In conjunction with the exhibition Sandra Vásquez de la Horra: The Awake Volcanoes, join us for an evening of Chile in Los Angeles with a screening of the newly released documentary I Write Your Name / Escribo Tu Nombre by Brogan de Paor and Julie Thompson about the LA-based Chilean artist and muralist Francisco Letelier.
Deeply informed by his close connections to Chile’s unfolding history, Francisco is the son of Orlando Letelier, who was minister of Defense in Salvador Allende’s Chilean government in 1973. Imprisoned, tortured, and then exiled to Washington, D.C., Orlando was murdered by the Augusto Pinochet government in 1976 in Sheridan Circle when Francisco was 16. As an artist based in Venice, California, Francisco is an important member of the local and national Chilean community. His work celebrates his country’s traditions of political muralism and serves as both a form of memory and an act of resistance.
In conjunction with the exhibition Sandra Vásquez de la Horra: The Awake Volcanoes, join us for an evening of Chile in Los Angeles with a screening of the newly released documentary I Write Your Name / Escribo Tu Nombre by Brogan de Paor and Julie Thompson about the LA-based Chilean artist and muralist Francisco Letelier.
Deeply informed by his close connections to Chile’s unfolding history, Francisco is the son of Orlando Letelier, who was minister of Defense in Salvador Allende’s Chilean government in 1973. Imprisoned, tortured, and then exiled to Washington, D.C., Orlando was murdered by the Augusto Pinochet government in 1976 in Sheridan Circle when Francisco was 16. As an artist based in Venice, California, Francisco is an important member of the local and national Chilean community. His work celebrates his country’s traditions of political muralism and serves as both a form of memory and an act of resistance.
Following the screening, Learning & Engagement Coordinator Alberto Keossian will join Letelier in conversation, followed by an audience Q&A.
Chilean-American artist, Francisco Letelier, creates art that crosses disciplines and cultures. His work blends history with contemporary experiences integrating narratives that explore cultural memory and identity. Known for both his words and images, Letelier’s perceptive writing and spoken word provide backbone and narrative for his visual art. Involved in projects internationally, his inter-disciplinary collaborations have integrated a variety of media and facilitated collective and participatory activities.
The artist was nominated for a Grammy for his work on musician Jackson Browne’s World in Motion release. Letelier has also received the LA Artcore and the SPARC (Social and Public Art Resource Center) Siqueiros Muralist Award. His 2016, Todas Las Manos, at American University in Washington DC was dedicated by Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. His current was acknowledged through an established artist fellowship by the California Arts Council.
Based in Veni …
Chilean-American artist, Francisco Letelier, creates art that crosses disciplines and cultures. His work blends history with contemporary experiences integrating narratives that explore cultural memory and identity. Known for both his words and images, Letelier’s perceptive writing and spoken word provide backbone and narrative for his visual art. Involved in projects internationally, his inter-disciplinary collaborations have integrated a variety of media and facilitated collective and participatory activities.
The artist was nominated for a Grammy for his work on musician Jackson Browne’s World in Motion release. Letelier has also received the LA Artcore and the SPARC (Social and Public Art Resource Center) Siqueiros Muralist Award. His 2016, Todas Las Manos, at American University in Washington DC was dedicated by Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. His current was acknowledged through an established artist fellowship by the California Arts Council.
Based in Venice, California, the artist’s Los Angeles murals include the soaring monumental ceramic tile murals, El Sol and La Luna (The Sun and The Moon) at the Westlake/MacArthur Park Metro Station. More recently, Letelier created the Into The Blue mural, with collaborator Mary Beth Fama, at the LAX airport police facility. His work appears on the cover and within the Latino American Heritage Month Calendar and Cultural Guide 2025 published by the LA Department of Cultural Affairs.
The artist is a contributing editor for The Markaz Review, his writing appears in The Best of the Markaz Review, a landmark anthology published in late 2025.