Ramirez Gomez David (Colombia)
I am a Colombian artist. I have been living in Denmark for about 9 years and I am married to a Danish woman.
I experiment with a wide range of materials and it is important for me not to be limited by them. I am very interested in pushing the inherent boundaries in the materials and break traditional conventions, which I see as an alienating part of the work.
I am very enthusiastic about working with recycled materials found on the street because they already hold a story, they have already been in contact with other people. I also express myself through many different types of works; paintings/drawings, animation films, installations, performances etc. The formalisation of my work must not be perfect, I do not produce works that are meant to last forever. Instead, I am looking to include the fragility that humans possess as well and make something imperfect and raw.
I focus on creating artworks that the people I meet in my everyday life can relate to - through describing the problems, frustrations etc. that we all experience. I have a democratic perspective on art and I don’t see art as something that is only valuable to an established group of connoisseurs. It is essential to me to work with human emotions as a theme; collective and general feelings but from a self-referential standpoint in which I use my own experiences as a driving force.
In my paintings and drawings I have used the portrait genre as a medium of communication for several years. I “collect” faces from the everyday people and use them to express my own feelings which are not only concerned with my own life but also relate to our collective life in society, the legislation regarding immigration that affect so many lives including my own, how I experience being a foreigner in Denmark, how our ethnic background isn’t enough to define us etc. I work with a lot of different questions in this context, such as; how do we fit within the frames that society set up for us? When are we accepted? When are we integrated?
The results of this investigation are experimental, colourful and emotional artworks full of images and stories that I want “the everyday people” to relate to. I wish to stir thoughts and emotions in the beholders and to allow them to interpret, engage with and add to the stories.
Born in El Peñol Antioquia, Colombia in 1981. Lives in Aarhus, Denmark.
EDUCATION
2001 – 2005 and 2006 – 2007
Visual arts at the University of Antioquia in Medellin (Medellin, Colombia)
2012
Electronic music (12 week course), Engelsholm Højskole (Vejle, Denemark)
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2015
Exposition-Retrospective, 55Bellechasse Gallery (Paris, France)
2014
“Forårsmarked”, Spor 2, Godsbanen (Aarhus, Denemark)
”David Ramirez Gomez”, CGI (Aarhus, Denemark)
2013
“Wandering: you win, you loose, you change”, performance, Rum 46 (Aarhus, Denemark)
”David Ramirez Gomez is here now”, Spor 2, Godsbanen (Aarhus, Denemark)
”Krav om bolig af rimelig størrelse” Mellemrummet, Godsbanen (Aarhus, Denemark)
2012
”Little Bus”, performance. Engelsholm Højskole (Vejle, Denemark)
2011
”David Ramirez Gomez”, Kongernes Jelling (Jelling, Denemark)
”David Ramirez Gomez”, C.F. Møller (Aarhus, Denemark)
”Access Denied”, Galleri V58 (Aarhus, Denemark)
2010
”David Ramirez Billeder”, Albertslund bibliotek (Albertslund, Denemark)
2009
”Portrætter”, Lærdansk (Aarhus, Denemark)
“David Ramirez Gomez”, Drudenfus (Aarhus, Denemark)
2008
“David Ramírez Gómez”, Logica (Aarhus, Denemark)
“David Ramirez Gomez”, Copenhart Gallery (Copenhagen, Denemark)
“David Ramirez Gomez”, Drudenfus (Aarhus, Denemark)
2006
”Retratos”, Triskel Art Centre (Cork, Ireland)
”El Colombiano”, Tom Barry’s (Cork, Ireland)
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2018
Market Art Design (Hamptons, USA)
Frame (Basel, Switzerland)
Art New York (New York, USA)
Art Market San Francisco (San Francisco, USA)
Art on Paper (New York, USA)
Art Wynwood (Miami, USA)
London Art Fair (London, UK)
Palm Beach (Miami, USA)
2017
Palm Beach (Miami, USA)
Art Miami (Miami, USA)
Sofa Chicago (Chicago, USA)
YIA Art Fair (Paris, France)
Seattle Art Fair (Seattle, USA)
Art market Hamptons (Hamptons, USA)
Art Pampelonne (Saint-Tropez, France)
Art Salzburg (Salzburg, Austria)
Scope Basel (Basel, Switzerland)
Art NYC (New York, USA)
Art Market San Francisco (San Francisco, USA)
YIA Art Fair (Brussels, Belgium)
Art Wynwood (Miami, USA)
London Art Fair (London, UK)
Art Palm Beach (Palm Beach, USA)
2016
Art Fair Cologne (Cologne, Germany)
YIA Art Fair (Paris, France)
To Transgress an invisible border, Galeria de arte contemporaneo Paul Bardwel (Medellin, Colombie)
Overgang i vest, Sigridstue (Gellerup, Denemark)
Art Copenhagen (Copenhagen, Denmark)
The Solo Project (Basel, Switzerland)
Opening of 55Bellechasse (Miami, USA)
Art New York (New York, USA)
Scope New York (New York, USA)
Art Wynwood (Miami, USA)
Art Palm Beach (Palm Beach, USA)
