Julian Lucas: Happiness Pursued. Paradise Lost.

This solo exhibition of photographer Julian Lucas centers around the idea of home and its relationship to the American Dream as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2026. It is based on the assertion that home is a state of mind, and the American Dream is stratified in relationship to race and access to power.

The exhibition will focus on multiple photographic series by Lucas, all of which center around the concept of home as a powerful source of cultural and psychological centering, and the contrasting forces of displacement and loss. The Declaration of Independence names “the pursuit of happiness” as an “unalienable right”, which should be equally accessible to all. So much of this pursuit and the American Dream of equality and opportunity is tied to home, not just the dream of home ownership, but the idea of home as a connection to place and a feeling of belonging. For black Americans, the contradictions of this dream are stark, especially for those whose ancestors were taken from their homes in Africa to be held captive as slaves in the United States.

Lucas’s Exodus Series documents the ongoing story of the Great Migration, which began with black people fleeing the Jim Crow South and continues for many, as unaffordable housing forces them to continue to migrate, to seemingly never put down roots. The artist has a personal connection to this story as his family moved to South Central Los Angeles when he was seven years old. His adolescence involved frequent occurrences of over policing and the legacy of racial segregation and the redlining of neighborhoods. Like Lucas, many black Angelenos moved to Pomona and other outlying communities to pursue happiness and escape the weight of oppression. Now, many are moving further away from the urban core to pursue affordable housing, happiness, and their own version of the American Dream.

This ongoing history was brought into tragic focus when the horrific Eaton Fire decimated the community of Altadena, California in January 2025. Lucas was there to capture images of those who lost their homes. His ability to earn the trust of his subjects allows the viewer intimate glimpses of human dignity and struggle. Altadena holds a poignant role in the history of the Great Migration. When black families sought a new life in the Greater Los Angeles area, many arrived to find neighborhoods inaccessible to them because of racist redlining policies and housing covenants. Altadena offered a rare place of refuge where black Americans could own a home and lay a foundation for a better life. Now, many are struggling to retain this connection to place as they attempt to rebuild their community.

Lucas’s Apt #31 project explores home in a more intimate context. This series presents his experience gaining access to a one-bedroom apartment and documenting the family life within. Apt #31 offers views into private spaces, bringing into focus the question of whether photography has the potential to capture objective reality. The intimacy and interiority of the space contrast with Lucas’s usual modus operandi of photographing public outdoor spaces.

This exhibition will mark a significant milestone for the artist as his first solo museum exhibition. The exhibition will be curated by Seth Pringle, Director of the CLMA.

Julian Lucas (b.1974, the USA) is a contemporary artist based in Claremont, CA whose aim is to challenge social norms through his photographs that range from fine art to photojournalism, always true to analogue techniques. In 2015, he founded Mirrored Society – a photo bookstore cherishing a worldwide collection of the finest photobooks. In 2018, he launched Print Pomona Art Book Fair to host independent photobook publishers and sellers, later leading to the creation of The Pomonan – a digital platform for independent and censorship-free journalism.