Aurie Ramirez

Born 1962, Sangley Point, Philippines
Has practiced at Creative Growth since 1997

Aurie Ramirez’s sophisticated and delicately rendered watercolor and ink compositions create a fantasy world of 18th century dandyism, neo-Victorian decorum, psychedelia, glam rock sex, and anthropomorphic food. With imagery ranging the full spectrum from saccharine landscapes with smiling suns to punk fetishism and hardcore erotica, Ramirez explores sexuality, fashion, violence, and forbidden foods. Often depicting groups of women in KISS garb (Ramirez’s favorite band and most profound visual touchstone), Ramirez presents these women and their ephemera in endless iterations like paper dolls. In another series, she explores her Filipino heritage and childhood memories by reimagining traditional wardrobe on her red and green pinstriped characters. Ramirez is obsessive in her production, filling sketchbooks with dozens of compositions in a single day.

Ramirez’s work has been exhibited at galleries and museums internationally, including White Columns and Gavin Brown’s enterprise in New York; Jack Hanley Gallery, Los Angeles; ABCD, Paris; Collection de l’Art Brut, Switzerland; and MADmusée, Belgium.

Las sofisticadas y delicadas composiciones de acuarela y tinta de Aurie Ramírez crean un mundo de fantasía del dandismo del siglo XVIII, el decoro neovictoriano, la psicodelia, el sexo glam rock y la comida antropomórfica. Con imágenes que abarcan todo el espectro, desde paisajes empalagosos con soles sonrientes hasta el fetichismo punk y el erotismo extremo, Ramírez explora la sexualidad, la moda, la violencia y las comidas prohibidas. A menudo representando a grupos de mujeres con atuendos de KISS (la banda favorita de Ramírez y la piedra de toque visual más profunda), Ramírez presenta a estas mujeres y sus efímeros en iteraciones interminables como muñecas de papel. En otra serie, explora su herencia filipina y sus recuerdos de la infancia reinventando el vestuario tradicional en sus personajes de rayas rojas y verdes. Ramírez es obsesiva en su producción, llena cuadernos de bocetos con decenas de composiciones en un solo día.

El trabajo de Ramírez se ha exhibido en galerías y museos a nivel internacional, incluidos White Columns y la empresa de Gavin Brown en Nueva York; Galería Jack Hanley, Los Ángeles; ABCD, París; Colección de l'Art Brut, Suiza; y MADmusée, Bélgica.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2021
The Nostalgia Show, online exhibition, Sage Studio, Austin
Vibrant, Nina Johnson Gallery, Miami

2020
Footnote, Summertime, New York
Felix Art Fair, Los Angeles
Sexual Personae, Outsider Art Fair, Paris, curated by Alison M. Gingeras

2019
The Creative Commons, ArtYard, Frenchtown
Outsider Art Fair, New York
Unexplained Parade, Catriona Jeffries, Vancouver
Gifted: The Self-Taught Genius of Creative Growth, Nina Johnson Gallery, Miami, curated by Kim Hastreiter
Aurie Ramirez, 6397, New York

2018
Outsider Art Fair, New York
Butterfly’s Nautilus, et al. Gallery, Mexico City
Issue 3, Good Luck Gallery, Los Angeles

2017
Esqueleto, Oakland
Everyday Visionaries, Target, New York
Known/Unknown, Museum of Sex, New York
NADA, Miami

2016
Duvel Moortgat Fund, MADmusée Liège
American Dream, Direct Art Gallery, Dusseldorf
Outside, Karma, Amagansett, New York, curated by Matthew Higgs
Outsider Art Fair, New York

2015
Vis-à-vis, Andrew Edlin Gallery, New York, curated by Michael Mahalchick
Fetching Blemish, Invisible Exports, New York
The Apartment, Vancouver
Outsider Art Fair, New York
Art Fair Tokyo, Tokyo

2014
Outsider Art Fair, New York
NADA, Miami

2013
Outsider Art Fair, New York
Metal Coyote, Y Gallery, New York, curated by Aldo Sanchez
Creative Growth, Park Life Gallery, San Francisco
Undercover Genius, Petaluma Arts Center, Petaluma
Superduper Market, Paper Magazine, New York

2012
Outsider Art Fair, New York
Independent Art Fair, New York
Frieze Art Fair, New York
The Art of Cooking, Royal T Gallery, Los Angeles, curated by Hanne Mugaas
John Hiltunen +1, Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco, curated by Matthew Higgs
Cutlog Art Fair, Paris
NADA, Miami

2011
Outsider Art Fair, New York
Create, Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley
White Columns, New York
Faces, Jack Fischer Gallery, San Francisco
NADA, Miami

2010
Outsider Art Fair, New York
In The House, MADMusée, Belgium

2009
Galerie Giti Nourbakhsch, Berlin
Revealing the Human, Arts Project, Melbourne
Chromatic: 35 Colorful Years of Creative Growth, Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco

2008
Intuit Show of Folk and Outsider Art, Chicago
Queens Nails Annex, San Francisco, curated by Julio Morales

2007
Jack Hanley Gallery, Los Angeles
ABCD, Paris
Observer Event, New York

2006
Jack Hanley Gallery, Los Angeles
Visionary Output: Work by Creative Growth Artists, Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco
Armory Art Fair, New York
Outsider Art Fair, New York

2005
NADA, Miami
Intuit Fair of Folk and Outsider Art, Chicago
White Columns, New York
Leon Borensztein and His Friends: A Look At Creative Growth Artists and Their Work, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, curated by René de Guzman and Tom di Maria

2004
Outsider Art Fair, New York

2003
Black Rainbow, Lucky Tackle Gallery, Oakland, curated by Anne Collier

2002
Brut Love, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, curated by Reanne Estrada