Alvar Jacomet’s Textures of San Francisco marks Decentered Studio’s Debut Show

Alvar Jacomet brings his textured paintings to San Francisco's newest community gallery. 

Decentered Arts is proud to launch our new gallery program at **Decentered Studio** by featuring the work of **Alvar Jacomet** (b. 1995, Los Angeles, California), an American-Argentinian figurative painter whose work transforms the familiar architecture of San Francisco into striking new forms. His show, Textures of San Francisco is the first to deck our walls.
Working primarily in acrylic, Alvar builds depth and dimension into his paintings with unexpected materials such as household objects, construction caulking, and textured surfaces that echo the city’s layered histories. His main subject matter often centers on San Francisco’s Victorian architecture, but through abstraction, distortion, and recomposition, his work becomes something more: an exploration of the city’s fragility and its constant transformation.
Alvar’s work has been exhibited at the **De Young Museum**, as well as at numerous Bay Area spaces including **Mothbelly Gallery** and **Strike Slip Gallery**. We are honored to present his work as the first featured artist at **Decentered Studio**, continuing a dialogue between local artists and the changing city we call home.
Textures of San Francisco is on view until October 8th. We are open for free coworking 11am-6ish 1175 Folsom, Monday to Thursday or you can view the show by appointment, just email [studio@decentered.org](mailto:studio@decentered.org) , we are very flexible and stoked to give you a tour. [Inventory and price list here. ](https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:05c9746f-6972-4c64-b047-3339d38d68d5)View the show virtually [here.](https://photos.app.goo.gl/i1E1Ed3syhP4zB387) 
### Q&A

Q: What draws you to San Francisco’s Victorian architecture?
A: I think the Victorian’s facade has a very lego-esque geometry to it. That’s how they were built originally, you’d select this or that unique piece of molding and they’d be attached together. Using photoshop, I crop up the houses into shapes I find interesting, and then collage them together. I also just think they’re also very fun to look at, you can catch little stories of people’s lives from a walk past their window, or there may be a cat judging you. 

Q: What story about San Francisco do you hope your paintings tell?
A: I like to reflect on how we give this city so much permanence as it currently is, even though it’s still so young and sitting on a giant faultline. All of this while leading in so many industries with increasingly intangible but global influence and power. 

Q: How has living and working in San Francisco shaped your perspective as an artist?
A: The architecture has definitely shaped my perspective for several years now. It’s also where I found a painting teacher that worked for me and also gave me so much momentum to work from. Those 2 things have really been the foundation for my art career so far. 

Q: What makes SF’s art scene unique vs. other cities? 
A:  It’s a teeny-tiny city so you end up meeting friends of friends at all the art functions and communities can grow and combine with others very quickly. The community is also very receptive to it, you can find wallspace in all sorts of local businesses if you look for it. 

