Luis Bermudez was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. His parents immigrated from Mexico to the United States of America. Bermudez made frequent visits to his family owned ranch called El Piño in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico during his youth[2] which inspired pre-Columbian iconography shown in his work.[7] Bermudez spent much of his time with the foreman's children and it was during this time he searched for a sense of belonging. Feeling as though he did not belong to just Los Angeles or Mexico but to both, Bermudez stated "It is from this sense of not belonging yet being connected to it all that I operate both as a human being and an artist."[7]
Bermudez's work was inspired by nature and his travels to "sacred places" around the world such Iceland, French Polynesia, and Peru where people made offerings to deities. Bermudez's work reflects what he described as the "essence" of his personal experience at these locations and is reflected in his imagery of juxtaposing and chaotic geologic/landscape surface textures such as cenotes, glaciers, and marae.[2]
Included in his work are "architectonic references of stairs that are usually too hard to climb".[7] Bermudez used this representation as a direct reference to the pyramids in Teotihuacán, Mexico invoking thoughts of climbing or seeking. In his work, Bermudez also referenced windows, portals, or doorways in association with death and "the metaphorical expression" of reflection and the thought changing processes.[7]
Sobre La Vida which translates to "About Life" was a celebration and tribute to Luis Bermudez and his artwork. The exhibit featured artworks created between 1986 and 2014. Themes of the show included the interconnected nature of the place, identity, materiality, and the relation between the physical and the spiritual.[12]
Included works
La Caja Series- Bermudez combined positive and negative elements in an effort to invoke tension and failed desires.[13]
Vulnerable Offerings and Ultimate Offering is a series of unglazed porcelain bowls atop winding reptilian bodies similar to pre-Columbian iconography and religious objects used in rituals.[14]
Sacred Places and Runes Series Finding inspiration in both the natural world and his Mesoamerican heritage,[12] Bermudez used his artwork as metaphors for non linear time and narrative, drawing inspiration from non-western philosophical traditions.[14]
Made in L.A. 2023: Acts of Living
Made in L.A. 2023: Acts of Living was an art exhibition held by the Hammer Museum showcasing artists work from across Los Angeles.[15] Bermudez's estate entered works "spanning over four decades."[16] Bermudez utilizes pre-Columbian iconography such as "snakes, lightning bolts, and certain vessel types."[17]
Recognition
Bermudez was recognized for his cultural projects, notably the UCLA Ceramics Invitational of 1992, and worked with the Consultante General of Mexico to present NEPANTLA Dreams: Cal-Mex States L.A. (2004–2005).[12]
Exhibitions
Solo exhibitions
2024: Luis Bermudez: Sobre la Vida, L.A. Louver, Venice, CA[18]
2010-11: Luis Bermudez: Myth, Place and Identity, Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, Ojai, CA[19]
1986 Luis Bermudez, Garth Clark Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Group exhibitions
2023: Made in LA 2023: Acts of Living, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA[20]
2016: Lineage: Mentorship and Learning, American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, CA[21]
2012; kilnopening.edu 2012: American Museum of Ceramic Art, Ojai, CA[22]
2009: Cerámica de la Tierra- Pre-Columbian Tradition, American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, CA[23]
↑Choice Encounters, Long Beach Museum of Art, 1992, Retrieved 2025-05-10
↑Sueños from California, University of Texas at El Paso, TX, 1992, Retrieved 2025-05-10
↑Geering, K. (1975). "Lipase and unspecific esterase activity in the fat body of Aedes aegypti L". Acta Tropica. 32 (3): 273–276. ISSN0001-706X. PMID1988.
↑Recent Ceramics, Pepperdine University, Woodland Hills, CA, 1991, Retrieved 2025-05-10
↑Ceramics, Couturier Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 1991, Retrieved 2025-05-10
↑Recent Ceramics, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, 1991, Retrieved 2025-05-10
↑Common Ground: Distinct Journeys, Century Gallery, Sylmar, CA, 1990, Retrieved 2025-05-10
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
