Erika Hirugami, MA. MAAB

Hirugami is a first-generation transnational Mexican-Japanese immigrant, formerly undocumented.

She holds an MA in Art Business from the Sotheby’s Institute of Art, in conjunction with the Drucker School of Management and Getty Leadership Institute at Claremont Graduate University. Her most recent MA in Chicanx Studies from UCLA is entitled “ Political Art Action: The Aesthetics of Undocumentedness.” Hirugami also holds BAs in the fields of Art History, Chicano Studies, and Mexican Studies. She is currently a lecturer and doctoral candidate at UCLA, where she epistemologically braids the aesthetics of undocumentedness to challenge immigration policy and politics.

Hirugami is the founder and CEO of CuratorLove, Co-founder of the UNDOC+Collective, the ED at AHSC, a Professor at SMC and CGU’s CBMArts, as well as CGU’s School of Arts and Humanities’ MFA Department. She is an Arts for LA Fellow, NALAC NLI Fellow, DAICOR Fellow, and CCI Catalyst. As a Getty and Kress Foundation Fellow, she has developed curatorial statements at museums across Mexico and the United States. After being a Public Art Curator for the Department of Cultural Affairs in the City of Los Angeles, Hirugami became the Curatorial Director for the Ronald McDonald House Charities while leading various commercial galleries. She has curated exhibitions for galleries and museums across the globe, and her written work has been published internationally.

Currently in Los Angeles, California—the unceded land of the Tongva, Tataviam, Serrano, Kizh, and Chumash peoples.

CV • LinkedIn Profile • UCLA Scholar • CGU Scholar

Exhibitions

2025

• FotoSoCal: Concrete Hope Santa Monica College

• Migratory Land Knowledges Cal State University San Marcos

2024

• Chicanexus: Beyond Enough at Los Angeles Mission College

• Queerteñx: Trans Fronterizes / Cuir Transnationalism Laband Gallery at Loyola Marymount University

2023

• Recordar | Anhelar: The Aesthetics of Undocumentedness Dalton Gallery at Agnes Scott College

• Pertenercer|Encarnar: The Aesthetics of Undocumentedness Ruffin Gallery at University of Virginia

2022

• Desterrando Archivos: Arlene Mejorado | Galeria Tiro Al Blanco

• Undocumentedness: An ecology of dancing fences Spring/Break Art Fair

2021

• Artfields

• The Anthropocene Epiphany: art and climate change. OCCCA

2020

• Driveway

• Conexion

• JANUS: Jen P. Harris | Edgar Gallery

• HOME: Tia Thompson | Deutsch

• QiPO | Mexico City

2019

• Zempoalxochitl | Ventura County Museum

• Community Altar | CSRC

• Coalescence | UCF

• Denounce | Otro Espacio

• On Their Backs | FOCA

• Farming Youth | Ventura County Museum

• Moment of Silence | The KNOW Contemporary

• On the Surface | Deutsch

• Destruction | Raw Gallery, Gloss Gallery

2018

• Pialli | 72andSunny

• The Conscious State of the Truth | VP Studio

• Shadow as Witness | CuratorLove Offsite

• "Black Lives Matter, Black Spaces Matter,

           Black Art Matters" - Theaster Gates | 72andSunny

• Colores Campesinos |Consulado Mexicano

2017

• Below the Underground: Renegade Art and Action in 1990s Mexico (A)| Armory

• Subverted | TAJ•ART

• Calyx | TAJ•ART

• Emotive Sensibility | TAJ•ART

• Solemn Grace | Tonalli Studio

• New Reality in Geometric Abstraction | TAJ•ART

• Glitter Bold | Jai & Jai Gallery

• Joshua Abarbanel: It's Only Nature | TAJ•ART

2016

• Colourful Greys | Square Gallery

• Remix (A) | CMA

• Welcome to colonia Libertad | MOLAA

• Current LA | DCA

2015

• Transcendental Convergence | Marcas Gallery

• Noche de Altares | Marcas Gallery

• Intima Introitum | Marcas Gallery

• Marcela Armas | MOLAA

2014

• The Color of Love | Galerie Michael

• El Velorio | Plaza de la Raza

• Distant Parallels (A) | MOLAA

• Fabelo (A) | MOLAA

• Neomexicanismo (A) | MOLAA

• Frida Kahlo, her photos (A) | MOLAA

• Contemporary Chicano Fusions | UCLA

• Simply Knot | Sheila Malone | UCLA

• Chingada Madre | UCLA

2013

• Ometeotl | Uninanti & Lepetka | UCLA

• Testigo del Siglo (A) | MAZ

• Teresa Margolles La Promesa (A) |MUAC

• ASCO; Elite de lo Oscuro (A) | MUAC

• Por Amor a la Discidencia (A) | MUAC

2012

• Manuel Alvares Bravo; Biografia Oculta (A) | INBA Bellas Artes

• Brian Nissen Retrospective (A) | INBA Bellas Artes

2011

• Art & Revolution (A) | UCLA

Other Endeavors

2024

• California Community Foundation Panelist

• Community Partners Mentor

2023

• Ogden Contemporary Panelist

• Community Partners Panelist

2022

• Visible Records Juror

• Perenchio Foundation Grant Panelist

• LA County Grant Panelist

2021

• OCCCA Juror

• Other Art Fair Juror

• McColl Center Guest

2020

• #Bipoc4socalmuseums

• AHSC Executive Director

2019

• AHSC Executive Board Member

• CTE Advisory Committee Member LA Academy of Arts & Enterprise

• ArtFields Selection Panel

• CAC Artist Award Panelist

• Sothebys Institute of Art Capstone Juror

2018

• Venice Family Clinic, Artwalk & Auction | Artist Studio Site Coordinator

• San Diego Art Institute C-Note Juror

• California Community Foundation Fellowship Juror

2017

• CAC Creative place making grant award panelist

2015

• ESMOA | Development Specialist

2014

• Getty MUI | Undergraduate Intern

• UCLA | President of Ahusa

Curatorial + Arts Experience

2019

• Curatorial Director at The KNOW Contemporary

2018

• Curator in Residence at 72andSunny

• Guest Curator at Mexican Consulate

2017

• Curatorial Director of Ronald McDonald House of Charities

• Curatorial Director at TAJ • ART

• Visiting Curator at Tonalli Studio

• Affiliate Curator at Jai & Jai Gallery

2016

• Engagement Curator for the Public Art Biennial in the City of Los Angeles

• Visiting Curator at Plaza de la Raza

2015

• Founder & CEO | CuratorLove

• Curatorial Director | Marcas Contemporary

• Kress Foundation Curatorial Fellow | CMA

• Armory Center for the Arts | Researcher

2014

• Curatorial Fellow MOLAA

• Photography Curator | Galerie Michael

• Curator | El Velorio

• Getty Foundations Curatorial Researcher | MOLAA

• Editorial Research Assistant | UCLA

2013

• Curatorial Assistant | MUAC

• Curatorial Editor Assistant | Bellas Artes