B I O G R A P H Y

A Venezuelan born in 1947 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, US, Rafael Barrios studied Fine Arts in Canada, the United States, and Venezuela. His artistic trajectory dates back to a very early age. He took drawing and painting at the Museo de Bellas Artes in Caracas, Venezuela, achieving his first recognition with the award "National Youth Painting" in 1963. Upon completing his basic studies in Venezuela and Canada, he received a scholarship from J. Walter Thompson International to attend the Ontario College of Art in Toronto, Canada, graduating with honors in "Pure Art" and "Communication and Design".

He received a scholarship from New York University (US) to attend its Graduate Program for "Fine Arts" and "Monumental Sculpture Techniques".

He was granted several national and international awards: "The Sculpture Award", Ernesto Avellán Exhibition; the McLean Foundation Scholarship, the highest award offered by the Ontario College of Art, Canada; the "Excelentísima Diputado Pronvicial de la Frontera" Decoration, for his Monumental Sculpture titled "Tercer Horizonte", to commemorate 500 years of America's Discovery, in Palos de la Frontera, Huelva, Spain; "Second Prize" at the Sofia Imber Caracas Contemporary Museum's Biennial of Visual Arts, in Venezuela; the "Conferry Award", First Sculpture Biennial, Francisco Narváez Contemporary Art Museum, Margarita Island, Venezuela; "Artist of the Year '95", Etiqueta Magazine, Caracas, Venezuela; Decoration by Carupano Township, in Sucre State, Venezuela.

Throughout his carreer as an artist, Rafael Barrios has worked as Art Director for UNESCO; as Creative Consultant for "Latin Touch" cinematographic creations; as Stage Designer for Chris Von Wangenheim in Vogue and Esquire magazines, in New York, US. He was a Professor of Three-Dimensional and Advertising",at the Neumann Design Foundation, in Caracas, Venezuela; Stage Designer for "DanzaHoy"'s presentation in Expo-Sevilla, Spain; and Stage Designer for Hervé Leger in his "Carrouselle du Louvre" show, in Paris, France.

Many of his pieces can be found in public spaces, such as the Murals atFundación Polar, in Caracas; Art et Industry, New York; Coca-Cola International Headquarters in New York; Monumental Sculptures at Sofia Imber's Caracas Museum of Contemporary Art; Banco Consolidado (now CorpBanca)'s Headquarters in Caracas; the Seguros Venezuela Building in Caracas; and Procter & Gamble's Headquarters in Caracas.

Rafael Barrios has shown in the United States, Europe, South America, and other Latin American countries, as well as in the Middle East. His work can be found in permanent collections in the Ontario Art Gallery and the Carmen Lammana Foundation in Toronto, Canada; also in th National Art Gallery in Caracas; the Sofia Imber's Caracas Museum of Contemporary Art; as well as in the private collections of HRH Don Juan Carlos de Borbón, King of Spain (Levitating Simetry); and the collection of HRH Gloria, Princess of Germany.

In 1973, renowned futurist Marshall McLuhan said in a lecture at the University of Toronto: "The work of Rafael Barrios is like fresh fruit for thought." Rafael Barrios plays with shapes, altering the laws of geometry, fabling volume in space. His sculptures are characterized by breaking orthodox directionality, accessing new possibilities of perception.

Vertiginous elevations cause his virtual works to seemingly erect upon themselves, defying the laws of space, alleviating bodies that should be subject to gravity. Rafael Barrios' works are identifiable by a set of dynamics, levity, strength, and magnetism, which is imprinted on each individual creation in order to reach the beholder's spirit.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2018

Art of the World Gallery - Individual August 10 - October 15 - Houston, Texas

2017

Rafael Barrios Abyssal. Galerie Rauchfeld Paris, France Personnal Exhibition - Hôtel Les Cures Marines - Trouville-sur-Mer - France. Galerie Rauchfeld Paris, France.

