old, African American and Armenian mixed female artist who was born and raised in Los Angeles, I’ve been surrounded by many cultures, subcultures, and diverse expressions of femininity, which have become an inspiration for many of my works. My artwork primarily explores the journey of girlhood, the multiple stages of a woman, and the societal expectations pressured on women. I experiment with the theme of femininity, infusing it with a darker undertone. My creative process involves contrasting different elements to evoke a conversation about what being a woman can truly be. The ceramic piece “Dolly” symbolizes the coming of age for a woman and the lost spirit of childhood. I juxtapose the frilly and sweet body of the doll with a gloomy and aged complexion, expressing a sense of nostalgia.
Joscelyn Courtenay
10 x 20 inches “NOSTALGIA”
This piece captures the essence of childhood and nostalgia, where movement and playfulness reflect a time when friendships were effortless and joy was pure, untouched by the complexities of growing up.
Joscelyn Courtenay
20 x 10 inches “DELICATE”
This piece captures the delicate and transient nature of love through the queer experience. It explores the tender moments where affection blooms quietly, yet always feels like it’s balancing on the edge of permanence and loss. The image reflects the beauty of vulnerability, where love exists in a space both cherished and ephemeral, leaving behind traces of longing even as it fades.
Coco Lamoureux
44 x 36 inches “Woman 1”
Through this piece I wanted to explore scale with the body- trying to depict it in a way that gave it weight and tangibility, not just some figure drawn on canvas. Thinking of the body as a landscape in a sense too. I kept drawing the figure in a very linear way, leaving detail aside, aiming to delve into a more stripped down form.
Katie Lew
“024-u”
12x18 in
To my dad-
‘024-u’ captures the overwhelming emotions of love morphing into grief as a part of the series ‘L-OVER’ exploring the relationships that shaped and consumed my life.
Audrey Kim
14 X 18 “Between You and Me”
I find inspiration in creating pieces that relate to my personal life that others may also relate to. Creating light-hearted artworks that show the wonders of girlhood so that girls may empathize with my pieces give me passion. My piece "Between You And Me" depicts one of the genuine connections between two girls when sharing truths with one another. I used many different shades of pink to depict femininity and warmth which enhances my theme of girlhood.
Calvin Buddemeyer
“Sisterly Mourning”
5’6x3’4
Sascha Camacho
“Sunday Morning”
24 x 36
Sascha Camacho is a 17-year-old creative from Highland Park, Los Angeles and while handling a camera is not new to her, it continues to play a crucial role as the foundation of her artistic intrigue. With an innate ability to absorb the world around her and mirror it in her creative process, she feels a magnetic pull toward capturing humanity, whether it be through a lens or with a paintbrush. In this way, she becomes her art, offering others a glimpse into her perspective as a Black and Mexican queer teen navigating the complexities of life in this transitional state, both internally and in her surroundings. Art's relevance to contemporary issues is how it becomes a tool for her to create change. She focuses on the abstract documentation of life, preventing the erasure of POC culture and being a representation for underappreciated subcultures.
Jordan Steele
6x6 11x4.5 16x6 “Fragments of Childhood”
Much of one's childhood is documented through memory. Often vague and brief, these images are what one may remember most. Fragments of Childhood frames three different images that best characterize my early youth: From my oldest friend holding my baby brother, to a snapshot of my mary janes in the park, to a woman observing her bloodshot eyes in a camera lens. Each piece varies in shape, utilizing unconventional framing to convey the skewed condition of one's memory and emphasize how each view is only a part of the full picture. Additionally, the hues associated with each section displays the tone of the events, reflecting the carefree playfulness of pre-conscious youth in contrast with looming fears and uncertainty that may surround one’s life, despite their innocence. This feeling is continued through the use of pastels, as the soft / fuzzy quality of the medium further highlights the obscurity of one's memory.
Sian Smith
7'' x 13'' x 8''
3'' x 9'' x 8.5''
“Untitled”
Ume Judge-Glascock
18x 24 “Plainclothes”
"Plainclothes" is about coming face-to-face with one's personal demons. Although one may choose to reject them, or forget them, they will forever remain part of and individual's personal history. To represent this, I portrayed them as literal figures, and used dramatic shadows and silhouettes, to emphasize the haunting nature of of the past. However, the figures' attire is like that of a young child, contrasting the ominous imagery, to show nostalgia for the past.