Five on the First

May 2025
Christian Ruiz Berman

Christian Ruiz Berman (b. 1982, Mexico City) lives and works in New York.

“My work draws from histories of adaptation and migration. My practice is meditative in that it strives to dissect and understand the components of a complicated immigrant experience in a way that might give a greater understanding of the whole. I often strive to address the surreal nature of being stuck between two worlds. I am interested in the ways that art can mitigate cultural and philosophical barriers. Guided by my interests in architecture, poetry, nature, memory, and storytelling, I create layered and detailed works that explore illusion and depth on flat surfaces.

I employ rich detail and realistic techniques to depict animals, plants, and human figures, but with a magical realist or fantastical twist. Trompe l’oeil plays with perception, making elements appear to leap off the canvas or blur the line between painting and reality. I incorporate lush, organic imagery—dense foliage, vibrant animals, and natural textures—that celebrate biodiversity and speak to a volatile world. I draw inspiration from the elegance of nature’s design sense, and I see myself as a co-creator of a transcendent language of color, common symbols, and sacred geometries. I aim to compose dynamic, swirling forms, overlapping figures, and asymmetrical layouts that guide the viewer’s eye across different spaces. This creates a sense of movement, where paintings feel alive with natural and mythological energy. I draw heavily from Mexican muralists and folk art, as well as broader Latin American traditions like magical realism and art deco. The flat planes, delicate lines, and nature-centric focus of ukiyo-e prints influence my compositional style. My film and poetry work, though less documented, inform my visual art by adding narrative layers and philosophical exploration.

Magic 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’s web. Animals often take center stage in my work, acting as mischief makers, seers, and stewards of human culture. I often include birds- which are often messengers, omen bearers, and guides in various mythological traditions. My paintings exist outside of our timeline and history, and the recombination of objects and environments allow for historical artifacts, often stored in the chasms of museum storage, to take on new life. By freeing them from their usual setting in time and place, as well as the accepted narratives of their creation, the subjects of my work can tell new stories and relate to a broader range of interpretations.”

CV