John Sonsini | VIELMETTER LOS ANGELES

1975: BA, California State University, Northridge, CA

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2026: “Francisco, Roger, Jorge, David, Enrique, Rodney, Carlos, Gabriel, Ramiro, Luis, Fernando, Rian, and Carlos," PARA A, Mexico City, MX
2024: "Still Life Stories," Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
2023: "Watercolors," Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
2020: "Cowboy Stories & New Paintings," Vielmetter Los Angeles, CA
2019: "John Sonsini," Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY
: “A Day’s Labor: Portraits by John Sonsini,” Art Design & Architecture Museum, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
2018: “Daywork: Portraits,” Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA
2015: “John Sonsini,” Patrick Painter Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2013: “John Sonsini: New Paintings,” Bentley Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2012: “John Sonsini: Paintings,” Kucera Gallery, Seattle, WA
: “John Sonsini: New Paintings,” Inman Gallery, Houston, TX
: “John Sonsini: Men,” Hamilton College, Emerson Gallery, Clinton, NY
2011: “Los Vaqueros,” James Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
2010: “Broad Reminders: The Paintings of John Sonsini,” ACME, Los Angeles, CA
: “Portraits from Los Angeles,” Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State University, Logan, UT
2008: “New Paintings,” ACME, Los Angeles, CA
2007: “John Sonsini: Paintings and Drawings,” Atkinson Gallery, Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara, CA
: “John Sonsini,” Cheim & Read, New York, NY
2006: “New Paintings,” ACME., Los Angeles, CA
2005: “John Sonsini,” Anthony Grant Gallery, New York, NY
: “Cerca Series: John Sonsini,” Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA
2003: “Portraits,” ACME, Los Angeles, CA
: “John Sonsini,” Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
2002: ACME, Los Angeles, CA
2000: “Gabriel,” ACME., Los Angeles, CA
1999: “Gabriel, New Paintings,” Dan Bernier Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1998: “John Sonsini, New Photographs,” David Aden Gallery, Venice, CA
1997: “Photographs of John Sonsini,” Tom of Finland Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1995: Dan Bernier Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
1986: Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1983: Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1982: Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
: Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