### **Artist Statement**
_“We are always in dialogue with the built environment, negotiating the tension between the enduring and the ephemeral. My current body of work explores this tension, seeking to capture the dynamic interplay between the built environment and its slow but inexorable changes.”_
Over the past three years, Alvar has developed a body of work that disassembles and reimagines San Francisco’s iconic architectural motifs. By collecting modular elements—often drawn from the bay windows and ornate façades of Victorian homes—he rebuilds them into new landscapes and narratives. Windows become story frames; warped lines reveal the pressures of time. By incorporating construction materials like caulking, the city’s unstable geography seeps into each canvas, making the structures feel both permanent and precarious.
📸 Follow Alvar’s work:[ @alvar.jacomet](https://www.instagram.com/alvar.jacomet)
📧 Contact: jacovarius@gmail.com
### **Curator’s Note**
Decentered’s previous visual art show took place at Uzay Gallery. _T[he Journey “Home”](https://decentered.org/events/2025-06-06-the-journey-home-maya-tohidi)_[ by Maya Tohidi](https://decentered.org/events/2025-06-06-the-journey-home-maya-tohidi), was a deliberate and heartfelt farewell to both Uzay Gallery and The Center SF. At that moment, Maya and I were each losing homes that had shaped our daily lives: she was displaced from The Center’s residence, and I was being displaced from Uzay Gallery, a Mission live/work space occupied by creatives since the 1990s, after five years as master tenant. The ripple effects were enormous, nearly 30 people were displaced between both residences and The Center SF tea bar, which had long hosted our open mic, closed shortly after, leaving a massive void in the community. _The Journey “Home”_ became both a lament for what was lost and a love letter to these spaces and their people.
Through luck, persistence, and the generosity of the community, we were able to open Decentered Studio, a new space where art and community could once again converge. When we first encountered Alvar’s work at [The Faight Collective](https://www.thefaight.com/)’s creative lounge—the same place where our open mic found refuge after The Center’s closure—we immediately knew he was the right artist to inaugurate this chapter. His show_ Textures of San Francisco_, with its layered reflections on homes, architecture, and transformation, felt like the natural bridge between what we had lost and what we were building anew.
Maya’s show closed one door with tenderness and grief; Alvar’s opens another with resilience and gratitude. Together they bookend a difficult transition, carrying us from displacement to renewal. Decentered Studio is our new home, and we’re honored to break it in with Alvar’s vision. A reminder that while spaces shift, our community endures and remakes itself.




Decentered’s Bay Area Survival Guide

Decentered’s Bay Area Survival Guide is a living resource offering practical strategies for affordable housing, free resources, gig work, and community support across the Bay Area. Rooted in mutual aid and firsthand experience, it highlights ways to find belonging, sustain creativity, and access help in one of the country’s most expensive regions.

Artist Spotlight: Tim Guan

Throughout February, the walls of Decentered Studio have been transformed by the soulful, evocative works of Tim Guan. In his first solo exhibition, Medium, Tim explores the tension between our digital lives and our physical bodies, using the slow, deliberate tradition of oil painting to anchor us back in the present.

Throughout February, the walls of Decentered Studio have been transformed by the soulful, evocative works of Tim Guan. In his first solo exhibition, _Medium_, Tim explores the tension between our digital lives and our physical bodies, using the slow, deliberate tradition of oil painting to anchor us back in the present.
We sat down with Tim to discuss his journey from the corporate world to the easel, his time studying in rural France, and what it feels like to witness his private studio reflections enter the public heart of our community.
**You’ve made art all your life, but you recently moved from a corporate career to painting full-time. When did you realize that making art was a calling worthy of your life force, rather than just a hobby?**
I’ve made art all my life and have always enjoyed it, but it was only after building a career in the corporate world that I realized just how different it feels in my body to the kind of work I was doing. When I was considering taking the leap to paint full time, I was fortunate to be at a job that allowed me to work remotely from anywhere in the world. I decided to spend several months in Europe which allowed me to make art during the day and dial into my job at night. Experiencing the contrast between embodied, focused, enthusiastic art-making me and exasperated, distracted, and burnt out office-worker me on a daily basis made it feel like making art was the only logical choice for how to spend my precious life force.

**In the art world, the term ‘medium’ usually refers to the tools. But in your work, it also feels like a commentary on the “media” that mediates our lives. Why did you choose this title for your first solo show?**
I’m particularly fond of the Oxford Languages definition of medium as “the intervening substance through which impressions are conveyed to the senses or a force acts on objects at a distance.” I first came to the word for this show when I was thinking about the first part of that definition, how much of life and our perspective of the world is mediated through technology and how looking at a painting is by contrast an unmediated experience. Over time, this idea expanded to include the concept of forces acting on us as a distance and the question of what living in the world created by the internet has done to our sense of presence and embodiment. I like that the word “medium” has so many meanings and invites various questions and interpretations of the themes of the show.

