Colorful Conversation Starter

Bre


What began as innocent drawings on the bedroom wall by a curious three-year-old girl has now blossomed into a renowned portfolio of colorful paintings and widespread recognition for Breanna (Bre) Gomez.

Gomez, a University of Miami freshman who is pursuing a double major in art and art history and psychology—with minors in marketing and business law—is Bahamian/Cuban on her paternal side and Jamaican/Panamanian on her maternal side.

While living in the Bahamas, Gomez was immersed in art at a very young age. By the time she was nine years old, she received a first-place award at the E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival Visual Arts and was under the direction of three art teachers simultaneously taking classes in sculpting, painting, and mixed media. She says her passion for art stems from the influences of both grandmothers who taught her how to weave straw baskets and the importance of color palettes and the color wheel.

While she has a passion for sculpting and mixed media, Gomez says that painting is her favorite artistic medium. Most commonly, Gomez utilizes oils and canvases to create her vibrant and usually non-objective art, but she also dabbles in inks, acrylics, and mixed media.

Her most recent piece, entitled ‘Disappearing Eden,’ is inspired by Monet, Mark Rothko, Henri Rousseau, and Vincent van Gogh; it also seeks to start a dialogue about socio-economical and environmental issues.

“This piece is the first of a climate change series that addresses how climate change is affecting The Bahamas and Miami specifically since this is where I have spent most of my childhood and young adulthood,” said Gomez. “I like to engage with people through art by mostly bringing about change in social, economic, and cultural conversations.”

‘Disappearing Eden’ is currently on display at the World Art Fair in Dubai. She hopes that it will serve as a reminder of climate change and how the issue needs to be addressed before it is too late. Gomez also sets out to arouse a sense of belonging in the hearts of those that experience her art. As an American Afro-Latina, she has struggled with feelings of displacement and disconnection. She seeks to end this feeling through her art.

“I believe that paintings and art are meant to speak and connect with humanity without having to actually explain that connection through words,” Gomez says.

To learn more about Bre Gomez, click on the video here