Born in 1990, Venezuelan artist Daniel Rey conceives his art practice as an active vehicle for the discussion of the issues that threaten our vulnerable communities. Through his art he explores themes and current debates about identity, gender, borders and migration.

I was born in Caracas, Venezuela, a tropical place full of contradictions. Since I was little I was always drawing and making stuff, so I decided to study architecture. I started in my home city but soon those studies took me to live in Istanbul, and then Milan, city which became my home for 5 years. Later I moved to London and worked on some of the most influential architectural offices in the world like: SOM and Foster + Partners, but I went through a depression, then the pandemic hit. I realized I was not following the mission of my life, which is to make art. Now, I am better, coursing my MA in Fine Arts at Central Saint Martins, where I am continuously challenging and developing my art practice. 

Tell us about your greatest inspirations or influences Daniel.

• My inspiration comes from many places, Venice for its relationship with water and the layers of history.

• Francis Bacon for the visceral effect his deformed bodies produce on me.

• Marlene Dumas for painting feelings that transcend the canvas.

• The modern architecture of Carlos Raul Villanueva adapted to the Tropico.

• The music of Max Richter and the colourful and vivid world of Almodovar films. 

Tell us about your practice Daniel

In my practice I explore themes of migration, identity, the collective memory and our relationship with the built environment. More specifically, I am trying to understand how the notion of home changes and transforms in people who have gone through displacement processes. How rituals and traditions can help us rebuild spaces from memory, and how we relate these spaces in a state of decay. 

These themes and interests are related to my own identity. As a Venezuelan, I am part of the more than 6 million who have left the country due to the political and socio economical crisis happening there. 

We’d love to hear more about your creative process.

My process is very related to my training as an architect, I normally use drawing as a vehicle to conceive ideas, these drawings can mutate into mind maps with images and information, almost like a construction drawing. For me the installations are a response to the space where it will be shown and the scale of the body in relation to the piece. Then I think about the materiality of the piece, how it ages, for example I’ve been using banana leaves on my installations, a material we use in Venezuela to wrap Hallacas, a dish that embodies the idea of home as a ritual. 

And for the paintings, I use my own archive of images, collected from my sketches, photographs taken with my iphone, movie stills, newspapers, those are the starting point, but then the painting always changes, it’s like a dialogue that comes from the experience of navigating this world. It implies a lot of waiting time, and somehow the language used to communicate architecture always comes up. 

What do you think of the art world?

I think there are many art worlds, and some of them overlap. Some people are there because they love the art, but some other people are just for the money, to flip the works of the 2% of artists, of which half of them are dead, the other half are in extreme demand driven by the power structure that controls the world; a handful of rich people. So it is a very hierarchical world that hasn’t changed much. But for the first time, thanks to the Web, Instagram and now NFT’s, the power of galleries is slowly shifting away, it’s not longer the gallery system the only way to make a living as an artist, many artists are creating work, and sharing it with the communities they have built, and I feel that’s great.

Anything coming up that we should know about? 

Yes! All happening in London, I’ll be showing work at the CSM Museum & Study Collection from the 5th of July until the 26th. And a duo show from the 3rd - 24th August, at the Latin American House, with the fellow Venezuelan artist Francisca Sosa. This last exhibition will involve the community, creating artworks collectively, and will be activated by a series of events and workshops. 

What does wellbeing mean to you?

For me wellbeing is being present, it sounds so simple, but it’s not. I believe each person has their own path, so I don’t compare myself to anyone. And I practice meditation, I see it as a shower for the soul, it helps to accept the things I can not change, and the unproductive events of life. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

In my case, making art is that visceral force which allows me to be aligned with my soul and body. It’s a spiritual experience in which the layers of my story, my experience of navigating this world and the times we live in are merged into objects, images and experiences that might speak to the following generations. 

@daniel_rey__ 

https://www.daniel-rey.com/