August 24th, 2024 | 4-8 PM
Artist Talk at 6 PM

TKOart at The Brewery Artist Colony
660 S. Ave 21 #9, Los Angeles, CA 90031

Join us at The Brewery Artist Colony on August 24th between 4-8 PM to celebrate the opening of 365+ Preview: A Painted Autobiography by Little Ricky, where he debuts the first 31 days of his 365-day challenge. At 6 PM, Little Ricky will present an inside look at the 365+ Project and his Dream Series.

Following the philosophy of iconic artist Keith Haring, Little Ricky challenged himself to create a piece of artwork every day for the entirety of 2023. This series of artworks contains musings and reflections on life, dreams, people, and experiences that culminate into an entire year’s worth of the artist’s identity.

Little Ricky, born Ricky Sencion and a Los Angeles native, has been a significant figure in the local art scene since 1998. Imbued with a childlike wonder and a philosophy of radical acceptance, Little Ricky lives in alignment with the Alexander McQueen quote: “I am the pink sheep in the family”—a line that has shaped his self-identity since 2013. Rejecting the shame associated with the notion of the “black sheep” and happy in his own uniqueness, Little Ricky’s signature pink sheep character takes on many forms, appearing in his dreams and visions of the world.
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Little Ricky shares:

On January 1st, 2018, I started my Dream series. Since then, I’ve been journaling and painting my dreams daily. For the majority of my adult life, dreaming has been a big part of my life. It eventually led to establishing a nightly sleep ritual that I maintain to this day.

In December of 2017, I experienced an otherworldly moment that a month later led to a moment of everlasting joy. This moment happened 2 weeks into starting my Dream series. I was reading a book while riding a stationary bicycle at the gym. I looked up and out the window. Nothing happened, but everything changed.

It was peace, it was joy. It was the 'paz en el corazon' that Mama longed to feel. As a curious kid, I wondered about the meaning of her words. At that moment, I understood. A couple months later Mama passed away.

Even though I’d been out and proud for over 30 years, as a queer being, there’d been an underlying lingering shame. It affected how I saw myself and what I presented out into the world. In the blink of an eye, this moment of joy took all that shame away.

Through a visual array of images, words, and symbols, my 365+ Project and Dream pieces invite you to reflect, ponder, and curiously imagine a world where joy exists. Now into my 6th year of chronicling my dreams, my real life, my dream life, and my art have meshed into one beautiful experience where I get to be as I am. Free.

This exhibition is more than a collection of art—it's an invitation to experience the world through Little Ricky’s eyes, where dreams and reality intertwine, and joy takes center stage. We look forward to seeing you there!

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