October 11 through November 1, 2025
Opening Reception: Saturday, October 11, 5-8 pm
Bermudez Projects proudly presents Under Sapphire Skies, on view October 11 through November 1, 2025 at its Cypress Park gallery in Northeast Los Angeles. The exhibit highlights the significance of landscape paintings — in various forms — as timekeepers of our shared existence and the ephemerality of our history, space, and environment. Featuring works by 9 Southern California-based artists, the exhibition delves into critical issues long-occupying humankind, and effecting all life globally.
While employing some of the same styles and methodologies in traditional landscape painting, these contemporary artists create landscapes as a means of revealing marginalized narratives; addressing humans’ environmental impact; and exploring cultural and personal identity by mapping or documenting specific places. Social and economic changes, ecological concerns, and the conflicting relationship between our natural and urban environments are expressed throughout the works in this exhibit.
Through plein air paintings, Anne Mansour, Rosie Juda, and Robin Osterberg capture specific moments in their histories that are deeply meaningful. Both Jay Bell and Francisco Palomares take on a “photojournalistic” approach through their oil paintings. Abira Ali and Gordon Henderson collaborated on a the series Unknown Landmarks, which documents businesses throughout Los Angeles’ neighborhoods that are facing the challenges of economic uncertainty and gentrification. Jose Ramirez’s brightly-colored paintings map the physical, social, and political make-up of Los Angeles. And, Cody Norris’s oil-based paintings of the natural world – forests, hidden valleys, wooded idylls – are a consideration of our planet’s fragility and the social and psychological understanding of life’s impermanence. Norris drives his point closer to home by literally setting his works on fire.
Under Sapphire Skies is deceptively poignant, thought-provoking, and insightful. In just under 25 paintings viewers are enticed by beautiful scenes of palm tree-line streets, verdant hillsides, lush gardens, lakes and parks, city lights, and, of course, strikingly blue sapphire skies. Simultaneously, visitors are immersed in the flawed dynamism of modern life, discovering that each moment is fleeting and our natural world is in constant collision with industry. Under Sapphire Skies leads you into… an Imperfect Paradise.
The complete list of artists in Under Sapphire Skies:
Abira Ali
Jay Bell
Gordon Henderson
Rosie Juda
Anne Mansour
Cody Norris
Robin Osterberg
Francisco Palomares
Jose Ramirez