Studio DDLA

Studio DDLA Located in Los Angeles’ Historic Chinatown, Studio DDLA is one of the first physical spaces dedicated to death work in the United States.

Studio DDLA provides a community, gallery, and event space to explore death, grief, life, and loss in collaboration w

THIS COMING FRIDAY 5-10pm The plaza at Chung King rd will be hoppin! We have DJs, vendors, galleries, food, shops and a ...
10/01/2025

THIS COMING FRIDAY 5-10pm The plaza at Chung King rd will be hoppin! We have DJs, vendors, galleries, food, shops and a midnight drag show at the Come join the fun and experience Chinatown!

We are so happy to be involved with ! Galleries, food, vendors, shops and great music! All ages. Kids and dogs welcome....
08/30/2025

We are so happy to be involved with ! Galleries, food, vendors, shops and great music! All ages. Kids and dogs welcome. If you’d like to be a vendor at an upcoming event dm me!

Our magical little corner of Chinatown. Come visit our studio for one of our great events soon!
08/22/2025

Our magical little corner of Chinatown. Come visit our studio for one of our great events soon!

A support group for people who lost their favorite person in the whole wide world. Whoever they are, we’d love to hear ...
07/21/2025

A support group for people who lost their favorite person in the whole wide world. Whoever they are, we’d love to hear about them. Every last Thursday of the month 7-9pm. Donation based. Link in bio for RSVP . Tea and bites provided.

We are honored to share The Ash Rose Project, a powerful initiative of The Ash Rose Foundation, at our upcoming gallery ...
07/16/2025

We are honored to share The Ash Rose Project, a powerful initiative of The Ash Rose Foundation, at our upcoming gallery event Friday, August 1st 5-9pm

The Ash Rose Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming grief into beauty and connection through art. At the heart of our work is The Ash Rose Project, which creates memorial portraits using a small portion of cremation ashes from a loved one. Each piece is created in collaboration with the family accompanied by a 30 day program of journaling and grief counseling process, drawing from stories, memories, and symbolic imagery to reflect the life and legacy of the person being honored. These portraits serve as both sacred tribute and healing expression - helping individuals and families navigate grief while creating something deeply meaningful and lasting.

The August gallery exhibit will feature a curated selection of these ash-infused artworks, offering a rare and moving experience of remembrance, love, and legacy through visual storytelling. Guests will have the opportunity to engage with the art, speak with previous project participants, connect with leading industry professionals, and reflect on the ways we honor those who have passed.

Founder and artist Ian McCartor, hospice nurse and grief counselor, will be present to share more about the project and the stories behind the portraits. His unique background in end-of-life care has deeply informed the compassionate, personalized nature of this work.

We are so grateful to be part of this event and look forward to sharing in this meaningful gathering.

Every second Monday of the month. You can rsvp via our eventbrite page.
07/06/2025

Every second Monday of the month. You can rsvp via our eventbrite page.

An offering we are so happy to have every Sunday. It’s a great release and reset for your week. We work thru the body he...
07/06/2025

An offering we are so happy to have every Sunday. It’s a great release and reset for your week. We work thru the body head to toe, breathing with intention. All are welcome. Please rsvp thru our eventbrite page. Link in bio.

Brie B-G is a q***r Viet-Am artist and organizer hailing from Long Beach. Their professional life and body of poetic wor...
07/03/2025

Brie B-G is a q***r Viet-Am artist and organizer hailing from Long Beach. Their professional life and body of poetic work often explores the parallels and contrast between the natural world and human temporality. Brie’s day-to-day ranges from empowering individuals in their homes to supporting local organizations with their programming. They move with a belief in equity- that we each possess gifts of value if we can nestle into places ready to receive us. Brie’s educational background is in communication studies and community care.

Description
The objective of this workshop is for the individual to spend time moving through the concept of their current experience of grief. We will be sorting through words and imagery from magazines and using them to construct pieces that reflect our own relationship with grief. This is fairly open ended, and can take the form of blackout poetry, individual words laid over imagery, or illustrative collages accompanied by ekphrastic poetry or descriptive analysis. $25 per person, all materials included, no one turned away for lack of funds.

