Wes Hempel’s paintings forge a provocative dialogue between past and present - asking us to consider the ways in which the dominant narratives depicted in art and pop culture have presented a single viewpoint and lacked significantly in representation.
CV
EDUCATION
Sonoma State University Electronic Music composition 1984-86
San Jose State University Electronic Music Composition 1986-89
GRANTS, RESIDENCIES and AWARDS
Grantee, LA Lakers - In The Paint, 2023
Culver City Arts Foundation - Helms Bakery Projecting Possibilities 2021
Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs - DCA Emergency Relief Fund 2021
Kellogg University Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona “Ink and Clay 44”- Jurors choice award 2019
Los Angeles Art Association – Juried show 1st prize 2000
SOLO AND TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2024 Featuring: Bryan Ida, Billis Williams Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2023 Bryan Ida: Life of Change, A Retrospective, Bakersfield Museum, Bakersfield, CA
2023 DEEP, Billis Williams Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2023 DeSaisset Museum, Santa Clara University Solo Show “con.Text”
2021 DeSaisset Museum, Santa Clara University Solo Online programming “con.Text”
2021 Activities Program Board Helms Building, Culver City Arts Foundation Solo show “Projecting Possibilities”
2021 “con.Text” (solo), Ronald H Silverman Fine Arts Gallery, California State University, Los Angeles
2020 Japanese American Museum San Jose Solo show “con.Text”
2020 West Valley College, Saratoga, CA Solo show “con.Text” Dept of Student Services, Diversity and Inclusion
2017 LA Artcore, Little Tokyo Los Angeles 2 Person Show
2017 George Billis Gallery Los Angeles, Solo Show “ Echo and Line”
2016 Bluerider Art, Taipei Taiwan Solo Show “City Symphony”
2015 Sandra Lee Gallery, San Francisco Solo Show “Littoral”
2014 George Billis Gallery Los Angeles, Los Angeles Solo Show
2014 Bluerider Art, Taipei City , Taiwan Solo Show “Floating California”
2014 George Billis Gallery, New York, NY Solo show
2014 Smith Andersen North, San Anselmo, CA 2 Person Show “Placing Memory”
2013 Stanford Art Spaces, Stanford, CA Solo Show “City Series”
2013 Blue Whale, Los Angeles, CA Solo Show “LACA”
2012 George Billis Gallery Los Angeles, Solo Show “SoCal”
2009 Hang, San Francisco, CA Solo Show
2007 Bandini Art, Culver City, CA Solo Show “Seed”
2005 Hang, San Francisco, CA Solo Show
2004 Los Angeles Art Association Solo Show
2004 Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA “City and Nature: Longing and Need”
2002 Hang, Palo Alto, CA Solo Show
2001 Paper Chase, Los Angeles, CA Solo Show
1998 Smith Andersen Editions 3 person Show “3 From the Hatch” Palo Alto, CA
1998 Theosophical University Library Solo Show Pasadena, CA
1997 The Hatch, Los Angeles, CA Solo Show
1997 Gallery OBOY, San Francisco, CA 2 Person Show
1997 The Hatch, Los Angeles, CA Solo Show
1996 The Hatch, Los Angeles, CA Solo Show
1995 The Studio of Sam Francis, Venice, CA 2 Person Show
GROUP EXHIBITION
2024 The Cityscape Show XIV, Billis Williams Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2023 The Circle of Sam Francis: Experimenting in California, Bakersfield Museum of Art, Bakersfield, CA
2023 LA County Dept. of Arts and Culture “Collective Memory Installation” Part of IlluminateLA
2023 The Billboard Creative “We the People” Featured Artist
2023 Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA “Bridging the Pacific”
2022 Durden and Ray, LA “Transmogrified”
2022 Walter Maciel Gallery, LA “Future Patchwork”
2022 The Cityscape Show XII: Iconic, Billis Williams Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2022 Casa 0101, Boyle Heights, CA “Bronzeville: Modernity, Race and the Search to Belong”
