December 2

Ruben Gerardo Ubiera Gonzalez  was born October 19, 1975 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic  and is a Dominican neo-figurative artist. Ruben paints and draws in a style he calls urban-pop. Most of his inspiration is derived from the interactivity between man and his urban environment. After moving to Bronx, NY at the age of fifteen the graffiti around him heavily influenced him. In his work he strives to capture parts of his past, present and his subjects using line and form. Ruben’s work includes still-life and situational portraiture but focuses on city landscapes.

Ruben’s work seems to mainly focus on the contemporary as it relates to his surroundings.  As mentioned before most if not all of his work comes from his urban surroundings and reflects that life style. There is no sign of traditional imagery but you get a sense that his subject matter is mostly African-Americans if not all of it. In his bio he says his work is geared towards social commentary and human struggle. Just looking at some of his portraits you get a strong sense of that struggle in facial expressions and imagery.

http://www.urbanpopsoul.com/