Friendships and Hardships Within the Queer Asian Community in Beau Gomez’s 'El Angel'

Beau Gomez’s solo exhibition El Angel touches upon the experiences of queer Asian people—a personal story which many find relevant in the Asian community. “This work unveils nuances of Asian queerness at the crossroads with upbringing, kinship, desire and disclosure,” says Beau Gomez. This project is a mixture of photographs, videos and recordings which the artist started compiling in the summer of 2019 during a summer trip. The journey of an “artistic therapy” that led to the creation of El Angel.

The photographs of his friends, nature and the surroundings are placed around the room printed on pieces of cloth. “The silk fabric prints embody the tenderness and gentleness experienced and shared between myself and my friends,” says Beau Gomez. They are gentle and peaceful. They radiate tranquility and being at ease. There is light in them. Light that can only be attained by overcoming hardships.

Part of the exhibition is an open dialogue where people participate by sharing similar experiences with each other. It allows visitors to express their feelings about the art itself. The artist invites spectators to an open, and somehow vulnerable, discussion around the table. He also performs a song for his best friend Derek, who is one of the main characters of his project.

The other part of this exhibition is the audio recording that is merged with the video clips. Beau Gomez recorded his two friends, who are the subjects of his work, and are also part of the community. The audio recordings are personal pieces of genuine and touching conversations which go deeper than everyday talks. “We impacted many things like our queerness, our identity, our family history and cultural upbringing,” emphasizes Beau.

Beau Gomez is a fine art photographer living in Montreal, Canada. He has a BFA in Photography from Toronto Metropolitan University.

By sharing his personal story, Beau opens the door for a discussion about the Asian experience in the community.

Artworks like these help fight inequalities, stigmas and reflect the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for Reduced Inequalities.  “The stories, and the realities, and the struggles are bigger than myself. If this story can resonate with somebody else then I feel like I am doing something right,” concludes the artist.

If you want to find more about Beau Gomez and his art follow his Instagram account or visit his exhibition at Artspace Gallery in Toronto, which is on view until November 26, 2022.