Artist Pedro Pedro presents his vision of utopia through outdoor dining in his latest solo exhibition 'Picnic' at Fundación La Nave Salinas. The Los Angeles-based artist explores themes of togetherness, relaxation, and daily luxuries as essential elements for maintaining balance and joy, particularly during difficult times. "I believe a picnic is a utopia," Pedro states, setting the philosophical foundation for his new body of work.
The exhibition features 15 new canvas paintings that showcase Pedro's distinctive artistic approach. Using textile paint on unprimed linen, the artist begins each piece with a digital design before sketching it onto the substrate with chalk and filling in the composition with vibrant colors. This technique creates works where digital and natural imagery blend seamlessly, reflecting contemporary relationships with both mediums.
Beneath the exuberant surfaces of Pedro's paintings lies a thoughtful homage to the 1950s, evident through his depiction of midcentury furniture and aesthetic elements. According to the gallery, this nostalgic lens serves as Pedro's critique of the relentless pace of modern life in 2025. In an era characterized by constant notifications and overwhelming news cycles, the artist invites viewers to reconnect with a time when people truly savored present moments.
The exhibition's setting at Fundación La Nave in Ibiza, Spain, perched overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, enhances the work's themes of indulgence and simple pleasures. Visitors are encouraged to imagine lounging on beaches and enjoying endless arrays of treats, embodying the golden age thinking that Pedro weaves throughout his artistic narrative. The Spanish island location provides an ideal backdrop for contemplating the slower pace of life that the artist advocates.
Pedro's meticulous attention to detail becomes apparent upon closer examination of his paintings. Motifs appear to replicate with near-perfect precision, including flawless lilies, dollops of whipped cream, orange slices, and melons. This repetition mirrors the relationship between digital reproduction and natural forms, questioning how we perceive and process imagery in the contemporary world.
The artist creates narrative suggestions within his compositions through carefully placed objects. Half-peeled citrus fruits, knives abandoned in pastries, and scattered garments imply that picnic participants have momentarily stepped away, perhaps for a quick swim in the sea, and will return at any moment. These details create a sense of life interrupted but not abandoned, emphasizing the temporary nature of these perfect moments.
Pedro draws inspiration from renowned artists who celebrated abundance and joy in their work. The joyously rotund forms of Colombian artist Fernando Botero influence Pedro's approach to depicting figures and objects, while Wayne Thiebaud's decadent representations of pies and cakes inform his treatment of food imagery. These artistic influences help create Pedro's distinctive visual language that celebrates excess and pleasure.
The exhibition incorporates the philosophical concept of memento mori, Latin for "remember you will die," which gained prominence during the Dutch Golden Age. Traditional still life paintings from this period featured wilting flowers and rotting fruit as reminders of mortality. However, Pedro transforms this concept into something more life-affirming, embracing instead the idea of memento vivere, or "remember to live."
For Pedro, the focus shifts from contemplating death to consciously embracing life's fullness. Each lemon slice, half-eaten tart, and toppled wine glass in his paintings serves not as a warning about mortality, but as a luminous reminder to inhabit the present with curiosity, joy, and delight. This philosophical approach transforms traditional vanitas symbolism into a celebration of immediate experience and sensory pleasure.
The gallery describes Pedro's vision as creating an ideal and perfect society through his artistic utopia. Every element within his paintings radiates brightness, juiciness, and surreal perfection, inviting viewers to imagine themselves within these carefully constructed scenes of leisure and abundance. The Mediterranean setting amplifies these themes, connecting the exhibition's location with its conceptual framework.
'Picnic' continues its run through October 31 in Ibiza, offering visitors an extended opportunity to engage with Pedro's vision of contemporary utopia. The exhibition serves as both an escape from modern pressures and a gentle reminder to prioritize moments of genuine connection and simple pleasure in daily life.
