Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada is committed to producing public art that raises awareness of environmental and social issues like climate change and human rights. He predominantly creates his work in urban spaces on a large scale, with the scale of the work often reflecting the importance of the issue.

Gerada is a Cuban-American Contemporary Artist. Born in Cuba and raised in the United States. He was a founding member of the early '90s New York Culture Jamming movement,where he launched street art interventions, and altered billboards and public advertising. His process and philosophy were highlighted in the 'Culture Jamming' chapter in the book No Logo by Naomi Klein.

Since then he has experimented in his directions as a muralist working with charcoal murals that deliberately fade away after a certain period of time, as well as painted murals using long-lasting mineral paints that may last up to one hundred years. While living in Barcelona, Spain, he became intrigued with the textures of the city walls and began to include that into his artistic process. Using natural materials, such as sand and soil, antique bricks and stone elements, and centuries old wall textures, Gerada's palette is subdued due his infinity with these materials. He creates work from the small-scale and intimate Fragments series to the large-scale and expansive Terrestrial series land artworks.

Gerada has achieved a status of an international artist, creating powerful works and showing in exhibitions across the world. Throughout his career, Gerada has collaborated with multiple organisations and institutions, such as Google Research Lab, The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, 350.Org among others.

“My work has always been an exploratory process.” Gerada says, “From my intimate ‘Fragment’ series to my large-scale terrestrial land art series, perfecting the process is as important as being truthful to my narrative. I am in a special point of my career where I have been able to unify my aesthetics across all the directions of my work, the unifying factor is the use of hand drawn engraving style that was common in my land art pieces, but can now be seen in my murals, paintings, sculptures and drawings.

Gentrification

The sculpture I am presenting for this auction is titled Gentrification. This piece is hand sculpted from 150 year old recycled brick with an engraved and gilded design. This engraved design incorporates the ‘on’ button symbol that is ubiquitous in our technological reality. This “power” button on a kiss symbolises the hope for positive change within the urban art movement, now that it is clear that public art is a factor in the gentrification of communities.

The use of bricks alludes to the nostalgia for our architectural heritage and the optimism and solidarity that is needed to nurture and protect our established minority communities. With the street art movement becoming accepted by the fine art world and with mural festivals becoming popular around the globe, it is important that more artists, curators and critics understand the repercussions of what we create."

You can learn more about Gerada’s work by visiting his website and following him on Instagram.

2021

• Group Exhibition for Urvanity Art Fair 2021 in Madrid

2020

• Réalités Exhibition, Gallery Mathgoth, Paris France

• 101 Exhibition, Adda Gallery, Paris, France

• Walls Exhibition Urban Spree Gallery, Berlin Germany

• CEART Centro De Arte Tomas y Valiente, Madrid

• B-Local. B-Murals. Center for Urban Arts. Barcelona, Spain.

2019

• "Mur"s Group Exhibition at Huberty & Breyne Gallery, Brussels Belgium

• "Carton" Group Exhibition at Mathgoth Galerie, Paris France

• "Episode 1" Group Exhibition at Duran Gallery, Madrid Spain

• Urvanity Art Fair, Madrid

• Print release and small works, Nelly Duff, London

2018

• Group exhibition "in & Out" Paris, France.

2017

• Group Exhibition at the Museo Bellas Artes de Murcia MUBAM

2016

• Exhibition – Art Basel – Context International Art Fair – N2 Galeria, Miami, Florida

2015

• Solo Exhibition – Deep Surfaces, N2 Galeria, Barcelona, Spain

• Solo Exhibition and Mural – L'Éternel Instant Présent, Galerie MathGoth, Paris, France

• Commissioned Mural & Exhibition - Spectrum Street Art Festival Christchurch, New Zealand.

• Exhibition – LAX/LHR, Stolen Space Gallery London, United Kingdom

• Exhibition – JustMad International Art Fair – N2 Galeria, Madrid, Spain

2014

• Solo Exhibition – Fragments of Humanity, White Walls Gallery San Francisco, California

• Exhibition – Raw International Art Fair with St. Art Gallery Rotterdam, The Netherlands

• Exhibition – Art Madrid International Art Fair with N2 Gallery Madrid, Spain

• Exhibition – KunstRai International Art Fair with St. Art Gallery Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2013

• Solo Exhibition & Commissioned Mural – Mathgoth Gallery Paris, France

• Exhibition – Avant Garde Urbano group exhibition at the Munoz Sola Museum Tudela de Navarra, Spain Exhibition – Raw International Art Fair with the St.Art Gallery Rotterdam, The Netherlands

• Solo Exhibition & commission – Identity Composite / The Face of Granada Citywide project celebrating the 1000 years of the Alhambra Granada, Spain

2012

• Solo Exhibition – Moniker International Art Fair with Suben Gallery London, United Kingdom

• Exhibition – The Banger Art Show with the Nelly Duff Gallery London, United Kingdom

2011

• Solo Exhibition – Galería Ignacio de Lassaletta Barcelona, Spain

• Exhibition – Smart Urban Stage for E.M.T.B. Studio – Bennedetta Tagliabue Barcelona, Spain

2010

• Solo Exhibition – N2 Galeria Barcelona, Spain