Sylvester Stallone is best known for throwing knockout punches in “Rocky” and single-handedly taking down armies in “Rambo,” but in the actor’s spare time, he’s more of a painter than a fighter.
“A lot of people in the art world aren’t aware of his other passion,” said Kassandra Voyagis, director and producer of the LA Art Show, during a recent phone interview. “He actually painted before he was an actor and has six decades of artwork. It’s interesting how much it’s evolved.”
Voyagis said Stallone’s work has grown more abstract since his early painting days, when the style was more figurative. The artwork is being transported from Provident Fine Art in Palm Beach, Florida, and Voyagis said some of the paintings are larger than one might expect compared to the others shown in the gallery.
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Stallone’s artworks will also be featured at the LA Art Show, happening Jan. 8-11 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Other highlights of the event include U.K. galleries by Paul Simonon of The Clash and Chris Rivers of Heaven’s Basement.
Simonon’s artwork is making its West Coast debut and will showcase biker-era pieces that highlight his deep connection to motorcycling and the 1950s British rock-and-roll and cafe-racer culture. That era was a pivotal influence on Simonon’s iconic punk style, leading him to sport leather and boots in The Clash. Paintings in the collection showcase jackets, helmets and bikes.
Rivers’ collection, which features astrological paintings inspired by each zodiac sign, has been well received in London, so Voyagis was excited to showcase it at this year’s event. His work combines scientific star charts with astrological symbolism and zodiac landscapes. Rivers’ Zodiac Starmaps and Landscapes feature 24-carat gold for an extra shine. The starmaps include a silver leaf, and the earth signs in the collection include a copper leaf in tune with their elemental nature. The Zodiac Landscapes features Rivers’ signature astronaut inhabiting the worlds beneath constellation-filled skies.
“I don’t like doing the same thing over and over,” Voyagis said. “I like bringing something different for people to see every year, and that’s what makes every show so fun.”
The LA Art Show is also introducing the Latin American Pavilion, led by curator Marisa Caichiolo, which aims to spotlight emerging artists from other regions of the American continent. Caichiolo, who also serves as curator of the LA Art Show’s DIVERSEartLA program, was recently selected to co-curate Chile’s official pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale of Art in 2026.
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The pavilion will focus on memory, migration and identity, which hopes to engage in a deep exploration of ancestral themes of power dynamics and artist representation within the gallery system. It invites audiences to reconsider provenance, belonging, the evolving future of Latin American art and how it resonates across borders. Some of the artworks will feature artists such as Mónica Arreola from Mexico, Joaquín Vargas from Argentina, Máximo Corvalán Pincheira from Chile and Carolina Bazo from Perú.
“At a moment when immigration issues continue to disproportionately impact Latin American communities, it is especially important to provide a platform for these artists,” said Caichiolo in a press statement. “Their perspectives are vital to a more complete and equitable understanding of contemporary art, yet they remain underrepresented at major fairs. This pavilion seeks to amplify their voices and affirm the cultural and creative contributions of Latin America on the global stage.”
Other unique art pieces at the LA Art Show this year include works by Dr. Esther Mahlangu, a visual artist and cultural ambassador of the Ndebele nation. Mahlangu, a 90-year-old artist, has created unique pottery designs featuring vibrant colors for over eight decades and is one of the few internationally recognized African women artists of her generation.
Some of the other international artists showcased include Switzerland’s LICHT FELD Gallery, which will present the first public showing in more than 40 years of Karl A. Meyer’s woodcut prints, created during his transformative 1980s period on New York’s Crosby Street, also marking the first time they’ve been shown on the West Coast.
Corridor Contemporary will showcase internationally renowned Israeli artist Yigal Ozeri, celebrated for his large-scale, cinematic portraits of young women set against lush, evocative landscapes. The show will also feature a strong Korean presence, with 15 participating galleries, including J&J Art, which is presenting “Elegant Freedom” by Jinny Suh. Her nature-inspired works on traditional Hanji paper and vibrant color emulate emotional depth and an immersive experience that celebrates Korean culture through a modern lens.
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“Bringing different continents and countries from all over, representing what they represent around the world, also represents LA,” she said. “LA is full of diversity, and people come from all over the world to live in and experience that. I want the show to represent that and to bring that word to us.”
For any attendees who have never experienced the event, Voyagis said she wants them to know the doors are open to everyone from all walks of life to come and immerse themselves in the artistic expression that connects us fundamentally as human beings.
“Give yourself a few hours, and hopefully you get to dream a little bit for a few hours a day,” she said. “With everything that’s going on in the world, it’s very much needed.”
LA Art Show
When: Noon- 8 p.m. Jan. 8-10 and noon-6 p.m. Jan. 11.
Where: The Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St, Los Angeles.
Admission: $44.96 at laartshow.com.