OPENING & RECEPTION: JUAN LUIS JARDÍ The Cinema of Memory

SANTA MONICA, CA - Lois Lambert Gallery presents Calm, the most recent exhibition of work by artist Juan Luis Jardí. Jardí is an oil painter from Barcelona, Spain, most known for his detailed renderings of surreal narrative scenes. Jardí’s work takes on a vintage perspective, drawing influence from 1950’s and 60’s filmmaking, to communicate his view of the world. His imaginative scenes depict places and moments from different time periods, merging them into surreal fantasies that feel both nostalgic and mysterious to the viewer. Pop culture references are woven together with Jardí’s imagined characters, adding to the sense that each scene is composed like a still from a movie. Jardí uses his paintings to construct his own “reality,” combining characters, places, events, and iconography from throughout recent history and his life experiences. Fantasy and reality seamlessly blur together to create an alternate dimension for Jardí’s narratives. His work captures the beauty, memories, magic, and mystery that exists in every moment of life, while encouraging viewers to indulge in their own sense of imagination and story-telling. Juan Luis Jardí studied painting at the Tárrega Academy in Barcelona, Spain, as well as the La Llotja School of Applied Arts and Artistic Crafts, where he graduated in Mural Painting, Pictorial Procedures, and Fashion Design. He has exhibited internationally since 1983. His work has been shown across Spain, Italy, France, the UK, Taiwan, Sweden, Belgium, and the U.S. Jardí has received over a dozen awards for his art, including three Medals of Honor in the annual BMW Painting Prize. His work is part of permanent collections at the International Olympic Committee Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland; and in Spain, the Roda Museum, Ciudad Real Museum, Albacete Museum, Lérida Museum, the Valdepeñas Museum, Melilla Museum, and the Focus Abengoa Sevilla Museum. Jardí’s work is included in the private collections of the former King and Queen of Spain, Juan Carlos I and Sofía, as well as Margaret Thatcher, Fidel Castro, and the former President of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch. Jardí lives and works in Barcelona, Spain. This will be Jardí’s first exhibition at Lois Lambert Gallery.