2016

Volumenes Virtuales. Proyecto Contemporaneo. Madrid Spain. LA Art Show, Galerie Rauchfeld (Paris) 2016 Rafael Barrios Virtual Juggle, Art Nouveau Gallery, Miami, USA

2014

Rafael Barrios Virtual Levitations, Bel Air Fine Art Gallery, Saint-Tropez, France

2013

Insondable, Galerie Rauchfeld, Paris, France Unfathomable, Art Sawa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Unfathomable, Art Sawa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

AWARDS

1992

Condecoración de la Excelentisima Diputado Provincial de la Frontera granted by Spain for his sculpture "Tercer Horizonte" in commemoration of the 500 years of the discovery of the Americas

1982

CANTV I Salón Nacional de Escultura, Museo de Arte de Barquisimeto, Venezuela II Bienal de Artes Visuales, Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Sofia Imber, Caracas, Venezuela

1981

Salón de Jóvenes Artistas, Sofía Imber Contemporary Art Museum, Caracas, Venezuela

1980

Bolsa de Trabajo de la Gobernación del Distrito Federal, Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Sofia Imber, Caracas, Venezuela

1963

Nacional de Pintura Juvenil, Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, Venezuela

PERMANENT COLLECTIONS

Art Gallery of Ontario, Canada 
Carmenn Lamanna Foundation, Toronto, Canada 
Museo de Esculturas al aire libre, Alcalá de Henares, España 
Galería de Arte Nacional, Caracas, Venezuela 
Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Sofia Imber, Caracas, Venezuela 

PRIVATE COLLECTIONS

Don Juan Carlos de Borbón, King of Spain 
Gloria Von Untaxis, Princess of Germany 
Movilnet, Caracas, Venezuela 
World Bank, Caracas, Venezuela 
Jesús Soto 
Fundación Cultural Chacao, Caracas, Venezuela 
Citgo, Thompson Brothers, Houston, Texas, USA 
Electricidad de Caracas, Venezuela 
Banco Mercantil, Caracas, Venezuela 
Art et Industrie Gallery, New York, USA 
Coca-Cola International, New York, EEUU 
Gustavo and Patricia Cisneros 
Miguel Haussman 
Eduardo Bolber 
Carlos and Mercedes Zuloaga 
Juan Carlos Escotet 
Procter & Gamble, Caracas, Venezuela 
Kazumi Yoshida 
Skuli Mogensen, WOWAir, Reykjavik, Iceland 
Dimensional Fund Advisors, Austin, Texas 
Robert and Soledad Hurst, Aspen, Colorado 
Hidalgo Socorro 
Braulio Perez 

MONUMENTAL SCULPTURES

2014

Nimbus Levitante, Naples Wine Festival, Naples, USA

2009

Tapis, Midtown Miami, USA

Triphasique, Midtown Miami, USA

2006

Rising Horizons, Sunny Isles, Miami, USA

2003

Vertical Dislocado, Universidad de los Andes, Merida, Venezuela Levitation, Murano Grande Building by Philippe Starck, Miami Beach, USA

1997

Tercer Horizonte II, Carupano, Venezuela

1994

Vertical dislocado en tres tiempos, Miranda State Goverment, Venezuela

1993

Vertical dislocado, Kristine Building, Caracas, Venezuela

1992

Tercer Horizonte, La Fontanilla Park, Palos de la Frontera, Spain Levitación apocalíptica proyectada, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Caracas, Venezuela

1991

Apocalipsis levita, Banco Provincial Presidency, Caracas, Venezuela

1990

Trazos del nimbo, Seguros Venezuela Building, Caracas, Venezuela 1988 Horizontes ascendentes, CorpBanca Building, Caracas, Venezuela

1985

Levitación I, Plaza Sucre Metro Station, Caracas, Venezuela

1983

Obelisco levitante, Interalúmina, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela

1980

Apocalipsis levitante, Sofía Imber Contemporary Art Museum, Caracas, Venezuela Triphasique, Midtown Miami, USA

ART EDUCATION CAREER

1992

Seminar Fuentes y Obstrucciones al Arte, Instituto de Estudios Avanzados (IDEA), Universidad Simón Bolívar, Caracas, Venezuela

1982

Conference The thin line between Art and Design, New York University, USA

1974-77

Advertising and 3D Design, Instituto de Diseño Newmann, Caracas, Venezuela

1973

Art Director for the project The Toronto Idea, Toronto Architects Association, Canada

1972

Art Director for UNESCO