Obed Gómez
Encyclopedia
Obed Gómez a.k.a. "The Puerto Rican Picasso
" (born 1966) is a Puerto Rican artist of modern art
.
, a section of in San Juan
, the capital city of Puerto Rico
. His grandmother was the first to believe that someday he would become an artist when she saw him drawing at the age of three. He received his primary education in a public school, however when he was eleven he took private art classes. He was sent to the League of Art of San Juan, where he took classes in drawing and painting.
After Gómez graduated from high school, he enrolled in the University of the Sacred Heart in San Juan. He also studied simultaneously at the Andres Buseo Academy where he took art classes. He earned his Bachelors Degree in Communications with a minor in visual arts from the University of the Sacred Heart.
At first he was not successful as an artist and instead he faced personal problems which kept him from fulfilling his potential as an artist. His life changed when he moved to Orlando, Florida
in 1995 and met his future wife Sarah Lloyd. Sarah encouraged him by insisting that he accompany her to art shows. She inspired him by telling him that he too could produce works of art. He also became a born again Christian
. Gomez set up an art studio in a spare room of his home.
His art work was exhibited at the Galeria Latina in Cornwall, England where a critic nicknamed him the "Puerto Rican Picasso". His work has also been exhibited at the following places:
Puerto Rican Day Parade. In 2004 Lifetime Network
, choose Gomez's artwork to decorate the set of "Division". In that year, he was also awarded the Paoli
Award in the Visual Arts Category.
Even though some of his paintings have sold for over $5,000 (U.S. Dollars), Gomez has donated many of his works to children fund raising auctions. He also created the web page for "Give Kids the World", an organization which grants wishes to children with life threatening diseases.
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
" (born 1966) is a Puerto Rican artist of modern art
Modern art
Modern art includes artistic works produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of...
.
Early years
Gómez was born and raised in SanturceSanturce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Santurce is a district of San Juan, Puerto Rico.-Summary:Santurce is one of the top ten most populated areas of the island holding Miramar, Loíza, Isla Grande, Barrio Obrero, and Condado as main cultural hot spots for art, music, cuisine, fashion, hotels, technology, multimedia, film, textile and...
, a section of in San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, the capital city of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. His grandmother was the first to believe that someday he would become an artist when she saw him drawing at the age of three. He received his primary education in a public school, however when he was eleven he took private art classes. He was sent to the League of Art of San Juan, where he took classes in drawing and painting.
After Gómez graduated from high school, he enrolled in the University of the Sacred Heart in San Juan. He also studied simultaneously at the Andres Buseo Academy where he took art classes. He earned his Bachelors Degree in Communications with a minor in visual arts from the University of the Sacred Heart.
At first he was not successful as an artist and instead he faced personal problems which kept him from fulfilling his potential as an artist. His life changed when he moved to Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
in 1995 and met his future wife Sarah Lloyd. Sarah encouraged him by insisting that he accompany her to art shows. She inspired him by telling him that he too could produce works of art. He also became a born again Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
. Gomez set up an art studio in a spare room of his home.
