The exhibition highlights the distinct yet intertwined creative paths of the Isaac and Antonio Pelayo, bound by a shared legacy and an ongoing, vibrant dialogue that runs through their works.
Pelayo VS Pelayo by Isaac and Antonio Pelayo
There are few examples in the history of art where a father and son achieve such remarkable success that they warrant a joint exhibition. GALLERY THIRTYSIX's show of Isaac and Antonio Pelayo is one such rare instance that showcases the evolution of their unique styles over the past decade. This exhibition highlights the distinct yet intertwined creative paths of the Pelayos, bound by a shared legacy and an ongoing, vibrant dialogue that runs through their works.
Isaac’s work is a dynamic fusion where the revered tropes of Renaissance iconography meet the raw, visceral energy of modern street art, deeply one infused with a distinctly West Coast sensibility. His canvases feature a jujitsu of sorts between spray paint and the bold oil pastel strokes with references to the diverse toolbox of post-WW II Pop and Conceptual Art. Isaac's stylistic idiom hints at John Baldessari’s canvases with erased faces and Warhol’s beatification of the readymade, but he infuses these approaches with the grit and vibrancy of Los Angeles street culture. The result is a visual dialogue that captures the tension between high and low, the sacred and the profane, all while asserting a uniquely Californian voice.
Antonio Pelayo’s recent collection offers a profound exploration of cultural identity, deftly navigating the interplay between tradition and modernity. Meticulously crafted in a hybrid of pencil and acrylic ink, each piece testifies to Antonio’s ability to merge the familiar with the surreal, inviting viewers into a world where the boundaries between past and present blur, allowing cultural symbols to take on new, poignant meanings. His portrait series features graphite faces emerging from playful, abstracted bodies, creating a layered narrative of identity. The juxtaposition of realistic portraiture with stylized, almost cartoonish figures reflects the duality that many experience—rooted in tradition yet continually shaped by contemporary influences. Antonio’s use of vivid primary colors and symbolic imagery weaves a visual language that echoes the complexities of cultural memory and the immigrant experience, offering a compelling commentary on belonging and identity in a rapidly evolving world.
Opening Reception: September 14th at 7pm, 1260 S Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90015 on the 36th Floor (entrance through Level 8)
Hosted by Houston Hospitality Group
Curated by JM Art Management
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Isaac Pelayo is a head on crash collision between The Renaissance and Street Art.
In a household where constant turmoil and violence were more apparent than most a young Pelayo met escape and peace within the confines of himself and his own creativity. Hispanic born in the heavy beating heart of Los Angeles on the seventh day of June 1996. Pelayo was caught in the crossfires of everything that surrounded him but art served as his only guidance. After dropping out of college Pelayo turned from his hyperrealistic pencil portraits to oil painting where his passions grew more immensely.
Born in Glendale, CA, and raised in the Mexican countryside, Antonio Pelayo uses his artwork to question ideologies of home, identity, and trust. Moving from a quintessential American suburb replete with white picket fences to a tiny village of adobe churches urged Pelayo to adapt, while simultaneously searching for himself amongst the teasing cries of other children. Looking for solace, he picked up a pencil and began to draw using the murals of Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Orozco to inspire him.
