The Life – Ler Chang

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BROKERS BUILDING ART GALLERY PRESENTS
“THE LIFE”
New Exhibition by Surrealist Painter Ler Chang
May 3 – May 31, 2026 | Opening Reception: Thursday, May 15
Presented in Celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

San Diego, CA — Brokers Building Art Gallery is proud to present The Life, a new exhibition of original works by San Diego-based surrealist painter Ler Chang. Now on view through May 31, 2026, and presented as part of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the exhibition brings together a cohesive body of oil paintings, color pencil drawings, and resin sculptures that examine the complex relationships between humans, nature, and other species through a richly layered and visually direct lens.

Born in China and now based in the United States, Ler Chang has spent years closely observing how people navigate life alongside one another and the natural world — in urban and rural environments, across cultural boundaries, and in the intimate spaces where humanity and the animal kingdom intersect. Chang’s perspective as an immigrant navigating American society informs every canvas: an outsider’s eye turned toward universal questions of belonging, coexistence, and the quiet violence and tenderness that define life across species and cultures. The Life is the culmination of those observations — a body of work that is representational and realistic in form, but presented with a dramatic, unexpected visual language that challenges the viewer to look again.

The exhibition is organized around two interwoven conceptual threads. The first explores questions of life, death, and the attitudes we carry toward both — works including Skeleton Party, New Year’s Day, Smile Forever, and Yellow Spring sit at the heart of this inquiry. The second examines the relationships between humans and other species, asking how power, care, and misunderstanding shape the way we treat the living world around us. Works such as The Life Below, The Life Above, The Life Lowly, CUT, and Cross approach these themes from perspectives that are deliberately disorienting and thought-provoking. A third, quieter strand within the exhibition reflects on the lives of companion animals — Mis-love, The Outside World, and The Life Within offer tender and complex meditations on the bonds between humans and their pets.

The scenes depicted in The Life are universally recognizable. The stories could take place anywhere. By presenting everyday moments from unexpected vantage points, Ler Chang invites viewers to reconsider how they relate to one another, to other species, and to the shared environment that sustains all life.

“I believe art can influence how people think,” says Chang. “This exhibition is my way of contributing to the community — by encouraging awareness, respect, and understanding between people, animals, and the world we share.”

The Life is on view now through May 31, 2026 at Brokers Building Art Gallery, 525 C Street, Suite 2, San Diego, CA 92101. The public opening reception will be held on Thursday, May 15. All are warmly welcome.

For more information about Ler Chang and their work, visit www.lerchangfineart.com or follow @changle95845 on Instagram.

For press inquiries and gallery information, contact:
Brokers Building Art Gallery
525 C Street, Suite 2
San Diego, CA 92101
info@brokersbuilding.org
www.brokersbuilding.org