Q&A with Adrián Gómez, 2026-27 Artist-in-Residence
Photo by: Forrest MacDonald
The Latinx Project announces the selection of Adrián Gómez as the 2026-27 Artist-in-Residence.
In July, Adrián Gómez spoke with The Latinx Project about his interdisciplinary practice in preparation for his solo exhibition, organized by The Latinx Project and opening in January 2027. Gómez’s multifaceted work blends audiovisual elements with sculptural references rooted in his identity as a US-born artist of Mexican and Guatemalan descent, exploring themes of family tradition, surveillance, and sacred iconography. In this article, Gómez delves deeper into his recent work and how it has become a point of connection for the artist.
Can you tell us about your latest work and what you hope to accomplish in your practice throughout the next year?
I have been sculpting individual ceramic objects that often reference Pre-Columbian motifs, cultural iconography, and altered nopal forms. In my work Bisagras, I examined the commodification of the Virgin Mary as a religious icon. Through repetition and the introduction of Pre-Columbian iconography that once served a similar spiritual function, I sought to diminish the Virgin's image's singular authority. Most recently, I completed Superalimento del Futuro, which features a grouping of altered nopales paired with a jaguar-faced vessel. Each piece carries its own story and visual weight, inviting viewers to arrive at their own interpretation and understanding of the composition.
Throughout this next year, I plan to continue showing my work and hope that through these opportunities my work can reach a broader audience in an effort to share stories, histories, and perspectives that are often overlooked.
Without revealing too much, can you share a bit about what you are imagining for your solo show and the new work you'll be exhibiting with us?
The new body of work I will be exhibiting with The Latinx Project centers on the many ways Latinx communities are surveilled the moment they set foot on "American" soil. Through sculpture and video, I explore the various forms of surveillance imposed on members of our community, examining how these systems shape experiences of movement, belonging, and identity.
What’s moving you and inspiring you at this moment?
Growing up, I often didn't have the opportunity to engage with art that reflected my lived experience, so it is especially meaningful to see a younger generation connecting with the arts. One of the most sustaining aspects of my practice has been the feedback I have received from younger artists and students. I have been fortunate enough to have my work reach them, and on many occasions they have shared how deeply it resonates with them.
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About the Artist-in-Residence (AIR)
Adrián Gómez is an interdisciplinary artist whose sculptures examine the intricacies of being a second-generation American. Drawing from Pre-Columbian motifs, religious iconography, and culturally significant objects, he makes works that examine personal history, inherited loss, and the cyclical nature of labor. His sculptures emulate snapshots of lived experience, merging memory with material form. Gómez received his BFA at the University of Washington (2018). He continued his education at Tyler School of Art (2019) and participated in a two-year residency at Pottery Northwest. Having recently finished his MFA at the University of South Florida (2025), he is now a long-term resident artist at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia.
About the Latinx Project at NYU
The Latinx Project: Interdisciplinary Center for Arts and Culture advances Latinx Studies through creative and interdisciplinary programs. Founded in 2018 at New York University, the center’s distinguishing programs include the Artist-in-Residence, Curatorial Open Call, the Intervenxions digital platform and publication, and fellowships for junior scholars and graduate students.
Supporters
The 2026-27 Artist-in-Residence program is made possible with support from the Mellon Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.