Looking for a Friend

Step into an exploration of intimacy, memory, and the quiet beauty of everyday life with Looking for a Friend, the debut solo presentation by Austin Hayman at Make Room Los Angeles. Running from June 27 through August 1, 2026, this exhibition invites you to experience a deeply relational approach to contemporary portraiture.

Hayman’s work moves away from the grand or the landmark, instead finding profound significance in the unremarkable: the way light hits a window at a predictable hour, the arrangement of a first apartment, or the candid posture of a friend. By painting the people he knows in the rooms they inhabit, surrounded by the objects they truly own, Hayman builds a powerful argument for genuine connection in a city often defined by surface-level encounters.

The atmosphere of the exhibition is one of warmth, vulnerability, and gentle observation. Each canvas feels like a song, crafted with patience and a distinct tenderness that renders his subjects both familiar and intriguingly complex. Whether you are seeking a moment of quiet reflection or simply interested in the vanguard of L.A.’s painting scene, this exhibition offers a beautiful window into the textures of human connection.