RAFAEL BARRIOS
Oeuvres - Texte de Jesùs Soto

RAFAEL BARRIOS ARIAS

RAFAEL BARRIOS ARIAS was born the 22 of November, 1947 at Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

EDUCATION

1981-82 Graduate Studies on Art and Philosophy, New York University

1973 Graduated with honors in Art, Communication and Design, Ontario College of Art, Toronto,
Canada

1969 Graduated with honors, Mention on Art and on Communication and Design, Ashbury College,
Ottawa , Canada

1963 Painting and Drawing Courses at the free workshops of the Museum of Fine Arts, Caracas
- National Juvenile Painting Award, Museum of Fine Arts

WORKS AND EXPOSITIONS

2002 Miami Art Fair, represented by Felipe Grimberg Fine Arts, USA
Palm Beach Art Fair, represented by Felipe Grimberg, USA

2001 Ibero American Fair of Art, represented by Hector Iguini, Caracas
Art Fair in Toronto, Canada, represented by Moros Art Gallery
Invited Artist, Clay of America IV Biennial, Centro de Arte Lía Bermudes de Maracaibo,
Venezuela

2000 “Trails of Sculptures” Metropolitan University, Caracas
Group exhibitions: Moros Gallery in Maracaibo, Venezuela; Three Art Gallery in Caracas; Ocre
Gallery in Caracas; Diaz Mancini Gallery in Caracas; Dimaca Gallery in Caracas.

1999 Chacao Cultural Foundation publishes a book with his work, “Hacia una Poética del Vértigo”
(“Toward a Poetics of Vertigo”), written by Maria Luz Cardenas, Caracas.
Group exhibitions: Dimaca Gallery, Caracas; La Cuadra Creativa Gallery, Caracas; Santa Fe
Gallery, Caracas; Grupo Li Gallery, Caracas; Moros Gallery, Maracaibo; Graphis CB Gallery,
Caracas

1998 International Travelling Exhibition named Venezuelan Sculpture in Three Decades, through
countries in the Middle East.

1997 Installs a monumental sculpture Third Horizon II; Carupano, Venezuela.

1996 Designs the main access entrance in the building of Procter & Gamble Latin America in Caracas.
- Installs a monumental sculpture Tangencia Levitante, in Bahias Building, Caracas
- Mercosur Visual Art Biennial in Porto Alegre, Brazil

1995 Individually represented by Grupo Li Gallery, Ibero-American Fair of Art, Caracas
- Scenography for Hervé Leger French Fashion Designer, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris
- Invited artist VII Sculpture Biennial, Francisco Narvaéz Contemporary Art Museum

1994 Exhibits on Ralleigh Gallery, Boca Raton, Florida
-A monumental work, part of the Sofia Imber Museum of Contemporary Art collection, is installed at the INCE Square in Caracas.
- Installs a monumental work, Vertical dislocado in three times, at the Miranda State Governor’s Office
Building, Los Teques, Venezuela .
-II Clay Biennial of America, Sofia Imber Museum of Contemporary Art in Caracas
- Etiqueta Magazine of Caracas elects him as the Year Artist

1993 Individual exhibition at Del Sur art room in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela
- Vigil scenography for Today Dance Group, Caracas and Washington
- He installs "Vertical dislocado" at the Kristine Building, Caracas

1992 He installs Projected Apocalyptic Levitation sculpture at the Institute of Advanced Studies
(IDEA), Simon Bolivar University in Caracas
He directs “Art Sources and Obstructions” seminar at the Simon Bolivar University in Caracas
He installs Third Horizon monumental work at La Fontanilla Park in Puerto Palos, La Frontera,
Spain.
He participates in Expo Sevilla’ 92 Art International Exhibition
Scenography for Torrid Zone, Today Dance Group, Teresa Carreño Theater in Caracas

1991 He installs the "Apocalypses Levita" sculpture at the Presidency of Banco Provincial in Caracas
I Ibero-American Fair of Art in Caracas, represented by Graphis CB2 Gallery