2022 Moreman Gallery, Louisville KY “Peregrinations”
2022 DeSaisset Museum, Santa Clara CA “Encounter: Executive Order 9066”
2022 Union Station Passageway Gallery, “We Are...Portraits of Metro Riders by LA Metro/Metro Art, LA, Local Artists”
2022 Kellogg University Art Gallery, “Black, White and Shades of Grey” Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona CA
2021 Torrance Art Museum, Torrance CA “Nomad”
2021 George Billis Gallery, LA “Cityscape Show XI”
2020 Durden and Ray, LA “Artist and Poems”, Online show
2020 George Billis Gallery, LA “Cityscape show X: Concrete and Earth”
2020 Orange County Center for Contemporary Art “OCCCA@40” Fullerton, CA
2020 Durden and Ray, LA “We Are Here / Here We Are”
2020 Golden West College Gallery “Type” Huntington Beach, CA
2020 Bluerider Art, Taipei Taiwan “6”
2019 Steps Gallery, Yokohama Japan “California Dreaming”
2019 Bluerider Art, Taipei Taiwan “Daily Sentiments”
2019 Themes and Projects, San Francisco CA “Late Summer”
2019 Kellogg University Art Gallery, “Ink and Clay 44” Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona CA Jurors Choice Award and Jurors Choice - Honorable Mention
2019 Hote Gallery, Alhambra CA “Okeanos”
2019 Beyond Baroque, Venice CA “Littoral”
2019 iBiennale, Honolulu, HI “Artropocene:iBiennale MMXIX
2019 BG Gallery, Santa Monica CA “Santa Monica: Now & Then”
2018 United Terminal, LAX “Wild Blue Yonder”
2018 George Billis Gallery Los Angeles, LA “Selected Abstracts”
2018 Finishing Concepts, Monterey Park CA “Under Construction”
2018 PØST Gallery, DTLA “Spell Check”
2018 George Billis, LA “Cityscape Show”
2017 Muzeumm, LA “Gimme 5”
2017 Mike Kelley Gallery, Venice CA “Gangbusters”
2017 POST Gallery, LA “Blue”
2017 Art Central Hong Kong Bluerider Art
2017 Schomberg Gallery, Santa Monica CA Group Show
2017 Saatchi Art, Santa Monica, CA “Mark-Making”
2017 BLAM, LA “f.u.topiia”
2017 Art Palm Springs Group Show
2016 The Billboard Creative, LA Billboard Show
2016 San Diego Art Institute, San Diego CA Southern California Baja Biennial
2016 Torrance Art Museum, Torrance CA MAS Attack 13
2016 Carlos Blanco Studio LaBo Por Venezuela Bogota Colombia
2016 La Estacion Arte Contemporaneo, Group Show Chihuahua, Mexico
2016 Lancaster Museum of Art and History: Cedar “Cedarfest”
2016 Forum Kortteli,Turku & Naantali Spa Gallery “Homing Pigeon” Lancaster CA, Naantali, Finland
2016 Outpost Projects, Joshua Tree CA “UFOlogy”
2016 Palm Springs Fine Art Fair Group Show
2016 Fabrik, LA MAS Attack 11
2015 Torrance Art Museum “An Odyssey”
2015 George Billis, LA “The Landscape Show V”
2015 George Billis, New York Group Show
2015 Arena 1 Gallery, Santa Monica “Kachofugetsu:: Flowerbirdwindmoon”
2015 Riverside Art Museum “California Dreaming: An International Portrait of Southern California”
2015 Gallery Antenna, Kyoto Japan “Homing Pigeon Edition IV:Kyoto”
2014 Santa Monica Studios MAS Attack VII
2014 Red Dot Art Fair, Miami Group Show
2014 Oceanside Museum of Art “California Dreaming: An International Oceanside Portrait of Southern California”
2014 Ichibeicho Gallery, Tokyo Japan i23, “From the Dust Returns”
2014 Sandra Lee Gallery, San Francisco CA “Real Surreal”
2014 Salon d’ingresso of Palozzo della “California Dreaming: An International Portrait of Southern California” Provincia da Frisone, Italy
2014 Torrance Art Museum MAS Attack VI
2014 Asia Hotel Art Fair, Seoul Korea Group Show
2014 Art Taichung, Taipei Taiwan Group Show
2014 George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles “Cityscape Show IV”
2014 Art Tainan, Taipei Taiwan Group Show
2014 Palm Springs Art Fair Group Show
2013 Red Dot Art Fair , Miami Group Show
2013 Torrance Art Museum MAS Attack II
2013 Gallery Lara, Tokyo “Homing Pigeon: Edition 2: Tokyo”
