Gómez Bueno Wish List

OPENING RECEPTION MAY 2ND, 5-8PM

During the opening enjoy complimentary drinks while mingling, exploring the exhibition, and meeting the artist.

WISH LIST unfolds as a vibrant exploration of identity and cultural symbolism, unified through the visual language of pop art and rendered entirely in oil paint. Across three distinct bodies of work, Gómez Bueno transforms familiar imagery into something both intimate and confrontational, inviting viewers to reconsider their relationship to objects, icons, and systems of value.

At its core, the exhibition reflects on the act of collecting and the meaning we assign to objects. Collecting holds deep significance for individuals and society alike, allowing us to preserve and cherish our past. Whether it’s stamps, coins, vintage photographs, or historical artifacts, these collections act as tangible links to our cultural heritage. By safeguarding these objects, we ensure that the stories they carry endure, offering future generations insight into identity and history.

Admission: Free

Exhibition Dates: May 2nd - June 6th, 2026
Website: www.easternprojectsgallery.com

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The first series presents realistic depictions of everyday objects including shoes, jackets, sunglasses, surfboards, speakers, decorative figurines, and masks, each painted with meticulous attention to surface and texture. Elevated through scale and detail, these items become icons of personal longing and material aspiration, prompting reflection on possession, taste, and the allure of the ordinary.

In contrast, the second body of work shifts focus to portraiture, featuring individuals whose lives embody resilience, courage, and moral clarity. Drawn from history, literature, civil rights, and fashion, these figures are rendered with reverence, emphasizing both their humanity and symbolic significance. Through bold color palettes and graphic compositions, Gómez Bueno situates these subjects within the pop art tradition while reclaiming it as a space for admiration and ethical reflection, suggesting that heroism can be re-centered in contemporary culture.

The third series introduces a critical perspective by reinterpreting logos of globally recognized brands. Distorted, reimagined, and at times subverted, these emblems blur the line between celebration and critique. By translating corporate identity into painterly form, the artist exposes the pervasive influence of branding while questioning its authority and permanence.

Together, the three bodies of work create a cohesive narrative, moving from the seduction of objects, to the elevation of role models, to the interrogation of corporate symbolism. WISH LIST ultimately asks viewers to consider what and whom they value, and how those values are shaped in a world saturated with images.

Artist Bio

Gómez Bueno (b. 1964, Cantabria, Spain) has lived and worked in Los Angeles since 1988. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Universidad de La Laguna in the Canary Islands and Universidad Complutense of Madrid. His work exists at the intersection of pop culture and conceptual inquiry, transforming everyday commercial objects into subjects of critical reflection.

Drawing inspiration from advertising, retail display, and mass production, Gómez Bueno elevates items such as tennis shoes, feather jackets, and porcelain figurines into monumental icons through bold color, crisp composition, and meticulous attention to surface. Beneath the vibrant aesthetic lies an ongoing investigation into value, desire, and identity within a consumer driven society. By isolating objects from their commercial context, he invites viewers to reconsider how meaning is constructed through branding, nostalgia, and repetition.

Gómez Bueno has exhibited extensively in the United States and internationally, with recent solo exhibitions including Wish List at Eastern Projects Gallery, Los Angeles, Small Wish List at Galería Siboney, Artesantander, and Parallel Universe at Eastern Projects Gallery, Los Angeles. His work has also been featured in institutions such as the Fullerton Museum Center, Brea Gallery, and the International Surfing Museum.

His work is included in major public and private collections including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Hammer Museum, the Latino Museum, Laguna Art Museum, Orange County Museum of Art, and the Fundación Botín, among many others across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

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Host or Publisher Eastern Projects