Two years after the first live painting residency at Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA), Robert Xavier Burden is set to unveil his completed work, The Alien Painting, in a special pop-up exhibition from February 12–23, 2025. During his residency from February to June 2023, Burden painted four days a week on-site at OMA, allowing visitors to witness the intricate evolution of this monumental 12ft x 8ft artwork in real time.
This exhibition will also showcase The Lagomorph Painting, a new piece featuring nearly 100 depictions of rabbits, hares, and pikas, completed in Burden’s San Diego studio since the residency. This marks the only opportunity to view both paintings together before they transition into private collections.
To commemorate this pop-up exhibition, OMA will host a celebration on Friday, February 14, from 5:00–7:00 PM at the museum. The community is invited to raise a glass with the artist and enjoy an up-close and personal look at these newly unveiled paintings. The event is free with admission.
A person standing in front of a wall with many cartoon characters
Description automatically generated
Burden’s acclaimed 2023 exhibition, Robert Xavier Burden: Relics, delved into the interplay between imagination and reality, featuring 30 meticulously detailed paintings ranging in size from 30×30 inches to a staggering 8×14 feet. Each work, requiring between 1,300 to 2,100 hours to create, reimagined toys and iconic figures in decorative motifs.
I’d love to know if you’re interested in featuring this pop-up exhibition at OMA. I’d be happy to set up an interview with Robert Xavier Burden about unveiling this work and we’d love to know if you’re interested in attending the celebration on February 14. High-res images can be found here
About Oceanside Museum of Art
Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA) is a non-profit organization that began providing exhibitions and public programs in 1995 as part of their mission to bring people together to explore the art and stories of Southern California artists. OMA’s exhibition program is dynamic and robust, surprising visitors with a fresh and exciting visual experience nearly every visit. In addition to these boundary-pushing contemporary art exhibitions, OMA’s programming includes youth education programs, adult art classes, concerts, films, and creative community parties and events that appeal to locals and tourists alike. The OMA experience stimulates imagination, presents new ideas, and challenges the familiar in a welcoming environment for those new to art, longtime museum-goers, artists, art students, or simply the curious. For more information on Oceanside Museum of Art, visit www.oma-online.org
