MCASD commissioned Los Angeles-based artist Portia Hein to create a new installation in the Museum's cafe space as part of the Southern Exposure exhibition. Hein makes flat, abstract compositions in quiet colors that suggest plant life and landforms, but go beyond nature into worlds of her own creation. She explores fragility in her ongoing series of landscape paintings, depicting plants in all phases of growth and decay that are based, in part, on a year-round observation of Echo Park Lake, near her home. Her imagery, which is composed of controlled stains and wavering, watery lines, embodies a delicate elegance, relating to the fleeting nature of beauty. 
 
This is her first Museum commission and residency. The project is part of a series of temporary exhibitions in the Museum's cafe space, which include focused looks at single artists, works from MCASD's permanent collection, and commissioned installations. In the Cafe: Portia Hein is supported by a generous contribution from Dr. Charles C. and Sue K. Edwards.