Artist Statement

Hermes Berrío, transitioned to a global environment from early on, living between Bogota, Florence and New York, enabling him to expand his boundaries while exposing him to new opportunities. Ever since moving to Miami, he has grown his artistic career, finding inspiration through the city’s rich landscape and cultural diversity. 

His practice captures the significance of everyday life, relating the grand scope that emphasizes both the mundane and the extraordinary. His urban style embedded within mixed media utilizes materials ranging from oil and aerosol, to textiles and gold leaf. In addition to carrying out a physical examination, Berrio conducts a conceptual survey, with reality as the foundation of his practice, creating a vibrant narrative and a personal reflection on the world. He continues to find inspiration in these unusual and yet commonplace experiences, by exploring the complexity of such simple moments and rendering them on a monumental scale.

Berrio’s paintings are at once deeply personal snapshots of his people and his city, and a sublimely laid out perspective that feels universal and unpretentious, his pieces are documentary-like in nature, derived from the artist’s photographs. Reaching beyond the simplicity of such fundamental daily happenings, Berrio’s paintings present a monumental vision of urban life. He has re-imagined, re-arranged, and metamorphosed visions of a cultural and personal landscape, seeking new ways to interpret one’s truth visually.

Hermes Berrío