Selected Group Exhibitions

2025: "HEADS," Laguna College of Art and Design Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
2024-2025: "All Bangers, All The Time," Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY
2024: "To Move Toward the Limits of the Living: LGBTQ+ Works from the Collection," Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA
: "Unfinished," The Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art, Fullerton, CA
2023: "Perpetual Portrait," Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
2022-2023: "Order / Reorder: Experiments with Collections," Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, NY
2022: "Where Words Falter: Art and Empathy," Tang Teaching Museum, Saratoga Springs, NY
: "Some People," Cheim & Read, New York, NY
2021: "Art and Hope at the End of the Tunnel," USC Fisher Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2020: "20 Years," Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
2019: The Warmth of Other Suns: Stories of Global Displacement,” The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C
: “Collecting on the Edge,” Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State University, Logan, UT
2018: “Belief in Giants,” Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY
: “Modern and Contemporary,” Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
: “From the Collection of Karen & Robert Duncan,” The Assemblage, Lincoln, NE
2017: “The Sweat of Their Face: Portraying American Workers,” National Portrait Gallery, Washington DC
2016: “Human Interest: Portraits from the Whitney’s Collection,” Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
: “Us is Them,” Pizzuti Collection, Columbus, OH
2015: “The Human Touch: Selections from the RBC Wealth Management Art Collection,” Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY
2014: “The Triumph of Love: Beth Rudin DeWoody Collects,” Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, FL
: “Who we are, Selections from the Collection of Karen & Robert Duncan,” Clarinda Carnegie Art Museum, Clarinda, IA
: “Concrete Infinity, Selections from the Permanent Collection,” Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA
2013: “Mr & Mrs,” James Salomon Contemporary, New York, NY
: “Art of the West,” Autry National Center of the American West, Los Angeles, CA
: “The Human Touch: Selections from the RBC Wealth Management Art Collection,” Scottsdale
: Museum of Contemporary Art, Scottsdale, AZ
2012: “Domestic Relations,” Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
: “Mr & Mrs,” James Salomon Contemporary, New York, NY
: “All I Want is a Picture,” Angles Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
: “Body Language,” Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, CA
: “SFMOMA: Contemporary Painting, 1960 to the Present: Selections from The Permanent Collection,” SFMOMA, San Francisco, CA
: “¡Cuidado! – The Help,” Greg Kucera Gallery, Seattle, WA
2011: “Mise-en-Scène,” Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR
: “Works of Paper,” ACME, Los Angeles, CA
: Tobey C. Moss Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2010: “Disquieted,” Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR
: “Personal Identities: Contemporary Portraits,” University Art Gallery, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA
: “Private Display,” New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
: “Think Pink,” Gavklak Gallery, Palm Beach, FL
: “The Human Touch,” Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE
2009: “Posture,” Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
: “With You I Want to Live,” Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, FL
2008: “Other People,” UCLA Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA
: “The Sum of Its Parts,” Cheim & Read, New York, NY
2006: “Art on Paper 2006 ” Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, NC
: “Selected Paintings – Los Angeles,” Pasadena City College, Pasadena, CA
: “Twice Drawn,” Tang Teaching Museum, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY
2005: “Plip, Plip, Plipity,” Richard Telles Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA
2004: “Singing My Song,” ACME., Los Angeles, CA
: “Rogelio,” Installation painting, San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA, curated by JoAnne Northrup
: “About Painting,” Tang Museum, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY
: “SPF, Self-Portraits,” Angles Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2003: “intimates,” Angles Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
: “ACME. @ Inman,” Inman Gallery, Houston, TX
2002: “nude + narrative,” P. P. O. W. , New York, N Y
: “L.A. Post Cool,” The San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA
: “Representing L. A. ,” Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA
2001: “Made in California: Art, Image, and Identity 1900-2000,” Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA
: “Painting: Fore and Aft,” ACME., Los Angeles, CA
: Mark Moore Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1999: “Portraits from L. A. ,” Robert and Francis Fullerton Museum of Art, California State University, San Bernardino, C A
1998: “Photographs,” David Aden Gallery, Venice, C A
: “Examining Sexuality,” Marc Arranaga, Los Angeles, CA
1997: “Private Reserve,” Photo Impact Gallery, Hollywood, CA
1996: Rosamund Felson Gallery, Santa Monica, CA, curated by Michael Duncan
1994: “L. A. Nude,” Photo Impact Gallery, Hollywood, CA
: “LAX the L. A. Biennial,” Otis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1992: “Contemporary Figure,” Pasadena City College, Pasadena, CA, curated by Peter Frank
1991: “L.A. Nude,” Photo Impact Gallery, Hollywood, CA
1990: “Feminine/Masculine,” Christopher John Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
: “Time,” Marc Richards Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
: “Humans Being,” Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1986: “Issues,” Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1985: “Perspectives,” California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA
: “Contemporary Monotypes,” Security Pacific Plaza, Los Angeles, CA
: “Paintings/Invitational Candidate Exhibition,” American Academy & Institute of Arts and Letters, New York, NY
1984: “Pastels,” Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles, C A
: “Seventeen Self Portraits,” Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA
: “No Finish Line,” Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles,CA
: “From Los Angeles,” Eason Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
: 1983 “Figure Fascination,” Jan Baum Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
: “Monoprints from Angeles Press,” Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
: “Four L. A. Painters,” The American Gallery, Los Angeles, C A

Selected Projects

2012: “The Extraordinary Life & Times of Bruce of L.A., 1948-1974,” from the Collection of John Sonsini, Pacific Standard Time Gallery Exhibition, Stephen Cohen Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, curated by John Sonsini
2007: The Puerto Vallarta Project, Jalisco, Mexico
: The Brooklyn Project, Brooklyn, NY
: The Santa Barbara Project, Santa Barbara, CA
2005: DAYL ABOR/Hollywood Work Center, Los Angeles, CA

