Rogelio Diaz

Rogelio Diaz Artist

Rogelio Diaz is a Mexican outsider artist from Puerto Vallarta. He is known for his strong colors, the richness of texture and format, but mostly by his "naïf expressionism" style, which concludes with the fact that behind each piece is the artist - a child with a great sense of humor and undeniable talent.

Rogelio lives life intensely. He declares himself in the path of expressionism and figurative art, though really he prefers to talk about Velázquez, the artist who painted even the air, and Rubens' voluminous passion.

Now a successful artist, he recalls the early years when he gave up everything to paint. For this self-taught artist, the answer and path is clear: a return to the spontaneity of childhood in communion with real needs and desires. He is particularly interested in the imaginative world of children as it is less culturally conditioned. In his energetic method of painting, he becomes almost enraptured in a feverish catharsis.

With piercing reds, blacks and yellows, he paints an eclectic smile, cancan boots, infantile scribbles surrounding 'A Pair of Dancers in Eternal Spring,' which, though grotesque, seem happy and pristine. His provocative images, rooted in Mexico's ancient indigenous culture, take you on a trip to the primitive and the private, where one senses a déjà-vu, something distant, yet primal like a sweet murmur, a giggling smile or a cold shiver. And, like in a storybook as well, he particularly enjoys titling his pictures, where he conveys his sense of humor and intent with a beginning and a very unruly end. His has a unique style, which has definitely been influenced by Picasso and Basquiat.

Rogelio believes that we all have something of a child within us. The older we grow, the closer we come to returning to the innocence of childhood. Art collectors who would have never considered his works in years past have now become fond admirers of his work. In 2005 Rogelio was chosen as "Best Visual Artist" in Vallarta Lifestyle's Reader's Choice Awards. His paintings are displayed at Dante Gallery in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Mexican artist
Mexican outsider artist