A painter who works primarily with watercolours, Conrad Ruiz creates works in series that explore various visual themes of masculinity and athleticism, from the Beijing Olympics to waves crashing against the beaches of California.

Often painting works that draw on popular imagery from video games and men’s magazines, Ruiz explores different ways of depicting and abstracting the body, frequently through paintings that portray athletes in motion.

Ruiz is interested in the boundary between fantasy and reality, and many of his compositions toe the line between the two, evidencing fantastical imagery set amidst everyday scenes.

CV

Born 1983 Monterey, CA
MFA, California College of Arts, 2009
Lives and works in Los Angeles, California

Solo Exhibitions

2015
Knuckles and Bubbles, Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA

2013
Sea Stories Between the Tides, Highlight Gallery, San Francisco, CA (Two person exhibition)

2012
Juice, Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2011
Conrad Ruiz, Yautepec Gallery, Mexico City, MX

2009
Cold, Hard and Wet, Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco, CA

Group Exhibitions

2015
Sweeney Art Gallery, Riverside, CA (forthcoming)

2014
Executive Producer, Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico

2013
Two Weeks / Two Works: Conrad Ruiz, Fourteen30 Contemporary, Portland, OR

2012
To Live And Paint In LA, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA

2011
Boys of Summer: Slamsocks, People’s Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Boys of Summer: Centerfold, Freak City, Los Angeles, CA
The Elegance of Refusal, Gensler Space, San Francisco, CA
4th of July Show, People’s Gallery, San Francisco, CA