{"id":47642,"date":"2025-07-08T03:20:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T03:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/47642\/"},"modified":"2025-07-08T03:20:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T03:20:13","slug":"magical-realism-permeates-christian-ruiz-bermans-labyrinthine-paintings-colossal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/47642\/","title":{"rendered":"Magical Realism Permeates Christian Ruiz Berman’s Labyrinthine Paintings \u2014 Colossal"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI grew up in the magical realist tradition, not only in terms of literature and painting but as a school of thought and culture,\u201d Christian Ruiz Berman<\/a> says. Endlessly interested in \u201cthe surreal nature of being stuck between two worlds,\u201d the Mexican artist channels his experiences of immigration and adapting to new environments\u2014including his current home in upstate New York\u2014through his painting practice.<\/p>\n

For Ruiz Berman, magical realism is a way to translate his realities into dense, surreal compositions that become a constellation of references and memories. His influences are broad, from Mexican muralist traditions and Latin American folk art to Taoism and Buddhism to poetry and Japanese printmaking, all of which converge in his work. <\/p>\n

\"a\u201cGod giving god to god\u201d (2023), acrylic on panel, 30 x 40 inches<\/p>\n

The resulting paintings become a place to encounter unexpected pairings and mystical associations free of hierarchies. Layering, in Ruiz Berman\u2019s work, isn\u2019t to privilege the objects and textures of the foreground but a manner of depicting the relationships between all elements.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, 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.,\u201d he tells Colossal. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Ruiz Berman offers many entry points to a single painting, his compositions provide an exacting path, however labyrinthine it might be. The eager raccoons in \u201cGod giving god to god\u201d might catch the viewer\u2019s eye first, for example, but they soon lead to the sleek lilies they offer up and the Mesoamerican stone statue that\u2019s the object of their reverence. Another seated figure hovers to their left, against woodgrain, granite, and vibrant, swirling agate. <\/p>\n

\"a\u201cMixcoatl Merkaba\u201d (2025), acrylic on panel, 16 x 20 inches<\/p>\n

Combined with clean lines and exacting geometric shapes, this melange of symbols is undeniably eclectic and in service of a larger narrative. He shares:<\/p>\n

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I examine the notion that each person, animal, and object is not only an essential component of the present moment but an entangled element in a greater apparatus of constant change and adaptation\u2026Magic and surprise always happen as a result of shared experience, cross-cultural inspiration, and the subversion of established tropes and identities. I paint because I am fascinated by the way it can draw from the endless diversity and inherent tension of life\u2019s web.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Animals are often incorporated as \u201cstewards of human culture,\u201d the artist says. For example, Mesoamerican mythology tends to position jaguars<\/a> as revered protectors able to move between worlds: those of the trees and water, day and night, and sites of the living and dead. Birds, too, are often seen as messengers and guides. Depicting these creatures not in their natural habitats but embedded in unusual compositions, Ruiz Berman seeks to recontextualize their meanings and expand the narratives each has come to symbolize.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re in Miami, you can see some of Ruiz Berman\u2019s work this summer at Mindy Solomon Gallery<\/a>. Next spring, he will show at Art Basel Hong Kong with Proyectos Monclov<\/a> and Harper\u2019s Gallery<\/a> in New York. Until then, head to his website<\/a> and Instagram<\/a> for more.<\/p>\n

\"a\u201cUrsa Gevurah\u201d (2025), acrylic on panel, 50 x 60 inches<\/p>\n

\"a\u201cGrackles of grace\u201d (2023), acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 inches<\/p>\n

\"a\u201cXacozelotl oz lat\u201d (2025), acrylic on panel, 16 x 20 inches<\/p>\n

\"a\u201cLife cycle\u201d (2024), acrylic on panel, 24 x 36 inches<\/p>\n

\"a\u201cHoneycreeper Harbingers\u201d (2024), acrylic on panels, 15 x 11 inches<\/p>\n

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