Group show re-opening of 55Bellechasse (Paris, France)
2015
Art Basel Week (Miami, USA)
YIA Art Fair (Paris, France)
Art Silicon Valley (San Francisco, USA)
Art Copenhagen (Copenhagen, Denemark)
Scope Basel (Basel, Switzerland)
Art Southampton, Galerie 55bellechasse (Hamptons, USA)
Art Miami NewYork, Galerie 55bellechasse, (New York, USA)
Art Paris Art Fair (Paris, France) Scope New York (New York, USA)
BYOB, Institut for X (Aarhus, Denemark)
Winter exhibition, Galleri V58 (Aarhus, Denemark)
Artwynwood, Galerie 55bellechasse, (Miami, USA)
ind-vandrere historie og andre fortællinger, Aarhus kunstakademiet (Aarhus, Denemark)
2014
Art Copenhagen, Galleri V58 (Copenhagen, Denemark)
Art Herning 14, Galleri V58 (Herning, Denemark)
2013
“Vinterudstilling”, Galleri V58 (Aarhus, Denemark)
”Urbane vilde spor”, outdoors art festival (Aarhus, Denemark)
2011
”Vinterudstilling”, Galleri V58 (Aarhus, Denemark)
”Sommerudstilling”, Galleri V58 (Aarhus, Denemark)
“Generous Gestures”, Den frie, centre for contemporary art (Copenhagen, Denemark)
“Vinterudstilling”, Galleri V58 (Aarhus, Denemark)
2010
”Af lyst eller nød”, Bymuseet (Aarhus, Denemark)
”Naboerne kommer”, The Lighthouse, Anholt (Århus, Denemark)
”Naboerne kommer”, Gellerup museum (Århus, Denemark)
”Sommerudstilling”, Galleri V58 (Århus, Denemark)
”Forårsudstilling”, Galleri V58 (Århus, Denemark)
”Vinterudstilling”, Galleri V58 (Århus, Denemark)
2009
”Vorherre Bevares”, Copenhart Gallery (Valby, Denemark)
”C.A.R.”, Contemporary Art Ruhr, Colourblind Gallery (Essen, Germany)
2008
”Street Art in den modernen Wohnung”, Colourblind Gallery (Köln, Germany)
”Internationale Drengestreger”, Copenhart Gallery (Valby, Denemark)
2006
“Imagen Regional V”, (Manizales, Colombia)
“Festival de arte contemporaneo, proyecto EGO ECO”, Ezanville (Paris, France)
“Micro Evento # 31”, Centro Colombo Americano, Medellin, Colombia)
2005
“Desde la plastic”, Museo Universitario (Medellin, Colombia)
“Bienal regional de pintura y obra grafica” (Rionegro and Medellin, Colombia)
TEACHING, ARTIST TALKS
2016
Printmaking teacher, spring, Engelsholm Højskole (Vejle, Denemark)
Printmaking teacher, autumn, Engelsholm Højskole (Vejle, Denemark)
2015
Artist talk, Vejle Idrætshøjskole (Vejle, Denemark)
Artist talk, Uldum Højskole (Uldum, Denemark)
Printmaking teacher, spring, Engelsholm Højskole (Vejle, Denemark)
Printmaking teacher, autumn, Engelsholm Højskole (Vejle, Denemark)
2014
Artist talk, Galleri V58 (Aarhus, Denemark)
Artist talk, Uldum Højskole (Uldum, Denemark)
Printmaking teacher, workshop til Hjortshøj festival (Hjortshøj, Denemark)
Artist of the week (Ceramics), Engelsholm Højskole (Vejle, Denemark)
Teacher and project manager, Project “Ge2blast”, Gellerup (Aarhus, Denemark)
Printmaking teacher, spring, Engelsholm Højskole (Vejle, Denemark)
Interview/portrait program, “Folk i Farver”, Tv2 Østjylland (Aarhus, Denemark)
Teacher in workshop, “Kunstuge”, Ådalen Efterskole (Hørning, Denemark)
2013
Artist of the week (Ceramics), Engelsholm Højskole (Vejle, Denemark)
Printmaking teacher, spring, Engelsholm Højskole (Vejle, Denemark)
Printmaking teacher, autumn, Engelsholm Højskole (Vejle, Denemark)
2012
Artist talk (“Artistic process of David Ramirez Gomez”), autumn, Engelsholm Højskole (Vejle, Denemark)
Artist of the Week, Engelsholm Højskole (Vejle, Denemark)
Artist talk (“Artistic process of David Ramirez Gomez”), spring, Engelsholm Højskole (Vejle, Denemark)
2011
Artist talk (“Artistic process of David Ramirez Gomez”), Kongernes Jelling (Jelling, Denemark)
2010
Teacher of art workshop, art day at Hornbæk School (Randers, Denemark)
Teacher in the project “Spider woman”, including a street art workshop, Gellerup (Aarhus, Denemark)
Teacher of graffiti workshop, “Grundlovsdag”, Gellerup (Aarhus, Denemark)
Teacher of paste up and stencil workshop, Gellerup (Aarhus, Denemark)
2007
“Mde07: Espacios de hospitalidad” (festival of contemporary art), assistent to Federico Herrero (Costa Rica), (Medellin, Colombia)
2006
“Springboards programme for young people”, graffiti artist in residence, Triskel Art Centre (Cork, Ireland)
COLLECTIONS AND COMISSIONNED WORK
2014
Decoration of caravan, project “Ge2blast” Gellerup (Aarhus, Denemark)
Illustrations for app history for children, “Pelle og Palle”, written by Sif Neldeborg (Denemark)
2013
Decoration of machinery, Godsbanen (Aarhus, Denemark)
“Little Colombia”, wall painting, private collector (Cologne, Germany)
“Hechizado”, music video, music by Band Ane (Denemark)
Wall intervention, opgang 3G, Godsbanen (Aarhus, Denemark)
2012
“Fra forstanden”, music video, music by Røgslør (Denemark)
2011
“Lad dem smile”, music video, music by Røgslør (Denemark)
“3 Minutter i Gellerup”, Video illustrations for 12 stories in collaboration with Opgang 2, shown on tv channel Tv2 Østjylland (Denemark)
2010
“Køer på Trøjborg”, outdoors installation (Aarhus, Denemark)
Indoor murals and decoration, Foreningernes hus, Gellerup (Aarhus, Denemark)