About

Black-and-white portrait of the artist in the studio, among brushes and paint-stained tables
Aaron Rodriguez

I was born in 1986 in the Canary Islands, Spain, where the intensity of nature, light and colour sparked my curiosity from an early age.

My grandfather, Mario Rodríguez, introduced me to art as a child and encouraged me to explore freely, and that freedom still guides how I work. I am self-taught, and my practice has grown through experimentation: different materials and techniques, spontaneity, and surfaces built up in layers. I work mainly in oil and mixed media, and each painting takes shape through colour, texture and gesture rather than a fixed plan.

My work moves between two worlds. One begins in landscape, flowers and light, and travels towards abstraction. The other is rawer and more expressive, with masks, animals and symbols drawn in a gestural line. In both, I look for a direct emotional connection with the person standing in front of the canvas.

Change is part of my nature. I have always been drawn to sudden turns of the rudder, and I try to live the way I make art: by experimenting. In 2015 I moved to New York, where I lived for more than ten years. The pace of the city, its scale and its constant mix of people and ideas made my work bolder and more direct, and gave me the confidence to paint in a freer, more gestural way.

In 2026 I turned the rudder again and moved to Tokyo. Here I am learning a different rhythm, one of quiet, careful attention and the space between things, and I am discovering how it enters my paintings alongside the energy I brought from New York. I continue to develop my practice here.

Born
1986, Canary Islands, Spain
Lives and works
Tokyo, Japan
Previously
New York, 2015–2026
Training
Self-taught
Approach
Intuitive, process-driven

In memoriam

Black-and-white portrait of Consuelo Rodríguez, the artist's mother, smiling
Consuelo Rodríguez
Black-and-white photograph of Mario Rodríguez, the artist's grandfather, painting outdoors
Mario Rodríguez

To my mother and my grandfather, forever within me.

To my grandfather, who awakened in my soul the love of art and taught me to see the world through different eyes.

And to my mother, my light, my refuge and my encouragement. The purest, most unconditional love I will ever know. The strength that held me up, the wings that lifted me, and the one to whom I owe everything I am.

My art, my life and every beat of my soul will always be for you, Mom. I love you.