Gerard Fernández Rico

He trained in drawing and painting at Bosch-Cavedo and at El Taller with Pere Llobera before studying Arts Applied to the Wall at Escola Massana. In his subsequent work, the studio becomes a place of experimentation: polymers, thermal blankets, tarpaulins, scaffolding, automotive paints and industrial lighting are transformed through changes in arrangement, scale and treatment. Materials retain references to their everyday use while acquiring a new presence.

The exhibition (CH2CH2)n, presented at Espai Volart of the Fundació Vila Casas in 2015 and curated by Glòria Bosch, marked a significant stage in this research. From abstract compositions made with resins, Fernández Rico moved towards works in which the industrial nature of the materials becomes directly visible. The exhibition was accompanied by a conversation with Josep Ramoneda as part of the Opinió Quiral Art program.

Measurement also shapes his titles and the construction of his exhibitions. In 102,53 m², presented at Pigment Gallery, Barcelona, in 2023, he brought together nineteen works informed by observations of the urban environment and buildings. In 35,76 m² — Measured Silence, held at Isolina Arbulu in 2026 in collaboration with Tamara Kreisler Gallery, the room’s floor area named a project focused on how works occupy and activate space.

His international career includes solo exhibitions in Barcelona, Madrid, Paris and Cologne, alongside appearances at fairs such as Art Madrid, Swab, art KARLSRUHE, LA Art Show and VOLTA Basel. In Basel he also participated in ARTHAUS 2024, a group project organized by Ethan Cohen Gallery in collaboration with VOLTA Art Fairs and other galleries. These presentations extend his investigation across wall works, objects and spatial arrangements.

In 2022 he received Swab Barcelona’s Best Catalan Artist Award, presented by the Fundació Vila Casas. He had previously been a finalist for its 2016 Painting Prize. His work is held in the foundation’s collection, which documents pieces made with acrylic, resin, thread and polymers, reflecting the continuity of his material research.