The Chicago Paintings is a selection of paintings on canvas and phone books all made over the past 7 years. After being bought out of his New York apartment, Geraldo Perez moved to the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois and purchased a house, where he was able to convert his entire basement into his studio. The Chicago Paintings present a survey of memories lived and experienced from Perez’s birth in 1962 in the Dominican Republic, to his family’s emigration to New York six years later, and to his day-to-day experiences with intimacy, family, and transition. The paintings reflect on a chance encounter with Basquiat at Danceteria, studying under Jack Whitten and Dore Ashton at Cooper Union in the 2000’s, war and death in the DR, being a father, being brown, seeing the MOMA for the first time, making love, and so much more. The Chicago Paintings is on view through June 23 at East Hollywood Fine Art 4316 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles. photographs by Lani Trock