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Artist Eriberto Oriol

“Contemporary Hieroglyphs” Mural 16′.6″ x 6′

The mural by artist Eriberto Oriol “Contemporary Hieroglyphs” bold solid symbols seem to float on clouds of smoke with vibrant fiery colors that make it appear like the mural is on fire. This smoky fiery scene is reminiscent of the “Quemadas” – fires that were happening during his travels to Chichen Itza, Mexico.

This mural also reminds him of the ruins he saw in his trips to Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza in Mexico and in Tikal in Guatemala. In Chichen Itza he was there during the Quemadas, a fire season used for the clearing of old crops to plant new ones. It was steamy, hot and sweaty weather however, as he descended down into the tomb Chichen Itza pyramid, it was like entering cool sauna chambers that were connected by narrow passages. Even though he knew that archaeologists had found hundreds of artifacts beneath the ruins, to actually see the mythological red jaguar and the Chacmool sculptures was truly a magical and memorable experience for him.

Detail “Contemporary Hieroglyphs” Mural

In the “Contemporary Hieroglyphs” mural, the artist Eriberto Oriol seems to have brought it all together; his years in libraries pouring over art books from ancient civilizations and his travels are reflected in his work. The symbols may not represent any ancient culture, civilizations or language but for him, it is a language telling of a story through symbols and images that he has contemporized to his time.

Detail “Contemporary Hieroglyphs” Mural

In the “Contemporary Hieroglyphs” mural he sees what seems to be space sputniks that seem to be traveling through space which reminds him of his knowledge of mythology where the gods have descended from the heavens. You also see what might be symbols of music (a guitar and music notes), birds (a peacock and maybe a quetzal bird) and an interesting shape of a woman. The woman’s shape on the top left, he said, is reflective of his wife’s body shape. He has placed what seems to be a halo on the upper part of her body and is just a silhouetted against a fiery background.

“Civilizations”

Fascinated with mythology, in this painting, “Civilizations” artist Eriberto Oriol seems to be embracing the art and cultures of some ancient great civilizations like Mesoamerican, Asia, and African.

It’s hard for Eriberto to try to give meaning or interpretation to his work, as he just seems to be a vessel for these inspirations. He believes that when art retains a primal spirit, it allows him to go beyond himself.

Detail of “Civilizations”

Artist Eriberto Oriol has merged his skill as an artist embracing and celebrating the symbols of ancient civilizations then he contemporized them to his time. The bold colors, shapes, and forms, bare the influences of his father’s appreciation for the natural environment. His Mesoamerica roots, love for African art and the Japanese influence that came from working as a young man with gardeners and landscapers have shaped his artwork.

He hopes that his work will help others to detect their own gleam of light. Imagine the Un-imaginable and to encourage them to see the contributions and achievements of other great civilizations.

Artist Eriberto Oriol

Text by Angelica

There is a certain kind of freedom that comes from madness. With civilization come the rules and regulations. Who is really free? Who are the normal people; those who are free to act on their instincts and desires; or those who are ruled by regulations and expectations?

In his paintings, drawings, and sculptures, Eriberto projects his emotions through color, line, and expression with more of an international flare from inspirations that comes from great art from Asia, Africa and Mesoamerica.

Like much of his work, in his drawing “Freaked Out,” it is a juxtaposition of color, line and shapes. The color pink in the background juxtaposed with the dark scribble of his main character, shows how bewildered and out of place this character seems to be. He is in an urban setting that is almost frightening, as would be a large window cracking and breaking into pieces.

He has various styles in his art. For him, is not about concept; it’s a pause to share feelings about common experiences. His characters are often missing the real structure of what is supposed to be a full body and often all you see are the souls and essence of emotions. It’s hard for Eriberto to try to give meaning or interpretation to his work, as he just seems to be a vessel for these inspirations.

The shading in his drawings are not to give the drawings three dimension but it is just there for character and texture.

Born and raised in the United States he sometimes paints from themes that flow from memories, with various painting styles, impressions from his subconscious and experiences.