Hugo Martínez Rapari

Award-winning artist Hugo Martínez Rapari is a painter who makes his own rules. His distinctive artworks are created with acrylic or mixed media on wood panels juxtaposed like puzzle pieces and framed in a painted shadowbox. The effect is startling; pairing the smooth colors and minimalist aesthetic with overlapping panels frees the painting from its two-dimensional shackles. Strong gallery lighting adds extra dimensionality by casting geometric shadows onto the picture plane, interacting with the painted imagery. The subjects that Martínez Rapari chooses range from cityscapes, calligraphy, and nature scenes — particularly of plants and seaside relics. Martínez Rapari’s creative spirit is nourished by the energy of nearly everything around him. "Life inspires me. The joy and color. The vibrant colors of nature."

Beyond painting he is versed in a variety of arts including jewelry making, interior design, and glasswork. Martínez Rapari’s work has been exhibited throughout North and South America, including in the American embassy in Uruguay and the Museum of the Americas in Florida. Hugo Martínez Rapari lives and works in the capital city of Montevideo, Uruguay.