GROUP PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWS
JAUS, Santa Monica “Black and Blue Show” August 2013
George Billis LA “Cityscape Show III” July 2013
Gallery 85, San Jose CA “Huddle Up” June 2013
Palm Springs Art Fair Group Show February 2013
Red Dot Art Fair Miami Group Show December 2012
George Billis LA “Cityscape Show II” July 2012
LA Art Show Group Show January 2012
LACMA, Sales and Rental Gallery Group Show March 2009
Triton Museum, Santa Clara CA “Statewide Painting Competition and Exhibition” January 2008
Los Angeles Art Association "Field and Form" Gallery 825, LA September 2006
Aiden Riley Taylor Gallery, LA “Stars on Vine” June 2006
Los Angeles Art Association "Open Show" Gallery 825, LA December 2005
UpSpace, LA “Speak Easy” November 2005
Museum of Contemporary Art “Fresh: A Silent Auction of Emerging Los Angeles and Other Great Artist” 2005
Venice Art Walk Art Auction May 2005
Long Beach Museum of Art “California Vision Art Auction XI” May 2005
Schomburg Gallery, Santa Monica CA “Holiday Show 2004 December 2004
Los Angeles Art Association "Homeland Security" Gallery 825, LA September 2004
Los Angeles Art Association "Between One and Ten" Gallery 825, LA March 2004
Gallery C, Hermosa Beach CA "The Art of Paint" November 2003
Los Angeles Art Association "50/50 show" Gallery 825, LA May 2003
Los Angeles Art Association "Make Yourself at Home" Gallery 825, LA April 2003
Don O'Melveny Gallery "Peter Frank Selects" Los Angeles January 2003
Los Angeles Art Association "Pacifically Designed" Gallery 825, LA August 2002
Long Beach Arts "Show stoppers" Long Beach CA Group Show August 2002
L. A . Artcore, The Brewery "Wallworks" LA Juried Show April 2002
Digital Symphony, Burbank CA Group Show February 2002
Los Angeles Art Association "Southern California Open" Gallery 825, LA December 2001
The Eyebeam Altelier, "Art Heals II" New York December 2002
BGH Gallery, Santa Monica CA "Art Heals" October 2001
The Hatch, LA "Suspending Detachment" September 2001
The Hatch, LA "The Drop-out Show" May 2001
The Hatch, LA "Shooting Nowhere" February 2001
Hollywood Digital, LA Group show December 2000
Los Angeles Art Association "Southern California Open" September 2000
Gallery 825, LA Juried show:1st Prize
The Hatch, LA Group Show February 2000
BGH Gallery, Santa Monica CA Group Show December 1999
Hang Gallery, San Francisco CA Group Show December 1999
Los Angeles Art Association Group Show Gallery 825, LA August 1999
The Hatch, LA Group Show May 1999
Hang Gallery, San Francisco CA Group Show November 1998
The Hatch, LA Group Show September 1998
Los Angeles Art Association Group Show Gallery 825, LA August 1998
The Hatch, LA Group Show May 1998
LACMA, Los Angeles Group Show Sales and Rental Gallery March 1998
PUBLICATIONS
Artillery Magazine May 2023
The Santa Clara- Review May 2021
Metro San Jose- Review February 2021
Psychological Perspectives the Quarterly Journal of Jungian Thought January 2021
“Healing Cultural Divides: A Jungian Approach”
Centerpoint Now, Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the United Nations December 2020
Fabrik February 2018
Diversions LA- Review May 2017
Artscene- Cover and Review May 2017
Art and Cake-Studio Visit April 2017
LA Weekly December 2016
The Creators Project December 2016
Fraction Magazine.com December 2016
The Art Newspaper, UK December 2016
Art Ltd.- Review November 2015
Flavorpill- Review August 2008
Artweek October 2007
Ions Noetic Sciences Review September 2003
COLLECTIONS
De Saisset Museum, Santa Clara, CA
Resnick Collection, Los Angeles, CA
LA Metro permanent Collection, Los Angeles, CA
Microsoft Corporate Collection, Redmond WA
Genencor International Collection, Palo Alto, CA
Merril Corporation