**You studied at Studio Escalier in Argenton-Château, immersed in a very classical, slow French tradition. How did that pastoral, rigorous environment reshape how you view the relentless speed of San Francisco when you returned?**
Drawing and painting from life all day forces you to narrow your focus and appreciate that the natural world is rich with beauty. This was especially helpful to me as someone who tends to obsess about the heady “ideas” behind art and hasn’t always been good at receiving what is already there to be observed and channeled. Outside of the studio, I was living in a rural community for the first time in my life. Being constantly in contact with the natural landscape, everyone greeting one another in the street, and getting to know the names of the local market vendors and their kids threw into contrast how transient and anonymous life can feel in a city like San Francisco. Since my return, it’s made me focus on cultivating a stronger sense of place here.

**This is your first solo show. How does it feel to see these paintings leave the private sanctuary of your studio to live on the walls of a community hub like Decentered?**
It feels great. Normally these paintings are in piles or leaned against the wall of my studio so seeing them displayed with room to breathe and be in dialogue with one another is super gratifying. It’s been especially fun to have the show at a community space like Decentered with tons of creative people flowing through. I’ve enjoyed the many conversations I’ve had with folks about the show and what resonates.

**"Medium" brings together several years of work. How did you decide which pieces made the cut? Is there a specific narrative arc you want the viewer to walk through as they move through the studio?**
I wanted to include work that felt most relevant to the themes of embodiment and disembodiment and would feel visually cohesive as a body of work. As for the layout of the show, there isn’t a specific narrative arc I want the viewer to walk through so much as a collection of questions I want them to be weighing together - the show is arranged to facilitate that.
**A lot of your work deals with how we “leave” our bodies when we go online. When you’re painting a figure, are you trying to call them back into their physical form, or are you documenting their absence?**
There’s definitely a bit of both. I choose to work in oil because it’s a slow, physical medium. Spending hours, days, or weeks translating a fleeting moment into paint feels like a way to reclaim some of its materiality. At the same time, because of the subjects I am drawn to paint I am often depicting some sort of partial vacancy or absence. I think of part of what I do as being a sort of emotional historian of this era, trying to record not just how it literally looks but how it subjectively feels to be alive inside it.

**What's next? What is your dream project?**
I’m preparing a ton of new work for an upcoming solo show at the Triton Museum in Santa Clara. I’m super excited to expand on the themes of “Medium” to explore new ideas and angles for that exhibition. I’m also enthusiastic about following the thread that began with the gilded icon of bok choy, the most recent piece in “Medium” - it would be a dream come true to grow that series and be able to dedicate an entire show to those ideas.
**Anything we didn't cover that you'd like to share with our audience?**
One of the very best parts of making art is the conversations I get to have with folks about it. To that end, my door is always open to anyone who wants to discuss the work or the ideas that it deals with!
Tim’s work will be on display at Decentered Studio through the end of February, Mon-Thu, 11am to 6pm. We encourage you to drop by, take a breath, and experience these pieces in person. If you’re lucky, you might even catch Tim in the space for one of those conversations he prizes so much.




