Seimandi & Leprieur Art Gallery, a new contemporary art space in downtown Santa Barbara dedicated to showcasing Caribbean and international artists, will present its second exhibition Whose Paradise? on view Oct. 2-Nov. 22 at 33 W. Anapamu St.

There will be an opening reception, 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, featuring wine and live music.

Following the gallery’s inaugural show featuring Martinican artist Ricardo Ozier-Lafontaine, the new collective exhibit brings together five international artists Karine Taïlamé, Pierre Roy-Camille, Dora Vital, Ricardo Ozier-Lafontaine, and Anabell Guerrero.

Their works explore the ambiguities of the tropical paradise, questioning the idyllic imagery often associated with lush landscapes and island cultures, the gallery said.

The selected works, imported especially for the exhibit, include paintings, photography, and mixed-media installations rarely shown in California.

“Whose Paradise? invites the public to reflect on the tension between fantasy and reality, beauty and exploitation, in our collective imagination of tropical environments,” the gallery said.