Group Exhibition Catalogues and Books

2025: Pagel, David. "John Sonsini + David Pagel: Broad Reminders," Radius Books, Santa Fe, NM.
2021: Pagel, David. "John Sonsini," Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY
2008: Dini, Jane, The Male Portraits of John Sonsini, Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara, CA.
2007: Grove, Jeffrey, John Sonsini, Cheim & Read, New York, NY.
2005: Berry, Ian, John Sonsini: New Paintings, Anthony Grant Inc., New York, NY.
2001: Leddick, David, Male Nude Now, Taschen.
: Made in California: Art, Image, Identity 1900-2000, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA.
2000: Fuglie, Gordon L., Representing LA, Pictorial Currents in Southern California Art, Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA.
1999: Ianco-Starrels, Josine, Portraits From L. A. , Robert V. Fullerton Museum, San Bernardino, CA.
1998: Lucie-Smith, Edward, Adam: The Male Figure In Art, Rizzoli. Leddick, David, The Male Nude – 100 Year History, Taschen.
2016: Berry, Ian, Jeffrey Grove, Allan M. Jalon, John Sonsini, exhibition catalogue, Ameringer | McEnery | Yohe, New York, NY.
2010: Wood, Eve, John Sonsini, exhibition brochure, ACME., Los Angeles, CA.
: Duncan, Michael, Portraits from Los Angeles, Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State University, Logan, UT.
2009: Lippman, Irvin M., The Collection of Gordon Locksley & George Shea, Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Bibliography