Adele Brookman

Nehemiah Aldrich 

Willy

May-Li Khoe

Hugo De La Lune

Emily Shenfield

Flex Dalit

Joseph Kidney

JR Rice

Charlie Getter

Megan Mackey

Teodore Mata

 Caroline King

Danielle Truppi

Cole Skaggs

Mot.Physics

Mary Evans

Isabelle Correa

Lara Volski

Andre Hessini

Marina

Tim Pierce

Francisco Rivarola

Vesper Synd

Tim Guan

Erica Knox 

Dan Gorelick

Yevgeniya Shtalenkova

Amadeo Vibat

Timmorie Freeman

Xxhe

Anna Bolender

King Isis

Kanaaiya

Amanda Rodas

Grace D'Anca

Xiao Zhang

Samantha Alexa

Giorgia Sage

Skye Battles

Arthur Kao

Thalia

Kelsie Lu

Lacy Green

Maya Cowan

Liz Cahill

Ben Cohen

Grace Chao

Jada Carmen

Judy By Grace

Pasich

Elijah Madnewton

Izara Achamyalesh

Violet Trachtenberg

Alina

Adobe

Kadir Uyanik

Baruch Porras Hernandez

John Potter

Amieliana Rivero

Paulann Sternberg

James Morehead

Shahleelah Bibble

Jen Furman

LadiRev 

Dana Boyko

Angelica Lamarca

Niambi Walker

J.R. Rice

Frank Gati

Kian Locke

Phil Elleston

Raven Mangiante

Sophia Morel

Justin Bagnall

Matthew Zapruder

Zara Jamshed

Beth & Liny

Gather SF

Alekzeta

Alex in Waves

Graham Ramsey

Heather Maitland

Malcolm Squire

Yvonne Wang

Rev. Hooman

Morepower

Oakadelic (7 piece funk band)

Heather June

Nes Hafsa

Jaron Smith

Hah Holton

Alan Wald

Carly

Macy Hembd

Joelle Provost

Alethea Jackson

Beth McLeod

Giovanna Lomanto

Aaron Chan

Hands browse colorful clothes on a rack in a lively setting. Text overlays announce a "Clothing Swap" event on Nov 2, 2025, at Decentered Studio.

Clothing Swap with Decentered Arts x Remake x REWEARWOLF Promo

A diverse group of individuals wearing white and purple attire, standing together in a social setting.

Catacombs III: Experimental Tundric Ice Opera 2

Hands browse clothes on hangers above a blue invitation reading "Tectonic Threads Clothing Swap," with event details and encouraging "Drop ins welcome!"

A person with tattoos plays a ukulele passionately under colorful stage lights. The setting is lively, creating an ambiance of artistic focus and creativity.

A woman in a skirt and jacket speaks into a microphone during a presentation or event.

Four women in a cozy, warmly lit lounge, smiling and chatting. Three sit on a bench wearing vibrant outfits, one stands holding a drink. Relaxed, joyful mood.

Colorful abstract art on a wall; text advertises an intergenerational poetry salon at Ruth's Table, July 11th. Keywords: Poetry, Open Mic, Visual Art.

Two individuals in white robes stand against a solid black background, creating a striking visual contrast.

Catacombs III: Experimental Tundric Ice Opera 1

A woman addresses a crowd, engaging them with her speech and gestures.

DECENTERED WRITERS GROUP ANTHOLOGY #1 LAUNCH 2

Audience members sitting in a room, focused on a woman delivering a speech on stage.

Frances Acquino engaging in physical storytelling, showcasing expressive movements and gestures in a dynamic performance.

Physical storytelling with Francis Acquino Promo

A lively gathering in a colorful room features a central figure wearing a bold, artistic outfit, surrounded by engaged attendees. The mood is vibrant and festive.

An individual in black and pink attire, smiling at the camera.

Piles 2 (j.ehren x Piles of San Francisco) 1

A woman operates DJ equipment while a man in a suit sings or speaks into a microphone; colorful, psychedelic artwork is visible in the background.

Several individuals are gathered in a room featuring artwork on the walls, discussing the pieces displayed.

A diverse group of people poses for a photo in front of a stage, showcasing a festive atmosphere.

A speaker addresses a large audience, passionately sharing ideas and connecting with listeners through his speech.

People admire artwork in a gallery, with a large screen displaying a vibrant, colorful design in the background.

A diverse group of people in chairs, gathered for an event in a comfortable indoor setting.

A woman sits at a sewing table in a bright room, smiling and embroidering fabric. A sewing machine is nearby, surrounded by colorful thread and price list signs.

Clothing Swap Decentered x American Cancer Society 2

Person with spiky blue hair and blue lipstick wears a white lace-up crop top and mini skirt, striking a confident pose. Background shows two people.

A speaker engages an audience while standing before a collection of artworks.