What to expect
•a three hour container to transmute grief’s nebulous nature into a concrete artifact that deepens our self understanding
•nervous system support tea blend + light refreshments
•guided breathwork and grounding reflection led by Sprout
•grief prompt and time for quiet introspection
•communal time to collage (materials provided)
•gallery walk and (optional) share time
•doors will close at 1:45 for the remainder of the workshop, to facilitate an environment of vulnerability. thank you for being on time!

✨ Closing Night Watch Party ✨Q***ring Dreams comes to a close with a special screening of The Ultimatum: Q***r Love📅 Tue...
06/18/2025

✨ Closing Night Watch Party ✨
Q***ring Dreams comes to a close with a special screening of The Ultimatum: Q***r Love

📅 Tuesday, June 25
🕖 Doors at 7:00 PM | Screening at 7:30 PM
📍 Studio DDLA
💸 $8 suggested donation
🍷 Venmo bar + snacks available
🏳️‍🌈 All are welcome

Join us for one last chance to experience Q***ring Dreams before we gather to scream, cry, and analyze sapphic drama together during The Ultimatum: Q***r Love.

✨ RSVP required — space is limited!
Come comfy. Come q***r. Come ready to process in real time.

We’re excited to announce our next Chinatown FirstFridays event, happening Friday, July 4th from 6-10 PMon historic Chun...
06/17/2025

We’re excited to announce our next Chinatown First
Fridays event, happening Friday, July 4th from 6-10 PM
on historic Chung King Road!
We’re currently accepting vendor applications and would love for you to be part of this vibrant, community-driven evening full of art, music, food, and culture.

Event Details:
CHUNG KING RD, CHINATOWN, LOS ANGELES
JUL 4 / AUG 1 / SEPT 5 | 6-10pm
Booth Fee: $40/event
Community Support: 20% of all vendor fees will be donated to the Chung King Road Association to help preserve and beautify the plaza.
We ask that vendors book three months in advance, so we are currently accepting sign-ups for July, August, and September. If you’re interested, check out the application link in bio.

The Summer Solstice marks a turning point. The height of the light before we descend into darkness. Facing the fire and ...
06/16/2025

The Summer Solstice marks a turning point. The height of the light before we descend into darkness. Facing the fire and burning what no longer serves is a radical act of resistance. It makes us less susceptible to becoming cogs in the machine of capitalism, which thrives on us denying our inevitable death.

A Living Funeral Ceremony is an immersive meditative experience that encourages participants to face their own mortality. Through engaging in ritual and guidance through a death visualization–contemplating your own memorial as you imagine letting go of your earthly self–participants are invited to “die before you die, to live while you’re alive.”

This ceremonial experience provides a safe and supportive space to confront fears around death and impermanence, while also fostering a deeper connection to life’s fragility and beauty. Often compared to the experience of ego death, this ritual leaves many with a renewed sense of purpose and a profound appreciation for the present moment.

TIMING
Please arrive on time by 7pm, as the doors will close once the ceremony begins to honor the sacred environment we are co-creating. The ritual portion takes up to 90 minutes. After the ceremony is complete, Kaitlyn will hold space for participants to reflect alone or in community, sip tea, and gently reintegrate until 9pm.

WHAT TO BRING/WEAR
A yoga mat, or something to lay on
Comfortable, breathable clothing is recommended

This ceremony will be led by Kaitlyn Pietras (she/her), a q***r Jewish grief worker, herbalist, and visual artist. Kaitlyn is passionate about tending to personal and communal grief, connecting with her ancestors, and serving the LGBTQIA+ community. She has a deep love for plant magic + Jewish mysticism. Kaitlyn trained directly with Emily Cross of Steady Waves Center who originally created this ceremony inspired by living funerals first conducted in South Korea in an effort to prevent suicides by helping people to see the value of their lives.

image: “صمود (Sumud)” by Karuna Karmarkar .i.ty

Address

944 Chung King Road
Los Angeles, CA
90012

Telephone

+16617142904

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Studio DDLA posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Studio DDLA:

Shortcuts

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category