Raul W. Jimenez Rivera was born and raised in Bolivia, a country where the modern world and nature still intermingle. Right outside the door of his former residence in the capitol city of La Paz, he had to step over indigenous women selling their produce each day on his way to his classes or work. From the time he was young, the rich culture and diversity of the country captured his imagination, and in turn he wanted to immortalize such scenes on canvas. Choosing a more practical route than becoming a starving artist in the poorest country in South America, Raul Jimenez Rivera went to college to study agricultural engineering. He completed a degree that would allow him to help his people develop more sustainable farming practices in a place where “going green” is not a trend but rather a necessity for survival.
Raul Jimenez Rivera recently arrived in the United States and has been greatly inspired by the newness of nature that he sees around him. Staying true to his roots and upbringing, his art echoes the same ideas of sustainability and resource conservation. In Bolivia, he painted on the back of old flour or sugar sacks. In America, he has found wood to be his “canvas” of choice. He finds the particle board that makes up the heart of our houses, but which is hidden behind dry wall, to provide unique textures and colors that add extra dimension to his paintings. Additionally, in the art form of pyrography (wood burning), he feels that nature begins the work of art in the natural wood grains present in the boards, and he simply picks up where nature left off.

See more of Raul's work at his website rauljimenezart.com.

Contact: raul@rauljimenezart.com