A woman stands smiling in an art-filled room with wall-mounted bird and nature art. Statues, plants, and paintings create an inspiring atmosphere.

A woman in an outdoor setting sings into a microphone, exuding confidence. She wears a black outfit and stands near sound equipment with colorful lights blurred in the background.

A person with glasses reads from a tablet into a microphone, wearing a plaid jacket, exuding confidence and engagement. An audience member is blurred in the background.

Two person stand in front of a painting, observing its details with interest in a gallery setting.

A person reads from papers at a microphone, standing against a vibrant patchwork quilt backdrop. The setting conveys a warm, creative atmosphere.

A person in a fur coat reads poetry at a microphone under soft lights. Event details: "Poolside Poets at The Phoenix Hotel, March 14th, 6:30 PM, San Francisco."

A woman stands at a podium, addressing an attentive crowd in a well-lit room.

A woman in black tights and high heels stands in a pose, exuding confidence and showcasing her chic style.

A woman with an afro playing an acoustic guitar, showcasing her musical talent.

Craft table with colorful paper cut-outs, glue, scissors, and a glass. Text: "Craft N' Chill, Mon, Dec 29, 6–9 pm." Creative and relaxed mood.

Two women performing a duet in front of a rustic brick wall, expressing emotion through their singing.

A man stands before a gathering of people, delivering a speech and capturing the attention of the crowd.

A diverse group of people sit on colorful chairs in a bright room with artistic wall designs. They attentively face a speaker by a vibrant backdrop.

Participants enjoying a sound bath with ice instruments, surrounded by a calming environment for mindfulness and peace.

A group of diverse individuals standing together in a well-lit room, engaged in conversation.

Piles Garbage Age Fashion and Art Finale 3

Eerie scene with figures draped in glowing, blue and green fabric in a forest. A central figure sits with an open book, surrounded by ethereal light.

CATACOMBS IV: An Extraterrestrial Art Gathering

Illustration of clothes hanging on a line: pants, sweaters, shirt, and skirt. Text: "Tectonic Threads: Clothing Swap, September 25th 6-9PM, 1175 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA.

A woman wearing a white dress paired with red shoes walks gracefully along the runway.

A model confidently walks the runway, showcasing the latest fashion designs at a vibrant fashion show.

A diverse group of people in chairs, engaged in a discussion while facing a large screen in a conference setting.

Colorful poster for "La Femme Boheme: Poets" event. Features abstract art of women, event details, and poet names. Warm, artistic, and inviting tone.

Vinyl records partially out of sleeves on a warm brown background. "Songwriters Group" text above, "2nd & 4th Mondays, 7 PM" below in white font.

Three people standing in front of a bar with a lit "BE AMAZING" sign behind them. They are joyfully posing with raised arms. The setting is warm and inviting.

A lively outdoor performance featuring a diverse band with instruments, while an audience enjoys the music at a vibrant venue.

Colorful promotional flyer for "Poolside Poets" event at The Phoenix Hotel, featuring music by Breezy. Happening September 12th. Dress code: Wonderland Tea Party.

A group of people sits on the floor of a cozy room, listening attentively to a speaker by a small wooden platform and a microphone.

A man addresses an audience at a microphone, with a large photo visible in the background.

A black-and-white outdoor performance features a woman reading at a microphone and another dancing expressively, with a DJ in the background and audience chairs in the foreground. The scene conveys a lively and artistic atmosphere.

A person with curly hair stands confidently, holding a microphone and speaking. They're wearing a gray sweater and black pants, conveying a focused and expressive tone.

A person with short hair and a black turtleneck sits smiling beside a microphone on a stand. The background includes a projector screen and plants.

Event poster for 'Gen Blend!' featuring four writers with photos: someone reading, a person speaking at a mic, and two casual portraits. Event details: Thursday, October 3rd, 5:30-7:30 PM at Ruth's Table, San Francisco. Includes sponsors' logos at the bottom.

A diverse group of people talking in a lobby, with stylish furnishings and a welcoming atmosphere.

