Ritchy Ruiz Véliz

Ritchy Ruiz Véliz is a Venezuelan visual artist based in Barcelona, Spain. During his adolescence, his first steps in art were marked by the influence of graffiti and the concepts of postmodern painting. As a member of the Venezuelan diaspora, today composed of millions of compatriots, his artistic work is mainly nourished by concepts such as memory, identity and personal transformation, recurring themes among those who have been forced to emigrate due to the social and economic crisis in their country.

It is this fragmentation of memories that Ritchy captures in his works, using the patchwork technique, where he joins different textile remnants to offer a fragmented vision reminiscent of the mechanism of memory. In this way, texts, images and textile prints act as references to past times.

Ritchy has compiled a series of folios and school notebooks from her childhood, which her mother kept in a box. From her scrawled childhood handwriting, she has meticulously photographically scanned, capturing every detail of her childhood handwriting to preserve its authenticity. He has precisely digitized each page to convert his handwriting into a series of digital fonts, called «Memento font», which range from almost legible scribbles to erratic handwriting fonts, all corresponding to his pre-school and elementary school years. These digital fonts are transferred to her canvases using techniques such as screen printing and transfer printing.

Exhibitions.

2024. Collblanc-la Torrassa Cultural Center. «Artnocal». Barcelona, Spain.

2023. Cultural Center, El Castell, La Nou de Gaìa. «La selva de cemento». Tarragona, Spain.

2022. LACONTRA. Center for the Creation and Diffusion of the Arts. «El Derrere». Barcelona, Spain.

2019. Center for the diffusion of visual arts, González & Sousa Foundation. «A era do vazio» Portugal, Lisbon.

2018. LACONTRA. Center for the Creation and Diffusion of the Arts. «Painting Rags». (Individual exhibition). Barcelona, Spain.

2017. CCCB. Centro de Cultura Contemporánea de Barcelona. «Drap-Art». Barcelona, Spain.

2016. Gallery Beograd. «Remnants», Serbia-Montenegro.

2015. Exhibition space: DESDE DENTRO. «Retales». (Individual exhibition). Malaga, Spain.

2014. Gallery, Kunsthal Hof 88, Group exhibition: «Snack culture». Almelo, The Netherlands.

Museum of the Interoceanic Canal of Panama. «La moda y sus trapos». Panama.

Cotxeres-Casinet Civic Center, Barcelona City Council.

«Destrucciones creativas». (Individual exhibition). Barcelona, Spain.

2013. Miami Cultural Complex. «Art fabric». Miami, Florida, USA.

Arizona State University Art Museum. «Art, painting and recycling». Tempe, Arizona. USA.

House of Culture, Barcelona City Council. Collblanc – La Torrassa. «Clastomanía». (Individual exhibition). Barcelona, Spain.

2012. Alternative Space Gallery. «Retween times». NY. USA.

Cultural Center and Diffusion of the Arts, La Nave. «Lo que la boca calla, los ojos delatan». Barcelona, Spain.

2011. Two Roads Show Space: «Art & Science». Miami, USA.

Art Festival, Faculty of Fine Arts. «Situaciones». Castilla-La Mancha University. Cuenca. Spain.

2010. New art. Taylor & Harris Foundation. «Kinesthesia». Los Angeles, California, USA.

Center for the development, research and dissemination of contemporary visual arts. Francesco DeSantis. «Memento». Florence, Italy.

2009. Center for Contemporary Art, EO «Microcosmos» Bicentennial. Mexico City.

Dave Cappelletti Gallery. «Fragmentos». (Individual exhibition). Rome, Italy.

Segrelles Painting Contest. «Sinergias». Valencia, Spain.

Villaviciosa National Painting Contest / Villaviciosa de Odón. Asturias, Spain.

2008. Cultural Center, El Castell, La Nou de Gaìa. «Reminiscences». (Individual exhibition). Tarragona, Spain.

Residences.

2009. Fondazione Spazi Caldi. (Parabolas Project). Florence, Italy.

Awards.

2011. Moritz. New Talent Award. Mention: New languages. Barcelona, Spain.

2010. FABRIANO Project. International Prize for Drawing and Painting. Florence, Italy.

2009. Villaviciosa National Painting Contest / Villaviciosa de Odón. Asturias, Spain.

Private collections.

Moritz SA. Barcelona, Spain.

Villaviciosa town hall. Asturias, Spain.

L`Oréal Foundation. CA. Spain.

Paper and Watermark Museum, Fabriano. Italy.

Education.

Libertador Experimental University, Licensed in fine Arts. Caracas, Venezuela.

ESDAP «Serra i Abella» School of Art and Design. / Graphic design. Barcelona, Spain.