Rafael Uriegas

Painter & Muralist

Born in 1982 in Málaga, Spain, Rafael Uriegas is a Mexican-based painter and muralist known for his unique approach to color, form, and mythology. Drawing inspiration from Mexican muralism, European abstraction, religious iconography, and pre-Hispanic traditions, Uriegas creates introspective, dreamlike compositions that navigate the intersection of figuration and abstraction.

His artistic process is deeply intuitive and meditative, embracing automatic drawing and fresco painting to achieve compositions that feel both timeless and spontaneous. Color is central to his work, used as an expressive force that transcends mere aesthetics to evoke spiritual and emotional depth. His paintings and murals are often described as portals into a mystical, sensory world—where ancient histories, mythological archetypes, and contemporary concerns converge.

Uriegas studied at La Esmeralda National School of Painting, Sculpture, and Printmaking in Mexico City, completing his BFA in 2008, followed by an MFA at Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos in 2013. He gained early recognition with his selection in the Tamayo Biennale (2014) and has since exhibited extensively in Mexico, the U.S., and Europe.

His work is part of private and institutional collections, including the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) in California, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MACO) in Oaxaca, and the Sonora Museum of Art. He has also completed fresco murals for the Museum of the Historic and Ethnographic Center of Caborca and Pug Seal Oaxaca.

Uriegas continues to expand his visual language through painting and site-specific murals, blending history, mysticism, and abstraction to create works that invite viewers into a deeper, more contemplative engagement with art.

He currently lives and works in Cholula, Mexico.

Resume

Solo Exhibitions

  • 2025Passing Through, Hoffmann + Maler + Wallenberg, Mexico City
  • 2020Rafael Uriegas, Galería de Arte Mexicano (GAM), Mexico City
  • 2019Akira Toxqui, Archivo Colectivo, Mexico
  • 2017Absences, MUSAS Museum of the Arts of Sonora, Mexico
  • 2017Cave, Sun, Seed, Gallery Karen Huber, Mexico City
  • 2015Gizon Zintzoa, MUPO Oaxaca
  • 2015Lagoon, Gallery Karen Huber, Mexico City
  • 2014Pintura Silva, Galería Toca, Mexico

Selected Group Exhibitions

  • 2021Don’t Get Too Close to My Foantasy, Galería Karen Huber, Mexico
  • 2021Spiritu Andante, Archivo Colectivo, Mexico
  • 2020Sur, Museo Internacional Barroco, Puebla, Mexico
  • 2018Pintura Reactiva, Carillo Gil Museum, Mexico City
  • 2018Trayecto de una parte a otra, Diagrama Mexico City
  • 2018Detener el Infinito, Capilla del Arte, UDLAP, Puebla
  • 2018Show Room, Galería Karen Huber, Mexico
  • 2017Painters, Machete Gallery, Mexico
  • 2017Obras de la Colección, MACO, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Oaxaca, Mexico
  • 2017Masters, Mexico City
  • 2016Straight from Mexico City, Gallery Patricia Ruiz Healy, San Antonio, Texas
  • 2016Bienal de Nicaragua, Managua & León, Nicaragua
  • 2016Gallery Mercado Negro, Puebla, Mexico
  • 2015Después del Edén, SAPS Siqueiros, La Tallera, Cuernavaca, Mexico
  • 2015Bienal de Yucatán, Macay, Mérida, Yucatán
  • 2015Profil Perdu, MC Gallery, New York
  • 2014En el Umbral, Museo de la Ciudad de Cuernavaca, Mexico
  • 2014Bienal del Paisaje, MUSAS, Sonora, Mexico
  • 2013El Hombre ha Muerto, Universidad de Grime, Netherlands
  • 2013Presentimientos, Centro Cultural Vlady, Mexico
  • 2012¿Buscar lo real?, Museo Nacional de San Carlos, Mexico

Awards & Support

  • 2014Premio de Adquisición, XVI Bienal de Pintura Rufino Tamayo
  • 2013-2014 – Programa Jóvenes Creadores, FONCA, Mexico
  • 2011-2013 – Beca de Estudios CONACYT, MFA Grant, Mexico
  • 2012-2013 – Beneficio Proyectos de Inversión en la Producción, Secretaría de Cultura, Mexico
  • 2002 – Honorable Mention, Concurso Nacional de Arte Joven

Public Collections

  • Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA), Long Beach, California, USA
  • MACO – Museum of Contemporary Art Oaxaca, Mexico
  • MUSAS – Museum of Art Sonora, Mexico
  • Sonora Museum of Art, Mexico
  • Fundación Ortiz Gurdian, León, Nicaragua