Pedro Ruiz
Biography
One of Colombia’s most important artists, the works of artist and sculptor Pedro Ruiz occupy themselves with social and political issues that affect countries worldwide. Nature and the concept that it is a force which we cannot control and must live in harmony with is ever-present in his works.
Born in Bogotá, Colombia, in 1957, Ruiz first wanted to study architecture, then music. However, when he landed a job at Atelier 17 — the famous printmaker founded at the turn of the last century by Stanley William Hayter — on a trip to Paris, everything changed. From that moment onwards, his focus shifted to the arts, leading to significant projects such as ‘Love is in the Air’, ‘Displacements’ and ‘Colombianas’.
Ruiz’s current project, ‘GOLD, Spirit and Nature of a Territory’, is being showcased in various locations around the world as a representative image of Colombia. It serves as an invitation to embrace Colombia with love, reconnect with our innocence, understand who we are, reconstruct our identity and forge a new path. This work led the artist to create ‘ORO VITAL’, an educational and artistic project that provides art workshops for children, youth and adults.
Pedro Ruiz is a plastic artist born in Bogotá, Colombia in 1957. The artist began studying architecture and music at the National University in 1975 and later traveled to Paris, where he attended the National School of Fine Arts from 1979 to 1983. During this period, Ruiz worked at “Atelier 17,” where he learned and practiced printmaking techniques under the guidance of master Stanley William Hayter. In 1984, he worked as an illustrator and art director at a prominent advertising agency.
In 1988, Ruiz received an honorable mention from the Salón Nacional de Artistas. From that moment on, his focus shifted to plastic arts, leading to significant projects such as “Living Natures”, “The Natural Library”, “Hi8”, “Love Is In The Air”, “Displacements”, “GOLD, Spirit and Nature of a Territory” and “Colombianas Ligeras”. A few years lates, in 1999, he co-founded the collective Nadieøpina, actively contributing to contemporary conceptual projects for several years.
Pedro Ruiz’s work focuses on social and political issues that affect his country, Colombia. Nature, and the concept that it is a force which we cannot control and must live in harmony with, is ever-present in his works. Currently, his project “GOLD, Spirit nd Nature of a Territory” is being showcased in various places around the world as a representative image of Colombia. This work has spawned an educational and artistic project called “ORO VITAL”, comprising art workshops for children, youth, and adults. It serves as an invitation to embrace our country with love, reconnect with our innocence, understand who we are, and reconstruct our identity, forging a new path.
RECOGNITIONS:
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UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Colombia, Bogotá, 2016.
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Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters of the French Republic, Bogotá, 2010.
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Honorable Mention at the XXXII National Salon of Artists, 1988.
- “Más allá de la Aurora y El Ganges” by William Ospina and Pedro Ruiz. Cooperativa La Joplin. Madrid 2018.
- “Pedro Ruiz”. Ediciones El Viso. Spain 2015.
- “Pedro Ruiz”. Villegas Editores - Seguros Bolívar. Bogotá 2011.
Exhibitions
