The Long Beach Creative Group presents Alienation, Belonging, & Perceptions, a two-artist exhibition featuring the works of Yulia Gasio and Johnny Castillo. Through contrasting yet complementary approaches, Gasio and Castillo explore themes of displacement, cultural identity, and the shifting perceptions of home.

Born in Ukraine and now based in California, Yulia Gasio investigates the impact of Hollywood and the American Dream on individual and collective identities. Using layers of abstraction and figurative imagery, Gasio juxtaposes idyllic cinematic portrayals with personal narratives of cultural adaptation. Her paintings, infused with vibrant colors and veils of transparency, challenge the glossy myths of success and belonging. Featuring semi-transparent film and lightbox installations, her work reveals the tensions between illusion and reality inviting viewers to question how media shapes our perceptions of place and self.

Johnny Castillo, a Guatemalan-born artist now based in California, delves into the emotional weight of migration through deeply personal reflections on memory and identity. His work captures the sensation of existing between worlds, blending nostalgia with the realities of the immigrant experience. Drawing inspiration from historical painting traditions, Castillo crafts fragmented compositions that blur past and present, evoking a sense of longing and impermanence. His figures—sometimes blurred, sometimes sharply defined mirror his own shifting sense of visibility and invisibility within American society.

Gasio’s and Castillo’s works intertwine through their masterful use of color, light, and transparency. Both artists navigate the complexities of cultural belonging, yet their visual languages diverge Gasio’s dreamlike layers of imagery contrast with Castillo’s introspective psychological landscapes. Together, their works prompt us to consider how migration, memory, and media shape our understanding of home and identity.

📅 Exhibition Dates: March 2 – March 30
📍 Rod Briggs Gallery | 2221 E. Broadway, Long Beach, CA
🕐 Open Friday – Sunday | 1 PM – 4 PM

This exhibition is made possible by the Arts Council for Long Beach, the City of Long Beach, and the Briggs Family Trust.

Alienation, Belonging, & Perceptions invites viewers to reflect on their own experiences of place, belonging, and the ever-evolving nature of identity in a globalized world.