Mario Gomez

Mario Gomez was born in 1968 in Concepcion, Chile. He attended the School of Art at Pontifical Catholic University of Chile to study under Chile’s influential painters, such as Balmes, Gracia Barrios, and Ciengfuegos. Gomez works are in museum collections including the National Fine Arts Museum, Santiago, Chile; Mucsarnok Museum, Budapest, Hungary; Sogetsu Museum, Tokyo, Japan; Revolution Museum, Moscow, Russia; Maisond’ Amerique Latine, Paris, France; and Osaka Contemporary Art Center, Osaka, Japan. Gomez’ works are found in many private collections including former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, renowned author Isabel Allende, and famous musicians.

Gomez’s paintings beckon the viewers to their own childhood. His vibrant work breathes life and joy. The source of his images is often autobiographical and reminiscent of the fantasies of his childhood. Images of paper ships, circus whirls, and the priest who rode the bicycle evoke memories of his growing years. Playful objects such as the juggler, the ballerina, the horse, intermingle with simple architectural constructions, influenced by the literature of Latin-American magic realism. He creates a world of fantasy, reassembling familiar images and spaces, creating a new synthesis. The artist describes his work as communicating without saying the obvious, as that would eliminate the attraction of the painting. The protagonist is the human figure, interacting with fundamental worries and fundamental joy – works of art that involve the viewer with the artist in an interpretation of life. His genius manifests itself in the unique content and juxtaposition of human, natural, and material objects. Equally exciting and accomplished is his unique technique. He creates a “paper world” – simulating crumpled paper – and combining classical elements with contemporary elements in the same scene