Magdalena Suarez Frimkess. Organized by Shio Kusaka at David Zwirner, Los Angeles

Exhibition Overview

David Zwirner is pleased to announce an exhibition featuring ceramic sculptures and works on paper by Magdalena Suarez Frimkess, on view at the gallery's 606 N Western Avenue location in Los Angeles. The gallery has invited the Los Angeles–based artist Shio Kusaka—who is well known for her playful and open approach to the ceramic medium—to organize this exhibition. This presentation also includes two collaborative works created together by the artists. The exhibition coincides with the solo show Magdalena Suarez Frimkess: Ninety-six and Pissed, which opens at the Marciano Art Foundation, Los Angeles, on May 6, 2026.

Exhibition Dates

• April 11 – May 22, 2026

About the Artist

A longtime resident of Venice Beach, California, Suarez Frimkess is well known for forms that employ familiar iconography, ranging from Mickey Mouse to the Chilean comic-book character Condorito, among other figures and motifs. Born in Venezuela in 1929, she studied at the Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Caracas and Pontifical Catholic University in Santiago, Chile. In 1962, she moved to Port Chester, New York, to pursue a residency at the Clay Art Center, where she met her partner Michael Frimkess. The couple settled permanently in Venice Beach in 1971, establishing a studio and creative partnership.

Works on View

The exhibition highlights Suarez Frimkess's innovative handbuilt sculpture and drawing. Her imagery ranges from animal and floral motifs, ancient Mesoamerican art, and Venezuelan statesman Simón Bolivar to popular cartoon characters from the United States and Latin America. Magnolias and birds of paradise cover irregular stoneware plates, while freestanding figurines picture Olive Oyl from Popeye and Minnie Mouse. She has undertaken a daily drawing practice, producing abstract and figurative works on paper. The presentation also includes collaborative works with her partner Michael Frimkess, a master ceramicist.