Luis Rodríguez Rosario
Caguas, PR, 1987
Biography Details
Sculptor and graphic designer. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Graphic Design and Sculpture at the Escuela de Artes Plásticas in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and later completed a master's degree in Sculpture at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) in the United States. He has done work in the field of graphic design for different organizations in Puerto Rico, and has served as a teacher and assistant in manufacturing workshops in different artistic media of SAIC programs in Chicago. In 2013, he presented his first solo exhibition, titled A fuerza de pulmón in Área: Lugar de Proyectos, as part of his residency with the Proyecto Graderío. In 2019, he received the scholarship for emerging artists from the Richard H Driehaus Museum in Chicago, Illinois, United States. His work has been presented in various exhibitions between Puerto Rico and the United States. His works present forms that question the effects of globalization and intercultural interaction. He currently resides in Chicago.
Artist Statement
I generate questions of vernacular practices and objects through a regionally specific lens. It is a methodology that acts as a form of cataloging and interpreting colloquial artifacts. Within these inquiries, I conceptualize objects that help constitute a dispute over the visibility or invisibility imposed in our environment, those caused by the effects of globalization and cross-cultural interaction. I become a foreigner; displaced from his own country, of Puerto Rico, and generate a connection between these geographies. I place myself in different roles to study the vernacular practices of a region to help develop a new sense of understanding materials.
I approach materials with a combination of simple gestures and complex tasks, which results in work saturated in color, raw materials, and imagery. Works that become facsimiles and signifiers that collect cultural reference and help unfold my assumptions about objects, values, and classifications.
Luis Rodríguez Rosario, 2020
Formation
Education
2016
- Master in Fine Arts, Sculpture. School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, United States
2012
- Bachelor in Fine Arts, Graphic Design and Sculpture. Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Diseño de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Professional Experience
2021-present
- Instructional Facility Manager for AIADO facilities. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States
2010-present
- Graphic Designer. Freelance
2019-2020
- Faculty/Lecturer for the Architecture, Interior Architecture and Design Objects (AIADO). The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States
2016-2021
- Instructional Facilities Supervisor for Sullivan Fabrication Studio. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States
2016
- Fabrication Studio Mentor. Low-Residency Master of Fine Arts, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Exhibitions
Solo Shows
2013
- A fuerza de pulmón: Exposición de Luis Rodríguez Rosario, Área: Lugar de Proyectos, Caguas, Puerto Rico
Group Shows
2019
- A Tale of Today at the Driehaus Museum, Expo Chicago 2019, Chicago, Illinois, United States
- A Tale of Today: Emerging Artist Fellowship, Driehaus Museum, Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Repatriación: un Proyecto cultural entre Chicago y Puerto Rico, National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, Chicago, Illinois; Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
2018
- Muestra Nacional, Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, La Puntilla, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Down With Desire, LVL3, Chicago, Illinois. Puerto Rico
2017
- Galería / Галерея CHICAGO, The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art; The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Standard Variance, Public Access, Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Third Terrain Biennial, Terrain, Austin, Illinois, United States
2016
- SAIC MFA Thesis Show, Sullivan Gallery at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Material, The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, Chicago, Illinois, United States
2015
- Sculpture Now, SAIC Sculpture Department, Chicago, Illinois, United States
2014
- El son sin fin, La Productora, Calle Cerra, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Cosas: Apuntes sobre el objeto tridimensional en el arte contemporáneo puertorriqueño, Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, La Puntilla, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
2013
- Proyecto Graderío: Espectadores en el campo, Área: Lugar de Proyectos, Caguas, Puerto Rico
Awards, Distinctions and Achievements
2022-2023
- Artistic Residence. Hatch Residency, Chicago Artist Coalition, Chicago, Illinois, United States
2019
- Emerging Artist Fellowship. Driehaus Museum, Chicago, Illinois, United States
2017
- Artistic Residence. Steuben, Wisconsin, United States
2014
- Sculpture Department Scholarship. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States
- AICA Award. Área: Lugar de proyectos, Caguas, Puerto Rico
2013
- Artistic Residence. Proyecto Graderío, Área: Lugar de proyectos, Caguas, Puerto Rico
Bibliography
Books
Benetton, Luciano. “Caribbean: Together Apart”. Italia: Imago Mundi. 2013. https://imagomundicollection.org/catalogues/caribbean-together-apart/
Newspapers
Roldán Soto, Camile. “Puente entre Chicago y Puerto Rico”. El Nuevo Día. 24 de enero de 2019. https://www.elnuevodia.com/entretenimiento/cultura/notas/repatriacion-un-puente-entre-chicago-y-puerto-rico/
Web
http://luisrodriguezrosario.com/Luis-Rodriguez-Rosario
“Artist of the week: Luis Rodríguez Rosario.” Lvl3. May 11, 2017. https://lvl3official.com/artist-of-the-week-luis-rodriguez-rosario/
“A Tale of Today: Emerging Artists Fellowship - Darrell McKinney and Luis Rodríguez Rosario”. Driehaus Museum (Chigago), July 22, 2019. http://driehausmuseum.org/blog/view/a-tale-of-today-emerging-artists-fellowship-darrell-mckinney-and-luis-rodriguez-rosario
“’Repatriación: Un proyecto de intercambio cultural entre Chicago y Puerto Rico’ se presenta en el MAPR”. 90Grados (San Juan, Puerto Rico), 27 de enero de 2019. http://90grados.com/arte/repatriacion-un-proyecto-de-intercambio-cultural-entre-chicago-y-puerto-rico-se-presenta-en-el-mapr/