A woman in black dress and headphones is DJing, extending her hands towards the camera. The room is softly lit with pink hues, conveying an energetic mood.

A model showcases a fashionable ensemble while walking the runway at a lively fashion show

Audience seated in a room faces two speakers on stage against a colorful quilt backdrop. The atmosphere is attentive and lively, with diverse attendees.

A smiling musician plays a ukulele and sings into a microphone outdoors. She wears a hat and jacket. Warm lighting and greenery create a cozy ambiance.

A woman in a corset stands inside a cage, showcasing a blend of fashion and confinement.

A group of diverse people smiling and posing for a photo

A diverse group of people in chairs, attentively listening to a speaker in a conference room.

A diverse group of people is positioned in a room with art pieces hanging on the walls.

A group of people sits cross-legged in meditation, holding hands with serene expressions. A person plays a singing bowl. Text reads: "Manifesting Magic 2026, Sat, Jan 31, 2–4pm." The mood is calm and centered.

An old man in blue suit reciting a poem on stage in front of a colorful backdrop

A diverse group of people standing in a room adorned with various plants and greenery on the walls, creating a vibrant atmosphere.

Art exhibition poster for 'Capitalist(ick)' by Eunnuri Lee. Left side shows a woman seated on a floor surrounded by photos. Right side lists event details, including Uzay Gallery, July 29th, 6-9 PM, featuring music by Dan Gorelick.

A diverse group of people gathered in a room adorned with colorful graffiti on the walls, engaging in conversation.

A musician plays guitar and sings on stage in front of an audience, with a colorful patchwork fabric backdrop behind her.

A group of people pose happily under string lights at night. They exude joy and celebration. The scene is warm and festive, framed by a metal structure.

Poolside Poets Anthology Launch x Litquake 3

A group of musicians playing violins and flutes together in a cozy room setting.

Piles Fashion and Art in the Garbage Age 2

A woman speaks to an attentive audience, conveying her message with confidence.

Three people in dynamic poses on the ground, wearing colorful outfits. They are in front of a performer in a blue jumpsuit on a stage, under warm lighting.

Woman meditates in a serene outdoor setting, sitting cross-legged on a stone path. The poster promotes a guided meditation session, noting details such as 'Decentered Studio,' 'Every Monday, Sep 22, 2025,' and the time '6:00 PM - 7:00 PM.' The overall tone is calm and inviting.

Guided Meditation with Gabi Gazzola Promo

A diverse group of people gathered in an outdoor setting under string lights, smiling and posing for a photo. The atmosphere is joyful and celebratory.

A trio of women dressed in colorful attire, strumming guitars and harmonizing in a cheerful musical performance.

Experimental ice opera set in catacombs, showcasing a tundra landscape with dramatic lighting and unique artistic elements.

Catacombs III: Experimental Tundric Ice Opera Promo

Psychedelic-themed poster for HAH Couture event on August 19th, 8-11 PM at Dojo SF. Features art show, fashion show, music, and prizes. Bold, wavy design.

A couple joyfully dances on an outdoor wooden deck under a canopy. Others dance in the background. The text reads "High Fidelity Dance Lab."

Five people stand in a brightly lit room, joyfully posing with arms and legs raised. A "Skirts" sign and clothes are visible on the right.

Clothing Swap with Decentered Arts x Remake x REWEARWOLF  3

DECENTERED
ARTS

Where community meets art

Blog Posts

Artist Spotlight: Tim Guan

Alvar Jacomet’s Textures of San Francisco marks Decentered Studio’s Debut Show

Decentered’s Bay Area Survival Guide

DECENTERED
ARTS

DECENTEREDARTS

Where community meets art

Blog Posts

Artist Spotlight: Tim Guan

Alvar Jacomet’s Textures of San Francisco marks Decentered Studio’s Debut Show

Decentered’s Bay Area Survival Guide

DECENTERED
ARTS