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.

Adele Brookman

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Flex Dalit

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Charlie Getter

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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.

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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.

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.

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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 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.

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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.

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

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

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

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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.

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Physical storytelling with Francis Acquino Promo

A woman speaks or sings into a microphone in front of a colorful mural featuring a large mushroom and a staircase. She stands near speakers and audio equipment.

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A woman sits reading by a window, overlaid with green nature imagery. Event details for "An Outlet for My Recluse" poetry reading are displayed.

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Four people gather in a colorful room with vibrant, abstract wall art. A woman sits on a red chair, while three others stand and chat nearby.

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A woman stands at a microphone, passionately reading her poetry to an engaged audience

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Several individuals pose on a wall adorned with vibrant graffiti, highlighting street art culture and social interaction.

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

Hands holding an open book displaying poetry titled "The Apple Falls Far from the Tree" and "Targets." Soft focus audience in the background suggests a reading event.

Event poster for 'An evening of sultry poetry and pole dance at Sluts the Wine Bar.' Features a neon sign reading 'Poems to Spit or Swallow?' and a pole performer in colorful lighting. Event details include April 27th, 7 PM onwards, and dress code: Lacy Lawless. Blue background with wine bar logo.

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pink background with a blurred photo of Jeremy Salazar with text containging the event information

Audience members sitting in a room, focused on a presenter delivering a speech from the stage.

Two women in colorful costumes and elaborate makeup pose together at a lively party, showcasing their festive spirit.

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

Decentered’s Bay Area Survival Guide

DECENTERED
ARTS

DECENTEREDARTS

Blog Posts

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

Decentered’s Bay Area Survival Guide

DECENTERED
ARTS