BEYOND THE STREETS is pleased to announce What Was, What Is, What Could Be, the first-ever solo exhibition from Los Angeles based-artist Gustavo Zermeño Jr. What Was, What Is, What Could Be offers a profound exploration of the city’s myriad landscapes and communities, as envisioned through Zermeño’s aspirational and immersive mural-inspired landscapes. It is a narrative journey through the heart of Los Angeles, as told by one of its most passionate storytellers.

Zermeño Jr. transcends his iconic mural work to present a collection of paintings that pay homage to various Los Angeles landmarks—locations he has long aspired to transform through his art. Each work serves as a vibrant snapshot of LA’s diverse ecosystems, pacing between a harmonious blend of dreams and reality. His work is a manifestation of his presence within these landscapes, providing a unique lens through which he shares his personal narrative and connection with the city.

About the show, Gustavo Zermeño Jr. shares, “Los Angeles has always been my home, but it wasn’t until I started painting murals that I truly forged a bond with the city. My art has opened so many doors, each revealing itself as a hidden gem abundant with culture and beauty. Immersing myself for weeks in these neighborhoods has allowed me to intimately connect with and feel the unique energy of the many communities within LA, each a source of inspiration that continually shapes my identity as an artist.”

The exhibition is a testament to Zermeño’s innovative approach to art, where the act of mural painting becomes a dynamic conversation with the city and its inhabitants. This dialogue is not only a means of artistic expression but also a method for Zermeño to weave himself into the fabric of Los Angeles’ diverse neighborhoods. Through his process, he gains a deeper understanding and appreciation of the communities’ unique identities and stories, further enriching his art and allowing audiences to see Los Angeles through a distinctly intimate perspective. It invites viewers to traverse the city and spirit of its communities, celebrating LA’s complex beauty, resilience, and the unifying power of art to reflect and shape an understanding of place and identity.

The opening reception for What Was, What Is, What Could Be will take place on Friday, May 3, 2024 from 6PM to 9PM PST, with the show running through June 15, 2024.

About Gustavo Zermeño Jr. 
Gustavo Zermeño Jr. mixed his love for community and art by first offering to paint murals on local businesses around his home in Venice, California. Soon his larger-than-life portraits of sports heroes, celebrities and iconic musicians, done in acrylic and aerosol, peered at passersby from walls far beyond his neighborhood. This led to collaborations with the likes of the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Rams, UCLA and Nike, among others, while working with nonprofits and underserved populations to uplift and inspire the next generation of artists. Zermeño has been featured in local and national media and created a social media buzz with his hyper-realistic painted cutouts, left in unlikely places—a practice he loved for its surprise factor. His body of work has grown to include sculptures and stylized portraits on canvas and paper. He continues to be inspired by Los Angeles, its sports culture, music, and the landscape itself.

www.gzjr.org

About BEYOND THE STREETS
BEYOND THE STREETS was founded by Roger Gastman, producer of the 2010 Academy Award-nominated film, Exit Through the Gift Shop, co-curator of Art in the Streets (2011) at the MoCA in Los Angeles, and director of the SHOWTIME documentary Rolling Like Thunder (2021), a plunge into the underground world of freight train graffiti culture. BEYOND THE STREETS is an art-driven cultural and educational worldwide movement celebrating mark makers and rule breakers, agitators and instigators. Its curation showcases the best of contemporary and emerging artists, with a focus on graffiti and street art creators. Boasting over 100 artist collaborators per show, BEYOND THE STREETS is known for its massive-scale exhibitions, immersive educational experiences, and engaging pop-up events, which have played host to over 650,000 unique visitors between its shows in Los Angeles, New York, The Hamptons, London, Shanghai, and digital showcases with NTWRK. BEYOND THE STREETS exhibitions have produced over 2.5B media impressions through global art publications, business journals and culture magazines. BEYOND THE STREETS is widely recognized for its innovative brand partnerships and premium publications, which include over 75 published and authored book titles, including works for the likes of Martha Cooper, Felipe Pantone, POSE, Paul Insect, and Mister CARTOON, amongst others. BEYOND THE STREETS pushes the very idea of art beyond any preconceived boundary.