Tristan Esmino:
sa gawi ng araw
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On View: September 19, 2026 - March 20, 2027
Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCASB) presents two solo exhibitions Alexis Childress: Migration, Memory, Movement and Tristan Esmino: sa gawi ng araw (September 19, 2025-March 20, 2027) as part of the ongoing MCASB Satellite Gallery program at the Riviera Beach House in the heart of Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone neighborhood. Childress is a recent MFA graduate from UCSB and Esmino is an MFA candidate at USC. Linked by the artists' use of textiles and themes of landscape and ancestry, the two exhibitions will be installed throughout the gallery, in conversation.
Esmino is presenting nearly a dozen works, including three new, hand-dyed and hand-woven cotton textile artworks. Drawing inspiration from landscapes and familiar symbols, the works in sa gawi ng araw is a visual narrative that expresses his multicultural identity and the spaces he navigates. Non-native to California, the palm trees found throughout his works are a symbol of migration and belonging; while the pearl serves as a token of resiliency and transformation. Using Tagalog and Ilocano for his exhibition title artwork titles, Esmino emphasises language as a tangible link to his Filipino culture—signifying a dynamic vessel that carries the essence and the implication of his heritage. Through the process of dyeing, weaving, and handling of the material, Esmino’s textiles invites the viewer to reflect on the intimate relationship to touch and memory.
Tristan Esmino is a Los Angeles-based artist working in sculpture and textiles. He holds a BFA in Sculpture from California State University, Long Beach and is a current MFA candidate at the University of Southern California. Esmino’s weaving practice emerges from his experience as a first-generation Filipino immigrant—using fiber and form to explore migration, movement, family history, and memories. His works become a living tribute that carry and preserve the histories and values of his layered identity. Esmino has been featured in group exhibitions at Charlie James, Open Gallery Long Beach, Patricia Sweetow, Garel Fine Arts, Palos Verdes Library, and Da Vinci Gallery at LA City college. He has also exhibited with the Tambayan Collective, an artist-led community dedicated to supporting and showcasing Filipino Artists. He also presented at Textile Slam 2024 and led a workshop at the Craft Contemporary, hosted by Textile Arts LA.
The Riviera Beach House is an artful boutique hotel situated steps from the sand in Santa Barbara’s eclectic Funk Zone neighborhood. The newly redesigned property has become a destination where people gather to enjoy curated experiences, explore local culture, and embrace the Riviera lifestyle. Maya Mallick, owner of The Riviera Beach House, is passionate about design and embraces art as an intrinsic part of the hotel experience.