São João do Estoril Portugal 2012

“I was born in the land of honey and blood. Very early on, I understood that violence only brings destruction, chaos, pain, despair, trauma, ugliness. I have seen with horror how the art world uses violence as a blockbuster theme for many superficial exhibitions, exhibitions that do not to help to enlighten us, to get us out of the darkness and find some peace and some reason to keep on being alive. Every time I have met someone that has experienced some sort of violence, I have noticed how much they try to make their daily life kind and pleasant. They always have plants with flowers, their curtains are always colorful, they surround themselves by color and beauty as an antidote to those unforgettable memories. The ethos behind my paintings has always been to show those small miracles that life gives us daily. The song of a bird, the sound of the wind, a blue sky. There are endless, poetic, magical, beautiful events happening in our natural world and looking at those small, wonderful miracles help our souls to keep on going, amidst so much darkness.”

Cristina Rodriguez