Venezuelan-born artist Gerardo Rosales is currently showing his first solo art show in the U.S. at Avis Frank Gallery in Houston, where he is now based.
Rosales has shown work in Buenos Aires, Bogota, Caracas, London, Paris, New York, Santa Domingo, and Switzerland. His themes deal with oppression, often as a response to the casual and arbitrary nature of violence and insult, by making the act or word an object of play.
Rosales states, “Violence has been one of the topics I have explored through my career as an artist. I have seen how in my home country of Venezuela violence has increased dramatically in recent years. Living in the U.S. for the last 13 years, I have also seen the dramatic impact of human suffering caused by acts of violence in their different forms, especially guns, terrorism, and war.
“The artworks I have produced illustrate and respond to these acts of destructive behavior. My idea is to mix aggression with playfulness and to contrast the decorative and the innocent with brutality to reveal the harsh severity of my subject matter.”
The exhibition includes paintings, drawings, a poignant display of ceramic pieces, and an installation of piñatas.
The show runs until November 30, 2013, at the Avis Frank Gallery, 1606 White Oak Drive in Houston.
Above: Feet, 2013. Glazed porcelain, various dimensions.
