Any exhibition in Los Angeles with the word “Fire” in the title could potentially rub folks the wrong way. However, veteran Los Angeles artist Miles Regis took that chance when he named his latest installation, “Soul Fire.”

Regis, 58, was well aware of what he was doing when he came up with the moniker of his exhibition, which runs through Jan. 11 at the Von Lintel Gallery.

“The fire is how we started our year in January in Los Angeles,” Regis said from the Von Lintel Gallery. “I wanted to use the word fire in the title since it’s a way to be reflective. We can see what we’ve been through.”

The Trinidad native’s work isn’t just a look back to the devastating fires. His compelling paintings are personal and provocative.

“I wanted to do something that would be soothing and offer an escape but be grounded in reality,” Regis said. “I wanted to create a hopeful atmosphere for art lovers. We’re going through so much during this difficult time. I wanted to speak about what’s happening in my life, regarding family and also provide commentary.”

Magic and loss are conveyed through Regis’ work. Regis’ father passed away at the age of 90 in March. Regis, who left Trinidad for Los Angeles in 1989, returned to his native country for the first time in more than 30-years for his father’s funeral.

“That experience made me appreciate all that I have in this bizarre way,” Regis said. “It impacted my work. I really wanted to capture that sense of familial loss and pay tribute to my ancestry. I understood who I truly am in that moment. Burying my father’s ashes, just myself and my mother changed my life.”

And then there is the magic. Regis’ two children, his son Djimon, 22 and daughter, Zion, 19, have also changed his life and it is reflected in his work that is an integral part of his “Soul Fire” exhibition.

The “Soul” piece was inspired by his son. “It’s captivating,” Regis said. And then there is fire, which captures his daughter and her girlfriend, Munah, 19, who are dance majors at New York’s Pace University.

Regis stayed with them for weeks over the summer in their Brooklyn apartment and was inspired. “With them I wanted to present young love and how passionate they are,” Regis said. “The Soul and Fire (paintings) asks the burning question about life, which is what sets your soul on fire? What makes you tick as a human being?”

Regis’ work is genuinely moving and von Lintel Gallery founder/owner Tarrah von Lintel is ecstatic that she is able to present his art. “To me, ‘Soul Fire’ feels like Miles’s most heartfelt and personal work yet,” von Lintel said. “While he continues to speak to today’s world with messages of love and unity, the presence of his children’s portraits makes the whole experience even more tender and deeply connected to family and legacy.”

There are some political and cultural statements through art from Regis. “Some of the themes are from immigration and cancel culture,” Regis said. “Look around this country at what’s happening with immigrants right now. It’s so different than when I arrived here. Los Angeles is home but look what’s happening with ICE displacement.”

That fear and desperation is conveyed in Regis’ moving ”Will You Hide Me?” “When Tarrah first saw ‘Will You Hide Me?’ she burst into tears,” Regis said. “This painting asks a big question but the entire show asks a lot of questions. What’s happening socially? Where do you stand? And then there’s cancel culture and the work speaks to how quickly we are to make judgments and discard our heroes. It’s an interesting time that we’re living in right now.”

It’s a divisive and volatile period but art makes a difference. A glance back at the turbulent ‘60s is evidence. Some of the greatest art of the prior century was inspired when an unpopular war divided the country and riots made the headlines.

“I absolutely agree that art makes a massive difference,” Regis said. “What I try to provide through art is a sense of healing and work that makes you think about a subject. Hopefully the pain we’re experiencing can be soothed through art.”

The USC alum’s adopted city impacts his work. Regis is a proud Los Angeleno. “Los Angeles is such a part of my story,” Regis said. “It’s always a central character in my work. Someone said that it’s as if I rip the headlines from the newspaper when they experience my work. What I do is a statement regarding all that we experience, which is the same. My work is a means to unite us all in hope, love and community.”