More than a necessity or an escape, art is the essence of Robelis Rodríguez, a Venezuelan living in Germany for 20 years, who cannot live without constantly expressing herself through various mediums. Being in a ceaseless process of exploration, it is difficult to categorize the artist with any specific technique or style. For her, each work finds its own way of being, of being seen, of reaching the public.
The background of her work can range from a mere matter of aesthetic harmony to appreciations and critiques of the role of women in society; there are no limits or political commitments that prevent her from fully exercising her freedom as a creator.
Although art was always present in her life from a young age, it was not the priority it is now. With private painting and drawing classes as a child, ideas began to take shape and techniques started to be put into practice. That passion remained latent for years, and creative energy found its way through dance, music, singing, and crafting.
But it wasn't until 2015, after undergoing surgery that required a prolonged period of recovery, that Robelis came face to face with art and had time to catch up. During this stage, pending creative debts were settled, and Rodríguez found in art the ideal therapy to improve her health. It was precisely this experience that led her to train as a Life Coach with an emphasis on art therapy, to share with others her experience and how art had helped her overcome a difficult stage to achieve physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This vocation was further pursued when, fully embracing the vocation of helping through art, she became certified as an artistic workshop facilitator and pedagogue.
With her workshop installed in her own home, everyday life merges with fantasy when creating her pieces. From the reflection of daily life, one jumps to the reverie of nostalgia and from there to the discovery of a new destination. Everything plays a part in being a source of inspiration after passing through a sensitive filter and concretizing a concept, as was demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic when Robelis had plenty of time to continue creating, experimenting, and learning.
Traveling is not only a way for Robelis Rodríguez to disconnect and rest, but it is also the ideal way in which the artist finds inspiration for her works. During her most recent visit to the coastal area of Algarve, Portugal, the Venezuelan had the opportunity to organize her ideas and gather raw material from the surroundings, which she would later depict in her Bubble Dimensions series. In this series, Rodríguez lets out all the greens and blues she brought in her suitcase from the Algarve and borrowed from the sea, the sky, and the vegetation of the Portuguese desert landscape. The touches of neon blue and orange emerged from the multiple flowers of the bird of paradise, which burst forth like silent fiery creatures in the green and brown landscape.
With the chromatic key resolved, Robelis wanted to find a discourse that would allow her to speak of fluidity, movement, and change. And she found in her memory the memories of so many kinetic masters' works like Soto and Cruz Diez with which she grew up. She seasoned the recipe with a bit of Vasarely's Op art, and there it was, her artistic work found the way to say what she wanted to say. This time, the Venezuelan adds a certain three-dimensionality to part of her plastic work - without becoming sculptural - and invites those who experience it to add value with their point of view, as the viewer's eye position contributes a different reading to the work depending on where it is viewed from.
These pieces are grouped with other two-dimensional ones and even projections, showing that there is no limit to the format when it comes to creating for her. Changing, dynamic, intriguing, and subjective. That's Robelis Rodríguez's proposal in Bubble Dimensions. A clear invitation to enter her bubble and see the world from within.
For more information on the artist visit her Instagram Account: @die_kunstverbindung
By Roberto Rodríguez Mijares. Journalist & Photographer