Born 1991 in Los Angeles, California, Mario Ayala lives and works in Los Angeles. Ayala graduated from The San Francisco Art Institute in 2014 where he was awarded the Yale Norfolk fellowship in 2012. He participated in the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture residency in 2014. Institutional exhibitions include the biennial “Made In LA 2020: a version”, curated by Myriam Ben Salah and Lauren Mackler at the Hammer Museum (Los Angeles). Solo exhibitions include Ever Gold Projects (San Francisco), Loyal (Stockholm), Stems (Brussels), SADE (Los Angeles). Ayala’s works was included in the group exhibition Shattered Glass, curated by Melahn Frierson and AJ Girard at Jeffrey Deitch (Los Angeles) in 2021. Group exhibitions include Massimo De Carlo (London), Ever Gold Projects (San Francisco), Loyal (Stockholm), Club Pro (Los Angeles), The Luggage Store Gallery (San Francisco). Ayala’s work is included in public collections of the Hammer Museum, Aïshti Foundation, Arsenal Contemporary and KRC Collection. In his paintings and sculptural installations Ayala creates a singular visual language in his airbrush technique, drawing from California’s vernacular with hints of signage, advertising, tire-shop paintings, auto customization, the codified language of tattoos, and elements of lowrider aesthetics, with a particular attention to mediums associated with the representation of Latinx identity.

Solo and two-person exhibitions

2022
Truck Stop, Jeffrey Deitch, New York, NY

2021
Easy to Be Hard, with Henry Gunderson, Evergold [Projects], San Francisco, CA

2019
Shooby Doo Lang Doo Lang Dong, Stems Gallery, Brussels, Belgium
Give a Dog a Bad Name and Hang Him, Evergold [Projects], San Francisco, CA

2018
AUT Of Body, Loyal, Stockholm, Sweden
Sun Sprawl, with Greg Ito, Club Pro, Los Angeles, CA

2017
Pen Pal at Ever Gold [Projects], San Francisco, CA
Seasoned And Embarrassed Like A Wet Dog, SADE, Los Angeles, CA

Institutions

2023
Sitting on Chrome, SFMOMA, San Fransisco, CA

2020
Made in L.A. 2020: a version, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA

Group exhibitions

2023
Loyal @ El Royale, El Royale, Los Angeles, CA

2022
Hot Concrete: LA to HK, K11 Musea, Hong Kong

2021
Shattered Glass, Jeffrey Deitch, Los Angeles, CA
Anxiety 2, HVW8 Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Lxs Angelinxs, Galeria Javier Lopez & Fer Frances, Madrid, Spain

2020
Made in L.A. 2020: a version, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA
The Hundredth Exhibition, Loyal, Stockholm, Sweden
Junque, Massimo De Carlo, London, United Kingdom

2019
Gold Standard: Ten Year Anniversary Exhibition at Ever Gold [Projects], San Francisco, CA

2018
The Private Collection of Water McBeer, Jeffrey Deitch, New York, NY

2017
Here’s Looking at You, Loyal, Stockholm, Sweden
Grinding at Ever Gold, San Francisco, CA

2016
Welcome To The Left Coast, The Luggage Store Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Summer Group Show at Hashimoto Contemporary, San Francisco, CA
The House Of Special Purpose at 99¢ Plus Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

2015
Tomorrow at Hashimoto Contemporary, San Francisco CA

2014
Something Completely Different, City Limits, Oakland, CA
5 Year Anniversary at Ever Gold Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Locals Only, RVSF, San Francisco, CA

2013
Give + Take, Adobe Books, San Francisco, CA

Residencies and awards

2014
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture

2012
Received The Yale Norfolk fellowship