1990 Artist invited by the Spanish Fashion Designer Adolfo Dominguez, individual exhibition in Casa
Blanca, Caracas
- Visual Arts Panorama in Venezuela, National Art Gallery
- He installs Trazos del nimbo monumental work, in Venezuela Insurance Building in Caracas
- "Simetría levitante" work passes to the collection of the King of Spain

1989 He exhibits at the Ernst Alexander Gallery in Washington, USA

1988 He installs "Ascending Horizons" monumental work in Banco Consolidado, today CorpBanca,
Caracas
- Nice House group exhibition at the Sofia Imber Museum of Contemporary Art in Caracas

1987 Individual exhibition at the Sofia Imber Museum of Contemporary Art in Caracas
- Individual exhibition of small and medium size format works, at the Sotavento Gallery in
Caracas
- The Space Conquest group installation, K 18 Alternate Space, Kassel VIII Documental

1985 He installs Levitation I monumental work at the Caracas Metro, Catia, Sucre Square Station

1984 Conferry Prize, I Sculpture Biennial in Francisco Narvaez Museum of Contemporary Art in
Margarita Island, Venezuela
- New Furniture Trends, group exhibition in Art et Industrie Gallery in New York
- Second Performance Tools for the Tip of the Tongue a group of five artists who protested
against the closing of the Art Pavilion of Venezuela, XLI Biennial of Venice.

1983 He is contracted by Bloomingdale’s, Bergoff Goodman, Lord & Taylor, Sacks Fifth Avenue, for
him to decorate their windows with his works
- He installs Interalumina Obelisco Levitante monumental work in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela
- Young Artists National Exhibition in Fundarte Exhibition Room
- He participates in a group exhibition in Guipuzcoana House, La Guaira, Venezuela

1982 Individual Exhibition at Novo Art Gallery in New York
- Coca Cola International of New York acquires his "Emerging Chair" mural
- CANTV Prize, I National Exhibition of Sculpture, Art Museum in Barquisimeto
- Acquisition Prize, II Biennial of Visual Arts in the Sofia Imber Museum of Contemporary Art in
Caracas
- He finishes his graduate studies on Art and Existential Philosophy at the University of New York
- He gives a lecture “The Thin Line Between Art and Design,” University of New York
- He is included in a traveling Appraisal of Contemporary Art for the Last Ten years in Sorrento,
Italy

1981 Individual Exhibition at the Art et Industry Gallery in New York
- Acquisition Prize, Young Artists Exhibition at the Sofia Imber Museum of Contemporary Art in
Caracas
- He participates in Expo Art, Bari, Italy

1980 Individual exhibition, Slash 80, Cayman Gallery in New York
- He performs scenographies for Chris Von Wangenheim up to 1982, published in Esquire and
Vogue magazines

1979 Labor Exchange Prize by the Federal District Governor’s Office, IV Ernesto Avellan Exhibition
- Sofia Imber Museum of Contemporary Art in Caracas
- Group exhibition at the Art and Industry Gallery

1978 Tools for the Tip of the Tongue performance, XV Annual Vanguard Festival in New York, organized by Charlotte Moorman


1977 Individual exhibition, Maracaibo Center of Fine Arts, Venezuela

1976/75 He works on architectonic surroundings and module design for offices

1974 Professor of Three-dimensional and Publicity Design (up to 1977) at the Neumann Design
Institute in Caracas, Venezuela.
- Poster design for Yakera Gallery
- Creative Consultant for Latin Touch film productions, up to 1981 in Caracas

1973 He is awarded with a research scholarship by the Mclean Foundation
- He is awarded with a scholarship by the J. Walter Thompson International
- He exhibits at the Art Gallery of Ontario, 18 Hinges and 18 Pieces of Wood
- He participates in a group exhibition at the Carmen Lamanna Gallery in Canada
- Art Director, Ontario Association of Architects, for a Government Project called The Toronto
Idea.

1972 He exhibits at the Ontario College of Art (consecutively up to 1974)
- He participates at The eleventh Annual Art Show in Toronto, Canada
- Art Director for UNESCO, Toronto, Canada

1971 He participates in a group exhibition at the Arts and Letters Club, Toronto, Canada