Christopher Rivera
San Juan, PR, 1982
Biography Details
Printmaker, illustrator and video artist. In 2007 obtained a bachelor's degree in printmaking and art education from the University of Puerto Rico. Currently lives and works in New York, where he is finalizing his Master of Arts at Hunter College. He is the recipient of several awards for his artistic work, among them the Lexus Grant in 2009, First Prize at Certamen de Arte Joven of Oriental Bank in 2008 and an Honorable Mention in the Print Category at Certamen Nacional from Ateneo Puertorriqueño in 2007. He has participated in an endless number of group exhibitions since 2004 in different parts of the world, including the United States, Uruguay, Poland and Japan. In 2007 he achieved his first solo exhibition at Galería Guatíbiri in Rio Piedras entitled 5 Palabras con “P”.
Artist Statement
"Perpetrators, victims, aggressors, oppressors, assassins, corpses, etc."
These are just a few of the terms which start to describe the ideas that come to my mind at the time of creating or making "art". Through my work I study the infinite powers of human beings and their consequences, not by the use of weapons, although like many other symbols, these appear in my work in a metaphorical way, but in a verbal and expressive manner through the use of limbs and gestural expressions.
In some of my recent work, I have decided to include a few general texts but specific at the same time, not to take over or possess the imagination of the viewer, but to make them participate of my "proposals" and to play with the “course of the words".
I also create a string of characters which appear with different masks, to create doubts in the mind of the viewer, whether they have ever run into one of my characters in their lives.
I often use in my work the image of the female's body to represent the plurality of all human beings, be it male, female, or androgen, therefore "we are all in the same boat".
"The disciplines I work with are: print (collography, wood engraving, monotype, drypoint and xerography), drawing (pencil graphite), painting and photography."
Christopher Rivera, 2007
Formation
Education
2010
- Master of Arts Hunter College, New York, United States
2006
- Bachelor of Art. Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Professional Experience
2007-2008
- Assistant to artists Maria Emilia Somoza and Noemí Ruiz. San Juan, Puerto Rico
2007
- Assistant Installer of exhibitions. Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2005-2007
- Assistant. Anna Nicholson’s printmaking workshop. San Juan, Puerto Rico
2004-2006
- President. Asociación de Estudiantes de Bellas Artes, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Exhibitions
Solo Shows
2009
- La Muerte de la Memoria y el Olvido, Galería 356, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2007
- 5 palabras con P, Galería Guatíbiri, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Group Shows
2011
- FFF: Forms Follow Functions, La METRO, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2009
- Trienal Poli/Gráfica de San Juan, América Latina y el Caribe, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2008
- New Prints, Artists Commentaries, International Print Center, New York, United States
- Angora 2.0, Caguas, Puerto Rico
- Circa ‘08, Puerto Rico Convention Center, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2007
- Caribbean Print Makers, ART HOUSE, McAllen, Texas, United States
- Notorios Sagitarianos, ÁREA Lugar de Proyectos, Caguas, Puerto Rico
- 34 Yokosuka Peace Festival, Kanagawa, Japan
- International Print Triennial Krakow, BIS 2007, Rondo Sztuki Art Gallery, Katowice, Poland
- Persistencia en el grabado en Puerto Rico, Museo de las Américas, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Perdóname madre soy grabador, Galería Delta Picó, Liga de Estudiantes de Arte, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Sin envoltura, Galería 356, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Angora, Caguas, Puerto Rico
- Circa ’07, Puerto Rico Convention Center, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2006
- Emergencias, convergencias, divergencias, Galería 356, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Sin envoltura, Galería 356, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Tráfico Pesado, Galería 356, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Circa ’06, Puerto Rico Convention Center, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Exprésate, Museo de las Américas, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Muestra Nacional de Arte, Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Medios en Pequeños Formatos, Museo de Arte de Caguas, Caguas, Puerto Rico
- Kanagawa International Woodcut Associaton Annual Exhibition, Kanagawa, Japan
2005
- Primer Salón Internacional de Grabado de Pequeño Formato, Minas, Uruguay
- 25ta Edición Grabados en Pequeños Formatos, Cadaques, Spain
- El café, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- 36th Yokosuka Peace Festival, Kanagawa, Japan
- Expo Anual de estudiantes de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Galería Francisco Oller, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Awards, Distinctions and Achievements
2009
- Grant. Beca Lexus para Artistas, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2008
- First Prize. Certamen de Arte Joven Oriental Group, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2007
- Honorable Mention in Print. Ateneo Puertorriqueño Competition, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2006
- Second Prize. Poster Design Contest Fiftieth Anniversary of Traveling Theater, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Collections
- Kanagawa Museum of Art, Kanagawa, Japan
- Museo de Historia y Antropología y Arte, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Arte de Caguas, Caguas, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico
- Colección de las Artes, Biblioteca Jose. M. Lázaro, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Bibliography
Books
Nogueras Cuevas, Celina. Frescos: 50 artistas puertorriqueños menores de 35. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Muuaaa, 2010.
Newspapers
Alves Otero, Tanya,.“¡Vive el Grabado!”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 5 de noviembre de 2007.
González, Leyra E. “Fin de semana de arte.” El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 21 de noviembre de 2008.
“Rubén Rivera, Carlos. ‘Arte viviente.” Primera Hora (San Juan, PR), 8 de noviembre de 2007.
Escribano, Rosa. “La belleza de morir.” Primera Hora (San Juan, Puerto Rico), 17 de abril de 2008.
Pérez Rivera, Tatiana. “Los 50 frescos”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 18 de diciembre de 2010, pp. 80-81.
Web
O’Brian,Glenn. “Miami Art Week Wrap-up.” The GQ EYE, 12 de enero de 2010. www.gq.com/style/blogs/the-gq-eye,
Weinstein, Joel. “A Few Last Words.” Rotund World, noviembre de 2006, www.rworld.thenextfewhours.com.