Belief

Artist: Hem, Andrew b.1981

Date: 2023

Medium: Acrylic and oil paint on canvas

Artwork Dimensions: 5 ft 2 in. x 6 ft 9 in. x 1.5 in.

County Department: Public Defender

Artwork Site: Hall of Records - Office of the Public Defender

Supervisorial District: 1

Current Status: On view

About the Artwork: Belief by artist Andrew Hem portrays six individuals who work for the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office - an attorney, a social worker, an investigator, a paralegal, an information technology analyst, and a legal assistant. With the Van Nuys courthouse visible in the background, the figures look ahead towards a brighter future where everyone, including the most disadvantaged communities, has equal access to a fair justice system. The mural behind the figures depicts a public, which stands in appreciation of the compassion, dedication, and commitment of the Public Defender's Office.

About the Artist: Born during his parents' flight from Cambodia in the wake of the Khmer Rouge genocide, Andrew Hem grew up poised in the balance between two cultures - the rural animistic society of his Khmer ancestors, and the dynamic urban arts of the tough Los Angeles neighborhood where his family eventually came to rest. Fascinated by graffiti at an early age, he honed his skills with graphics and composition on the walls of the city before following a passion for figure drawing to a degree in illustration from Art Center College of Design. Working in gouache, oil and acrylic, Andrew Hem weaves atmospheric, richly textured narratives in a vivid palette of twilight blues enlivened by swaths of deep red and splashes of golden light. His haunting impressions of culture and landscape evoke the life of the spirit through the visionary manifestation of memories and dreams.