Solo booth at Spring Break Art Show. Curated by Hannah Sloan Curatorial and Advisory.

Created in response to the curatorial theme Paradise Lost + Found, the installation reimagines paradise as a radiant realm of color, queerness, nature, and ancestral wisdom.

Tropiqult presents a divine, ancient realm where the wilderness of a primeval Eden meets a celestial sanctuary for queer expression. The reference to “cult” refers to Urpí’s use of ancient symbolism and esoteric practices. The use of the “q” in “qult” is the queer essence.

“Tropiqult is a fusion of nature, creative expression, and spirituality— echoing the tropical exuberance of where I live and the joy of being alive.” / Dino Urpí

Urpí’s work merges the sacred and the sensual, bringing together references to flora, divinity, mythology, and queer resilience in a maximalist display of colorful sculptural emblems, amulets, and large-scale paintings. With a practice rooted in spirituality, nature, and cultural memory, Tropiqult invites viewers into a playful yet deeply symbolic space where ancient ritual meets contemporary liberation.

Curated by HSC&A founder Hannah Sloan, Tropiqult is part of an ongoing effort to bring the contemporary voices of Costa Rican artists to Los Angeles and beyond. Sloan’s personal connection to the region—following her father’s relocation there in 1998—has led her to develop long-term relationships with artists across the country. Supporting queer artists is central to this work

“Dino is one of the most original artists I’ve had the honor of working with. His emblems, amulets and talismanic shapes blend the sensibility of ancient hieroglyphics with a spirited and lush contemporary palette inspired by his Costa Rican roots. Importantly, his work willfully embraces the exuberance of the tropics without resorting to customary platitudes often found in “tropical art.”  / Hannah Sloan