It Is What It Is: Art Exhibition

Opening Reception: January 17, 5:00PM - 9:00PM

Enjoy complimentary drinks while viewing the exhibition and meeting the artist.

Join us for the opening reception of It Is What It Is, a new series of oil paintings by Rodrigo Angel Jimenez-Ortega. His work explores identity, memory, and culture through the lens of heritage and digital media, blending influences from his upbringing between San Diego and Tijuana with imagery from video games, cartoons, and internet culture, including Nintendo and Dragon Ball Z.

Experience paintings that transform familiar images, creating tension between digital fantasy and lived reality, while inviting reflection on memory, nostalgia, and cultural intersections. Meet and talk with the artist, see the work up close, and enjoy an evening celebrating contemporary painting that bridges personal and collective histories.

Admission: Free

Gallery Hours: Tuesday- Saturday 12:00PM - 6:00PM

Exhibition Dates: January 17 - February 28th, 2026
Website: www.easternprojectsgallery.com

Preview Artsy Store: Eastern Projects Gallery

Location: Eastern Projects Gallery

Rodrigo Angel Jimenez-Ortega

My work explores the intersection of heritage, lived experience, and 21st-century digital culture. I bridge my Mexican lineage, U.S. upbringing, and “chosen culture” of video games, cartoons, and cinema. Drawing from the San Diego–Tijuana border experience, I combine historical and personal archives, media screenshots, and internet imagery to examine how displacing an image transforms its meaning. By recontextualizing symbols, I create dialogue between disparate sources, challenging viewer assumptions. My paintings develop intuitively, with narratives emerging as works interact, reflecting memory, digital curation, and cultural hybridity. Ultimately, my work is a space where personal anecdotes and collective histories intersect.

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Host or Publisher Eastern Projects