Driven by a desire to meld indigenous wisdom and Western thought, Fabian Ramírez’s (b.1994) work records moments of revelation that resist easy categorization. Flourishing abstract brushwork first greets the viewer, but then incongruous, representational elements begin to emerge. References to Mayan symbology are scattered among invocations of Greek myth, and ancient ritual visions find form in the language of contemporary abstraction. In this uncertain visual field, where the eye cannot easily rest in representation or abstraction, and seemingly contradictory historical canons can coexist, the viewer finds themselves suspended on the threshold of apprehension.

By exploring the duality in his identity as both a Mexican with pre-Hispanic roots and a Western-trained painter, Ramírez extends a hand to those who feel dislocated by the rapid pace of globalization. On a personal level, we have all found ourselves compelled to choose between conflicting modes of identity, culture, and language. Ramírez’s practice suggests that by holding space for those differences to exist alongside one another, we can discover a richer sense of self and a way to navigate our connection to the world around us.

Ramírez received his MA from the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, in the class of Ellen Gallagher, Düsseldorf, DE (2025), and prior received his BA in Visual ARts from the School of Art and Design - UNAM, Mexico City, MX (2016). He has been the subject of recent solo exhibitions at Castor Gallery, London, UK (2024); The Cabin, Los Angeles, CA (2023); NARANJO 141, Mexico City, MX (2023); Plain Gallery, Milan, Italy (2023); COMA, Sydney, Australia (2022); Daniela Elbahara, Mexico City, Mexico (2021); and Maximilian Contemporary, San Francisco, USA (2020). His work resides in the public collections of the Xiao Museum of Contemporary Art, Rizhoa, China; Kunsthaus Kollitsch, Klagenfurt, Austria; Underdog Collection, Rome, Italy; and Colección Zarur, Guadalajara, Mexico. Ramírez currently lives and works in Düsseldorf, DE. 

Download Artist's CV