Ivan is an accurate example of friends who become family. He was assisting my artist-brother when I met him. Our common love for beer has always been a great middle ground for us to bond over. He always surprises me with his undeniably good taste and attention to detail. He is laid back and has an ability to make anything look elegant. His ways are truly Venezuelan, yet I am glad I met him on the other side of globe. Truly talented and cool guy. Ivan is family.
Although he graduated as an engineer Ivan is an artist too, and his work reflects this marriage between mathematics and creativity. Ivan is interested in the possibility of materials both within his sculptures and three-dimensional furniture creations, and within his paintings. His applications are manual, and he recycles found and construction materials to create furniture and objects that take on a life of their own. His paintings are equally material, using concrete and pigments over wood panel to build the gestural and abstract surfaces. Ivan’s raw style with his precise consciousness of ratio and scale, and love for exploring materials are why I have always found his work so fascinating as well as psychically tactile and evocative.