Artistic style
Gomez developed a style which ranges from vividly realistic to wildly abstract, with a lot of lusicious whimsy in between. His subjects may vary from a dancer to a rooster with the colors of the Puerto Rican flag. The culture and heritage of Puerto Rico are represented in many of his paintings. Gomez's trademark is the bold and bright hues he favors. His art work have appeared on the covers of the Puerto Rican Professional and Business Leaders Guide, the brochure for Orlando's Puerto Rican Parade and O! Arts Magazine.Exhibitions
Solo exhibitions
- 1995 - Universidad del Sagrado Corazon, Santurce, PR
- 1999 - Puerto Rican Parade Art Exhibit, Orlando, Florida 99
- 1999 - Sears Art Exhibit, Orlando, Florida
- 1999 - Lockheed Martin-Orlando, Florida
- 2000 - Puerto Rican Parade Art Exhibit, Orlando, Florida
- 2001 - Darden's Hispanic Heritage Art Exhibit, Orlando, Florida
- 2001 - Orlando Public Library Art Exhibit, Orlando, Florida
- 2003 - Office of the Governor of Florida, Orlando, Florida
- 2004 - Moore Multicultural Center at Brevard Community College, Cocoa, Florida
- 2004 - Valencia Community College East Campus, Orlando, Florida
- 2005 - "Childhood Memories" Art Exhibit, Brevard Community College, Cocoa, Florida
- 2005 - "The Colors of Life" Art Exhibit, The House of Arts, Casselberry, Florida
- 2006 - Solo Exhibit, Solo Exhibit Dale Mabry Campus Art Gallery, Tampa, Florida
Group exhibitions
- 1999 - Latin American Art Exhibition, Valencia Community College-Orlando, Florida
- 2000 - Orange County's Hispanic Art & History Exhibit, Orlando, Fl.
- 2000 - Lockheed Martin-Orlando, Florida
- 2000 - Latin American Art Exhibition, Valencia Community College-Orlando, Florida
- 2000 - Festival Taino 2000, Las Americas Museum of Art - Kissimmee, Florida
- 2000 - Hispanic Heritage Celebration, Lockheed Martin-Orlando, Florida
- 2000 - Orange County's Hispanic Art & History Exhibit, Orlando, Florida
- 2001 - Historical Society of Central Florida Hispanic Art Exhibit Orlando, Florida
- 2001 - Hispanic Heritage Art Exhibit 2001 Orlando, Florida
- 2001 - Shin-Dig Orange County Regional History CenterOrange County Regional History CenterThe Orange County Regional History Center is a private non-profit history museum located in downtown Orlando, Florida, United States. Located in the historic Orange County Courthouse, the five-story museum consists of exhibits presenting local and regional history starting from 12,000 years ago...
Orlando, Florida - 2001 - Lockheed Martin-Orlando, Florida
- 2001 - Puerto Rican Parade Art Exhibit, Orlando, Florida
- 2001 - Latin American Art Exhibition, Valencia Community College-Orlando, Florida
- 2004- "Travel, Adventure & Motion" Platform #3 Exhibit, Lakeland, Florida
- 2004- "La Dolce Vita Exhibit" 1st Thursdays at The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA), Orlando, Florida
- 2004- Pura Vida Gallery, Atlanta, GA
- 2004- "Colores del Caribe", Casselberry City Hall, Casselberry, Florida
- 2004- Brevard Museum of Art & Science, Melbourne, Florida
- 2004- "The Floridian-Puerto Rican Art Connection" Kissimmee City Hall, Kissimmee, Florida
- 2005- "Hispanic Expressions" Art Exhibit, University of Central Florida (UCF), Orlando, Florida
- 2005- "Presencia Boricua" Art Exhibit, Museum Of The Americas(MoA), Miami, Florida
- 2005- "Latin Fusion", Casselberry City Hall, Casselberry, Florida
Honors and recognitions
In 2003, Gomez was named the godfather of the MelbourneMelbourne, Florida
Melbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. As of 2009, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 78,323. The municipal area is the second largest by size and by population in the county. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida...
Puerto Rican Day Parade. In 2004 Lifetime Network
Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American cable television specialty channel devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. The cable network is owned by A&E Television Networks...
, choose Gomez's artwork to decorate the set of "Division". In that year, he was also awarded the Paoli
Antonio Paolí
Antonio Paoli was a Puerto Rican tenor. He was known at the height of his fame as "The King of Tenors and The Tenor of Kings." He is considered to be the first Puerto Rican to reach international fame in the musical arts...
Award in the Visual Arts Category.
Even though some of his paintings have sold for over $5,000 (U.S. Dollars), Gomez has donated many of his works to children fund raising auctions. He also created the web page for "Give Kids the World", an organization which grants wishes to children with life threatening diseases.