2024: Lee, Sophia. "Thinking of Extending Your Design Fair Trip in Los Angeles? Here Are This Month’s 9 Must- See Exhibitions in the City," May 20 (Link)
2022: Stone, Marrie. "Francis De Erdely’s Striking Figures strikes a resonant chord at the Laguna Art Museum," Stu News Laguna, June 30 (Link)
2021: Teicholz, Tom. "Edward Goldman’s Own ‘Made In LA’— Pandemic Version," Forbes, October 19 (Link)
: Moldan, Tessa. "Expo Chgo Online: Six Artwork Highlights," Oculus, April 1 (Link)
2020: "Hot right now: 10 American post-war and contemporary artists to have in your collection," Christies, February 14 (Link)
: Stamberg, Susan. "Artist Says His Portraits Of Day Laborers Are Paintings — Not Statements," NPR, February 13 (Link)
: Pagel, David. "Review: The secret behind John Sonsini’s profound portraits of L.A. day laborers," Los Angeles Times, January 30 (Link)
2019: Cameron, Jon. "John Sonsini," Brooklyn Rail, May (Link)
2013: Gonzalez, Daniel. “Painter John Sonsini’s Works Portray Quiet Dignity of Day Laborers,” The Republic, March 26
2012: Zastudil, Nancy. “John Sonsini: Men at Work,” Arts+Culture Magazine Houston, February
2010: Pagel, David. “Partly Visible Stories.” Los Angeles Times 2 July: D19.
2002: Goldman, Edward. “Art Talk.” KCRW, September.
: Wood, Eve. “It’s All About the Gaze.” Artnet
: Bradley, Myrium. “The Collaborators John Sonsini and his Model, Gabriel, Make a Fine Art Pair.” art connoisseur volume #4.
2000: Goldman, Edward. “Art Talk.” KCRW 89.9 FM July.
1999: Pagel, David. “Every Face Tells a Story.” Los Angeles Times, December.
: Duncan, Michael. “L. A. Portraiture: Post Cool.” Art in America October.
1996: Duncan, Michael. “John Sonsini at Dan Bernier.” Art in America, March
: Pagel, David. “Solitary Pleasures?” Los Angeles Times, December.
: Ayers, Anne, LAX, catalogue. 1993 Rawlins, Dorrit, Nasty, catalogue.
1995: Muchnic, Suzanne. “John Sonsini.” ArtNews, April
1994: Duncan, Michael. “L. A. Rising.” Art in America December.
1991: Frank, Peter, Go Figure, New Portraits, catalogue.
1990: Clarke, Orville O. “John Sonsini.” Southern California Home & Garden 3.
1986: Muchnic, Suzanne. “John Sonsini.” Los Angeles Times October.
1985: Clarke, Orville. “John Sonsini: The Look of Los Angeles.” L.A. Reader May.
: Fehlau, F. “Figures and Figures.” In Style March.
: 1984 Baitz, Jon Robin. “Latin Connection.” L. A. Reader May.
: Wolf, Leslie. “Seventeen Self-Portraits.” LA Weekly March.
: Wolf, Leslie. “No Finish Line.” LA Weekly July.
1983: Wilson, William. “John Sonsini.” Los Angeles Times September.
: Delgado, Michael. “John Sonsini.” LA Weekly September.
: Knight, Christopher. “Monoprints from Angeles Press.” L. A. Herald Examiner May.
1982: Tuchman, Mitch. “John Sonsini: New Paintings.” LA Weekly September.
: Muchnic, Suzanne. “John Sonsini.” Los Angeles Times September.
: Muchnic, Suzanne. “Domestic Relation.” Los Angeles Times June.
: Drohojowska, Hunter. “Four L.A. Painters.” LA Weekly April.
2013: “John Sonsini’s Expressionist Portraits of Latino Laborers.” Huffington Post January.
2011: Zevitas, Steven. “10 Must-See Painting Shows In The US: Summer Heat Edition.” Huffington Post July.
: McGraw, Kate. “Intense Portraits.” Albuquerque Journal, June 25
: White, Roger. “Get Real.” Modern Painters February: 55.
2010: Rodriguez, Frank. “The Remarkable Men of John Sonsini.” Artillery Nov/Dec: 26-30.
2009: Rubin, Edward. “With You I Want to Live.” D’art International Fall.
: Trelles, Emma. “Locksley-Shea Collection at Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale.”
: Bradner, Liesl. “Quite a Crowd.” Los Angeles Times 4 January: F2.
2008: Pagel, David. “Day Laborers in a New Line of Work.” Los Angeles Times 9 May: E17.
: Wood, Eve. “John Sonsini at ACME.” Artillery July/August.
2007: Biel, Kim. “John Sonsini.” Art Ltd., West Coast Art & Design September
: Woodard, Josef. “John Sonsini at Atkinson Gallery.” Santa Barbara Seasons Fall: 74-9.
2006: Wood, Eve. “John Sonsini.” artUS March- April.
2005: Duncan, Michael. “The Faces of Work.” Art in America December: 124-127.
: Pincus, Robert L. “Face Time.” San Diego Union-Tribune 31 March.
: Johnson, Ken. “John Sonsini at Anthony Grant.” New York Times 25 March: B29.
2003: Pagel, David. “Family, friends, other ‘Intimates.” Los Angeles Times, August 29
: Cooper, Bernard. “In the Raw.” Los Angeles Magazine December: 124-128.

Public Collections

: Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles, CA
: AD&A Museum, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
: Addison Gallery of American Art, Philips Academy, Andover, MA
: Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, AL
: Blanton Museum of Art, Austin, TX
: The Broad Art Foundation, Santa Monica, CA
: Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York, NY
: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
: The Frances Young Tang Museum, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY
: Hammer Museum, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
: Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
: High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
: Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA
: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA
: Marieluise Hessel Collection, Hessel Museum of Art, Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
: McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, TX
: Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
: The Mulvane Art Museum, Washburn University, Topeka, KS
: Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA
: Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA
: Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County College, Overland Park, KS
: Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State University, Logan, UT
: Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA
: Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR
: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA
: Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, CA
: The Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.
: The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY
: The Weatherspoon Museum, Greensboro, NC
: The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY