“I grew up in the magical realist tradition, not only in terms of literature and painting but as a school of thought and culture,” Christian Ruiz Berman says. Endlessly all for “the surreal nature of being stuck between two worlds,” the Mexican artist channels his experiences of immigration and adapting to new environments—together with his present dwelling in upstate New York—by means of his portray apply.
For Ruiz Berman, magical realism is a method to translate his realities into dense, surreal compositions that turn out to be a constellation of references and reminiscences. His influences are broad, from Mexican muralist traditions and Latin American people artwork to Taoism and Buddhism to poetry and Japanese printmaking, all of which converge in his work.
The ensuing work turn out to be a spot to come across sudden pairings and mystical associations freed from hierarchies. Layering, in Ruiz Berman’s work, isn’t to privilege the objects and textures of the foreground however a way of depicting the relationships between all parts.
“Ultimately, my work very much reflects the collision of Eastern and Latin American culture, art, (and) thought, as much as it does my personal amalgamation of Mexico and the U.S.,” he tells Colossal. “The existence of high intentionality and care, but also playfulness and strangeness, is something that has always made me feel connected to East Asian culture, and particularly to places like Japan and Tibet.”
Though Ruiz Berman provides many entry factors to a single portray, his compositions present an exacting path, nevertheless labyrinthine it is perhaps. The keen raccoons in “God giving god to god” may catch the viewer’s eye first, for instance, however they quickly result in the modern lilies they provide up and the Mesoamerican stone statue that’s the item of their reverence. One other seated determine hovers to their left, in opposition to woodgrain, granite, and vibrant, swirling agate.
Mixed with clear strains and exacting geometric shapes, this melange of symbols is undeniably eclectic and in service of a bigger narrative. He shares:
I study the notion that every particular person, animal, and object isn’t solely a vital part of the current second however an entangled component in a larger equipment of fixed change and adaptation…Magic and shock all the time occur on account of shared expertise, cross-cultural inspiration, and the subversion of established tropes and identities. I paint as a result of I’m fascinated by the best way it could possibly draw from the infinite range and inherent rigidity of life’s internet.
Animals are sometimes integrated as “stewards of human culture,” the artist says. For instance, Mesoamerican mythology tends to place jaguars as revered protectors in a position to transfer between worlds: these of the timber and water, day and night time, and websites of the dwelling and lifeless. Birds, too, are sometimes seen as messengers and guides. Depicting these creatures not of their pure habitats however embedded in uncommon compositions, Ruiz Berman seeks to recontextualize their meanings and broaden the narratives every has come to represent.
If you happen to’re in Miami, you’ll be able to see a few of Ruiz Berman’s work this summer time at Mindy Solomon Gallery. Subsequent spring, he’ll present at Artwork Basel Hong Kong with Proyectos Monclov and Harper’s Gallery in New York. Till then, head to his web site and Instagram for extra.
