Rafael Barrios (Arias), Baton Rouge, Louisiana – 1947

Education:
1981-82  Graduate Studies on Art and Existential Philosophy, New York University
1973  Graduated with honors in Art, Communication and Design, Ontario College of Art, Toronto, Canada
1969  Graduated with honors, Mention on Art and on Communication and Design, Asbury College, Ottawa
1963  Painting and Drawing Courses at the free workshops of the Museum of Fine Arts; National Juvenile Painting Award, Museum of Fine Arts

Chronology:
2002  Miami Art Fair, Palm Beach Art Fair, USA
2001  Ibero American Fair of Art, Caracas; Art Fair in Toronto, Canada; Invited Artist, Clay of America IV Biennial, Centro de Arte Lía Bermudes de Maracaibo, Venezuela
2000“Trails of Sculptures” Metropolitan University; Caracas Group exhibitions: Moros Gallery in Maracaibo, Venezuela; Three Art Gallery in Caracas; Ocre Gallery in Caracas; Diaz Mancini Gallery in Caracas; Dimaca Gallery in Caracas.
1999 Chacao Cultural Foundation publishes a book with his work, Hacia una Poética del Vértigo (Toward a Poetics of Vertigo), written by Maria Luz Cardenas, Caracas.
Group exhibitions: Dimaca Gallery, Caracas; La Cuadra Creativa Gallery, Caracas; Santa Fe Gallery, Caracas; Grupo Li Gallery, Caracas; Moros Gallery, Maracaibo; Graphis CB Gallery, Caracas
1998  International Traveling Exhibition named Venezuelan Sculpture in Three Decades, through countries in the Middle East.
1997  Installs a monumental sculpture Third Horizon II, Carupano, Venezuela.
1996  Designs the main access entrance in the building of Procter & Gamble Latin America in Caracas. Installs a monumental sculpture Tangencia Levitante, in Bahias Building, Caracas Mercosur Visual Art Biennial in Porto Alegre, Brazil
1995  Ibero-American Fair of Art, Caracas Scenography for Hervé Leger French Fashion Designer, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris; Invited artist VII Sculpture Biennial, Francisco Narvaez Contemporary Art Museum
1994  A monumental work, Sofia Imber Museum of Contemporary Art is installed at the INCE Square in Caracas. Installs a monumental work, Vertical dislocado in three times, Miranda State Governor’s Office Building, Los Teques, Venezuela; II Clay Biennial of America, Sofia Imber Museum of Contemporary Art in Caracas; Etiqueta Magazine of Caracas elects him as the Year Artist
1993  Individual exhibition at Del Sur art room in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela Vigil scenography for Today Dance Group, Caracas and Washington.  He installs Vertical dislocado, Kristine Building, Caracas
1992  He installs Projected Apocalyptic Levitation sculpture at the Institute of Advanced Studies (IDEA), Simon Bolivar University in Caracas.  He directs “Art Sources and Obstructions” seminar at the Simon Bolivar University in Caracas.  He installs Third Horizon monumental work at La Fontanilla Park in Puerto Palos, La Frontera, Spain.  He participates in Expo Sevilla’ 92 Art International Exhibition. Scenography for Torrid Zone, Today Dance Group, Teresa Carreño Theater in Caracas
1991  He installs the Apocalypses Levita sculpture at the Presidency of Banco Provincial in Caracas. I Ibero-American Fair of Art in Caracas
1990  Artist invited by the Spanish Fashion Designer Adolfo Dominguez, individual exhibition in Casa Blanca, Caracas Visual Arts Panorama in Venezuela, National Art Gallery. He installs Trazos del nimbo monumental work, in Venezuela Insurance Building in Caracas Simetría levitante. Work passes to the collection of the King of Spain
1989 He exhibits at the Ernst Alexander Gallery in Washington, USA
1988  He installs Ascending Horizons monumental work in Banco Consolidado, today CorpBanca. Caracas Nice House group exhibition at the Sofia Imber Museum of Contemporary Art in Caracas
1987  Individual exhibition at the Sofia Imber Museum of Contemporary Art in Caracas.  Individual exhibition of small and medium size format works, at the Sotavento Gallery in Caracas.  The Space Conquest group installation, K 18 Alternate Space, Kassel VIII Documenta
1985  He installs Levitation I monumental work at the Caracas Metro, Catia, Sucre Square Station
1984 Conferry Prize, I Sculpture Biennial in Francisco Narvaez Museum of Contemporary Art in Margarita Island, Venezuela.  New Furniture Trends, group exhibition in Art et Industrie Gallery in New York.  Second Performance Tools for the Tip of the Tongue a group of five artists who protested against the closing of the Art Pavilion of Venezuela, XLI Biennial of Venice.
1983  He is contracted by Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorff Goodman, Lord & Taylor, Sacks Fifth Avenue, for him to decorate their windows with his works  He installs Interalumina Obelisco Levitante monumental work in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela.  Young Artists National Exhibition in Fundarte Exhibition Room.  He participates in a group exhibition in Guipuzcoana House, La Guaira, Venezuela
1982  Individual Exhibition at Novo Art Gallery in New York. Coca Cola International of Nueva York acquires his Emerging Chair Mural.  CANTV Prize, I National Exhibition of Sculpture, Art Museum in Barquisimeto. Acquisition Prize, II Biennial of Visual Arts in the Sofia Imber Museum of Contemporary Art in Caracas.  He finishes his graduate studies on Art and Existential Philosophy at the University of New York  He gives a lecture “The Thin Line Between Art and Design,” University of New York.  He is included in a traveling Appraisal of Contemporary Art for the Last Ten years in Sorrento, Italy
1981  Individual Exhibition at the Art et Industrie Gallery in New York
Acquisition Prize, Young Artists Exhibition at the Sofia Imber Museum of Contemporary Art in Caracas.  He participates in Expo Art, Bari, Italia
1980  Individual exhibition, Slash 80, Cayman Gallery in New York.  He performs scenographies for Chris Von Wangenheim up to 1982, published in Esquire and Vogue magazines.
1979  Labor Exchange Prize by the Federal District Governor’s Office, IV Ernesto Avellan Exhibition Sofia Imber Museum of Contemporary Art in Caracas. Group exhibition at the Art et Industrie Gallery
1978  XV Annual Vanguard Festival in New York, organized by Charlotte Moorman and including Tools for the Tip of the Tongue performance
1977  Individual exhibition, Maracaibo Center of Fine Arts, Venezuela
1976/75  He works on architectonic surroundings and module design for offices
1974  Professor of Three-dimensional and Publicity Design (up to 1977) at the Neumann Design Institute in Caracas, Venezuela. Poster design for Yakera Gallery.  Creative Consultant for Latin Touch film productions, up to 1981 in Caracas
1973  He is awarded with a research scholarship by the Mclean Foundation. He is awarded with a scholarship by the J. Walter Thompson International.  He exhibits at the Art Gallery of Ontario, 18 Hinges and 18 Pieces of Wood.  He participates in a group exhibition at the Carmen Lamanna Gallery in Canada Art Director, Ontario Association of Architects, for a Government Project called The Toronto Idea.
1972 He exhibits at the Ontario College of Art (consecutively up to 1974)  He participates at The eleventh Annual Art Show in Toronto, Canada Art Director for UNESCO, Toronto, Canada
1970  He participates in a group exhibition at the Arts and letters Club, Toronto, Canada.

Source:
Information courtesy of the artist