Novelist Alice Childress titled her 1973 young-adult book, about 13-year-old Benji who's sure he can stop using heroin anytime, after something Benji says: “A hero ain't nothing but a sandwich,” the implication being, of course, that heroes don't count for much these days. Nery Gabriel Lemus took the same title for his current show at Charlie James Gallery. In it, there's a tapestry in which an adolescent boy's head floats in front of a host of heads belonging to men of note, like Barack Obama, Kanye West, Star Trek's Mr. Spock and Spider-Man. Another tapestry shows a maroon hoodie from behind and has white words running across it: “He ceased calling women bitches, he viewed them as sisters in the Lord. He glorified righteousness instead of bling. … The Children Actually Had a Hero.” 975 Chung King Road; through March 30. (213) 687-0844, charliejamesgallery.com.

Wednesdays-Saturdays. Starts: Feb. 16. Continues through March 30, 2013

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