ABOUT Juan rodriguez - A classical contemporary artist

 
 

Juan Rodriguez

Contemporary Artist

Much of Juan’s work portrays his real-life experiences, such as the "Desperation of Solitude" wire pieces, which powerfully reflect his work with severely challenged individuals.

Much of Juan’s work portrays his real-life experiences, such as the "Desperation of Solitude" wire pieces, which powerfully reflect his work with severely challenged individuals.

Juan Rodriguez is a contemporary artist whose practice spans sculpture, drawing, and painting, grounded in material experimentation and a lifelong engagement with the human condition. Born in San Antonio, Texas, and now based in the Pacific Northwest, his work reflects personal history, cultural memory, and the physical act of making as a form of understanding the world.

Rodriguez’s work often explores Indigenous American identity and spiritual archetypes through recurring imagery such as skulls, shape-shifting figures, crows, and elements drawn from the natural world. These themes coexist with deeply personal narratives rooted in lived experience, including his work with individuals facing profound physical and cognitive challenges. Series such as Desperation of Solitude translate these encounters into sculptural form, emphasizing vulnerability, endurance, and presence.

Drawing is central to Rodriguez’s daily practice and technical foundation. His figure drawings—executed in pastel, charcoal, and pencil—are emotionally charged works that balance discipline with intuition. Darkly resonant and formally precise, they carry a quiet intensity that extends across his broader body of work.

Rodriguez’s sculptural practice ranges from intimate carved wood and fired clay forms to large-scale works constructed from found and recycled materials. He frequently collaborates with artist Ray Hammar on monumental sculptures that combine scrap metal, stone, glass, and beadwork, merging craftsmanship with improvisation. Earlier performance-based sculptures, including his Recurring Dream series of life-sized paper figures created live before audiences, reflect an enduring interest in process, impermanence, and transformation.

Rodriguez earned his BFA from the University of Washington, following earlier study in art and welding. His work has been exhibited widely in the Pacific Northwest, Arizona, and California, and he is the recipient of numerous juried awards and fellowships. In addition to his studio practice, he has a long history of teaching and mentorship, and continues to support emerging artists through ongoing community engagement.