Our Mission

The mission of Illadelpheleno is to inspire a genuine curiosity in others. Curiosity, an antidote to contempt, is a bridge to cooperation. Our products are designed with the intention of provoking thought and bringing people together around a positive emotional experience. So whether you laugh at the sight of the lion in hair rollers or observe in reverence of Angela Davis's iconic stature, our aim is to break through the veneer of reality and engage your imagination.

Our Core Values

Fun - We love what we do and are true to ourselves. We don't take life too seriously and we maintain a sense of humor about everything. No matter what we're doing we hope to always throw a little fun for fun's sake into the mix.

Originality - No one uses chalk like we do. Our chalk portraits, rendered on a painted wood blackboard, are a serious exploration of the subtlety and uniqueness of the human face. One of the oldest of art media, chalk's temporal nature invests each subject with the weight of impermanence. Inspired by the Tibetan Buddhist Monk tradition of creating and then destroying elaborate sand mandalas, each chalk portrait is eventually erased in order to create another. All that remains of them are their images online and the printed products we sell here. Just as in life, nothing is permanent.

Creativity - Our Mirror Messages elevate the tee shirt to an irreplacable tool for cultivating self love. This is done through the low tech magic of a simple hand-written note, reversed as a mirror image. But we won't stop there. We are always looking to grow and expand and that requires creativity.

Citizenship - We believe that being a good citizen begins with being good to ourselves. How can we be good citizens if we're stressed, out of shape and too tired to read? Our contribution to the institution of Citizenship is to enjoy the process of running this small business. And that includes having a rich life outside of work. So we don't work too late and we have limited hours on the weekend.

Sincerity - This store may be retail but we're not. We're a small, family-run business that is the official store of a local artist. That's it. We're based in L.A. which, in spite of it's incredible size, is still a beach town.  So you can think of us as that micro-boutique a block and a half from the boardwalk that's run by a charming couple (who enjoys their evening meals together and a little time to read before bed). Your support of our work directly enhances our lives immeasurably. And we're truly grateful for that.