Cooper Hewitt says...
Born in Huancavelica, Peru in 1940, Jesús Ruiz Durand is a prominent Peruvian visual artist, photographer, and multimedia designer renowned for his contributions to contemporary aesthetics, Andean iconography research, and theoretical exploration. Combining his scientific academic background in mathematics and physics with his artistic pursuits, Durand has left an indelible mark in various creative realms. His influential creations include reformist posters and photographs depicting the Peruvian Agrarian Reform Law, politically charged painting series like "Memorias de la ira" [“Memories of Anger”], and captivating multimedia works such as "Poéticas del Número"[“Poetics of Number”]. His work has been celebrated by institutions worldwide, and is held in the Museum of Modern Art, Museo de Arte de Lima, Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires, Museo Reina Sofía, University of New Mexico, Cartier, Hermitage Museum, and the Hochschild Collection. Known for his fusion of pop art and op art elements, Durand's artistic style, known as "pop-achorado," employs photomechanical techniques and optical illusions to create visually striking and impactful designs. His politically charged works remain among the most recognized and celebrated creations in Latin America, while his oil and acrylic renditions of solarizations of iconic photos from the radical political sphere of the 1960s further showcase his mastery in combining the figurative with the subversive.
