Bobby Cruz
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico 1984. Currently lives and work in San Juan, P.R.
DESCRIPTION
Bobby Cruz works make us go deep in the Puerto Rican people and embark in their historic traditions, how they are carried on, their prejudices, and the way they see themselves as Puerto Ricans. On his recent work we can see sculptures made by aluminum cans, in some way criticizing how art is being created on the island and what materials can be used. Works made by neon letters, depict folkloric phrases inviting the observer to analyze how deep that phrase is on his everyday life. We can also see the influence of salsa music on some of his paintings in an effort to make a tribute to a genre that left a mark on Puerto Ricans since its beginning.
In 2017 Bobby won the prestigious Lexus Grant for artists, given to the most important influences in art every year. After receiving the funds, the artist must create an art piece inspired in a theme, for this year it was recycling. Bobby gathered a group of signs from old bars in Puerto Rico, most of them closed, and reconstruct them in a way of making them alive again.
EDUCATION
2008 BFA, Escuela de Artes Plásticas, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
GRANTS
2017
Lexus Grant for Artists. San Juan, Puerto Rico.
SOLO SHOWS
2015
Bobby Cruz. Galería Petrus. San Juan, Puerto Rico.
2013
Simplemente Bobby, Recinto Cerra, Santurce, P.R.
2011
Super Clásico, Solo show at Yemayá Gallery, San Juan, P.R.
2009
Individual Artist Projects, Circa 09, San Juan, P.R.
Easy Rider, Solo Show at Petrus Gallery, San Juan, PR.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020
Leyendas de la Cancha. Km.0.2. Santurce, Puerto Rico.
2018
Lexus Grant for Artists. Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico. San Juan, P.R.
2016
Expo Chicago. Art Money and Roberto Paradise.
La Víspera del Hambre. Gallery Km 0.2. Santurce, Puerto Rico.
Material. National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, Chicago.
2015
Frescos: Ciudadanos de Ninguna Parte (5 años después). Galería Arte Universidad Sagrado Corazón. San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Estado: experiencia fragmentada. Museo de Arte de Caguas, Puerto Rico.
ArteBa Contemporary Art Fair, June 4-7. La Rural, Argentina.
Muestra Nacional Antiguo Arsenal La Puntilla, Viejo San Juan, P.R.
Materia La Productora, Santurce PR.
2014
30 Años Del MAC En El Barrio. Museo de Arte Contemporanio, Santurce, P.R.
Cerra All Stars, Vol 2, Galería 20/20, Santurce, P.R.
Santurce es Ley 4, C787 Studios, Santuce, P.R.
ArteBa, Trailer Park Proyects, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Robusto Parasite, Roberto Paradise, Santuce,P.R.
2013
Solista pero no solo, Galería 304, Hato Rey, P.R.
La Mini, La Productora, Santurce, PR.
2012
Scope Miami, Trailer Park Proyects, Miami, FL.
Con los santos no se juega, C787 Studios, Santurce, P.R.
2011
Carry – on, Abrazo Interno Gallery and Yemayá Gallery, New York.
Puerto Rican Infiltration, Artimaña, Madrid.
Boricuas bestiales, La ene, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2010
Circa 10, Yemayá Gallery, San Juan, P.R.
2009
National Art Exposition (Muestra nacional de Arte), San Juan, P.R.
Scope Miami, Petrus Gallery, Miami, Fl.
2006
National Art Exposition (Muestra Nacional De Arte), Desto Space, San Juan, P.R.