EXHIBIT ZERO
May 17 through June 14, 2025
Opening Reception: Saturday, May 17, 6-9 pm
Bermudez Projects is excited to announce the first in a year-long series of transformational, forward-looking exhibits leading up to the gallery’s 15th anniversary celebration scheduled for May 2026. EXHIBIT ZERO sets the stage for the next chapter of the gallery’s journey, and introduces audiences to a captivating and intriguing group of artists – many whom have not shown before at the gallery – whose works challenge the status quo through subtlety and charm, thereby expanding the lens in understanding art’s powerful role in today’s world.
EXHIBIT ZERO is a reaffirmation of the gallery’s mission by presenting a new wave of artists whose works address the crucial social, political, environmental, economic, racial, and gender-based issues of our time. Exploring activism, community, family, daily life, media, and identity, the exhibit continues to engage audiences in an ongoing dialogue that has been at the heart of the gallery’s founding. What’s more, in a concerted effort for accessibility, all artworks on view are priced below $1,000 – with many priced at $500 or lower.
Paintings and prints are in conversation with digital media-inspired works, photography, and installation demonstrating a vast range of artistic style and intentionality.
Catalina “Cat Donuts” Bolivar’s film-based photographs take viewers to places that are familiar, fantastical, and inviting. Documenting the world around her, the mixed-media artist aims to convey the depths and complexities of the human experience.
“I seek to encapsulate the authenticity of life in its rawest form,” states Bolivar. “Relying on a blend of intuition, composition, and the serendipity of the moment, each shot is a glimpse into the fleeting essence of reality.”
Painting lush, imagined idylls replete with rich, saturated colors, Josh Cabello creates otherworldly, sensual environs where those within can be their truest selves. Shedding away societal expectations of gender and sexuality, Cabello’s worlds are a much-needed respite to the performative standards that are perpetuated by mainstream culture.
“These works draw on queer traditions of play and excess, mingled with themes of intimacy and delicacy, and work to decenter hypersexuality and masculinity within the modern queer experience,” states Cabello. “I’m ultimately asserting queerness’ endurance and belonging in history.”
Mike Habs is recognized and celebrated for his encrypted rhythmic approach to abstract expressionism and graffiti. Marrying his understanding of urban aesthetics with both minimalist and script techniques, Habs artworks – murals, paintings, prints – communicate energetic, inspirational messages of overcoming adversity.
The tension of yearning to connect with people while simultaneously feeling deep-seated fear to reach out is visibly evident in the digital media-based work of April Miller. Miller’s dark, moody landscapes and urban environments offer inviting spaces seemingly filled with activity. Yet, upon closer inspection, a profound emptiness pervades reinforcing the disparate elements Miller explores in her work.
Victor Reyes mines historical and pop culture references, cartoons, religious symbolism and current affairs to create his surreal, allegorical scenes. Influenced by his Mexican heritage, along with his upbringing in Compton and East Los Angeles, the Michoacán-born artist creates social commentary via mixed media works on paper and prints combining elements of collage, paintings, and printmaking.
Drawing inspiration from her diverse background, Tamara Tashna Downes creates captivating, vibrant original art prints that celebrate the richness of the Afro-Caribbean American experience. Bold graphics and striking portraits convey Downes’s unique aesthetic sensibility. Through her distinct perspective and intention to produce a body of work with cultural resonance, the interdisciplinary artist, designer, and curator is committed to honoring heritage and fostering a more harmonious world through art.
This next generation of artists has much to say. And, Bermudez Projects stands firmly committed – as it always has in its near 15-year history – to providing the space and platform crucial for artists to speak their voice and tell our collective stories. EXHIBIT ZERO highlights the creative methodologies actualized by today’s artists, and reignites our hope for a more equitable, inclusive future.