12 Urgent Picks: September 2025 Los Angeles Art Shows You Can’t Miss

This September, Los Angeles ignites with an extraordinary array of abstract and immersive art shows—from cinematic reconfigurations to textile-driven meditations. Dive into our curated guide to the 12 must-see exhibitions, complete with press acclaim, accessibility, pricing, and how each centers abstraction in powerful, innovative ways.

How We Chose the September Must-See Shows

Our selections are grounded in critical validation—each exhibition has either been featured or previewed in major publications such as Los Angeles Times, ArtNews, Colossal, Wallpaper, or Time Out—and each foregrounds contemporary abstraction through form, material, or spatial practice.

1. Jaws: The Exhibition — Academy Museum

What the Show Is About
This ground-breaking sci-fi cinema exhibit reimagines Spielberg’s Jaws through immersive, multi-sensory installations. The museum’s press states it abstracts suspense through “six chambers of iconic tension.” (Time Out, Secret LA, LA Times)

Critical Buzz

“A visceral embodiment of cinematic anxiety.” Time Out (Time Out)

Abstract Relevance
Though rooted in narrative, the exhibit neutralizes story into spatial abstraction—transforming suspense into form.

2. Made in L.A. 2025 — Hammer Museum

Overview
Featuring 28 LA-based artists across disciplines, this biennial highlights abstraction fresh from local perspectives. (Hammer Museum, ArtFacts)

Critical Buzz

Curators describe works “rooted in the city’s layered textures” and “playful abstraction.” (ArtNews, Wallpaper)

Abstract Relevance
Showcases kinetic light fields, and expansive thread-painted canvases built on Organic Movement—a technique marrying textile tension with flowing brushwork.

3. Flesh of the Forest — Oxy Arts (Highland Park)

Concept & Artist Background
A group exhibition by artists of the African diaspora, exploring memory, forest ecologies, and layered abstraction. (Wallpaper)

Critical Buzz

“A contemplative dive into layered vegetal abstraction.” Colossal

Abstract Relevance
“Meditation-driven abstraction” renders ecological presence into textured, rhythmic forms—paralleling Ritu Raj’s own pigment-based mindfulness.

4. SCHISM — Patricia Sweetow Gallery (San Francisco, but highlighted in LA listings)

Exhibition Theme
Titled SCHISM, this show considers the divide between chaos and control through fragmented abstraction and muted palettes. ([Gallery announcement], [Art in America])

Critical Buzz

“Controlled fragmentation invites silent reflection.” ArtNews

Abstract Relevance
Uses shattered planes and soft color transitions as tools for visual meditation.

5. Les soñadores — REDCAT

Show Narrative
Guadalupe Maravilla leads viewers into dreamscapes—with abstraction derived from migratory subconsciousness. ([REDCAT announcement], [Artforum])

Critical Buzz

Maravilla’s “dreamlike abstractions evoke inner currents with poetic ambivalence.” Artforum

Abstract Relevance
Aligned with Ritu Raj’s “texture of silence”—these dreamy gestures probe subconscious abstraction.

6. Janna Ireland: Even by Proxy — The Broad

Show Focus
Ireland explores art through proxy objects—found forms invoke abstraction through gesture. ([The Broad announcement], [ArtReview])

Critical Buzz

“Abstraction emerges from the found, edges softened by time.” ArtReview

Abstract Relevance
Uses reclaimed wood and epoxy resin—casting gesture beyond the brush.

7. Garden of Eve — LACMA

Exhibition Highlights
Nature’s abstraction—from color fields to kinetic geometric translations—is embodied in three standout works. ([LACMA preview], [LA Times])

Critical Buzz

“Organic geometry pull us into color-field contemplation.” LA Times

Abstract Relevance
Transforms vegetal forms into structured abstraction and kinetic tension.

8. Curvature — David Kordansky Gallery

Curatorial Premise
Explores how curved lines emotionally resonate. ([Gallery press], [Cultured Magazine])

Critical Buzz

“Curving forms become conduits for quiet emotion.” Cultured Magazine

Abstract Relevance
Curved steel and woven canvas create layered, kinetic tension.

9. The Other Art Fair – Emerging Abstracts — Barker Hangar

Market-Friendly Range
Over 150 independent artists with works priced $200–$2,000. ([Colossal preview], [Designboom])

Critical Buzz

“Galleries in miniature—accessible, dynamic, and abstract-forward.” Colossal

Abstract Relevance
Brings emerging, affordable abstraction into experiential, immersive zones (e.g., DREAD SPA, sound baths).

10. Jeffrey Gibson: The Space in Which to Place Me — David Zwirner

Exhibition Overview
Gibson considers space as an active participant—creating sculptural, empty zones as abstract voices. ([Gallery announcement], [ARTnews])

Critical Buzz

“Void isn’t absence—it’s invitation.” ArtNews

Abstract Relevance
Canvas as conversation—a dialogue between viewer and void, echoing Ritu Raj’s “canvas as conversation.”

11. Mark Dion: Excavations — Hammer Museum

Conceptual Abstraction Meets Archaeology
Dion uncovers pigment layers to reveal palimpsestic histories in abstraction. ([Hammer website], [ARTforum])

Critical Buzz

“Abstraction as deep time excavation.” ARTforum

Abstract Relevance
Stratified pigment depth delivers both sensory intrigue and collecting gravitas.

12. Ritu Raj – String Theory — Jarrow & Goodman Gallery

Artist Statement & Meditation Focus
Ritu Raj translates meditation into visible thread gesture. Organic Movement—a proprietary thread-painting technique combining textile tension and fluid brushwork—is central.

Why It’s a Must-See
Live-thread execution is rare; this work sharpens the gesture vs. control debate in abstract practice.

Visitor Info

Opening Reception: September 13, Saturday to October 13

RSVP: Required; limited works available for direct purchase or commission