HARIF GUZMANVENEZUELA
An artist on the move, Harif Guzman was born in Venezuela in 1975 and subsequently launched into a life of perpetual motion. First taken by his father to Colombia, then Puerto Rico, then New York City, then Fort Lauderdale, and then up and down the California coast by himself. Guzman grew up skating, learning from a young age how to use this art form to his advantage. He transformed it into a sense of aesthetics, community and identity.
Guzman does the same as an artist. He began making art in the 1990s honing his skills traveling between the skating scenes of San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. Guzman transformed movement into an art form. He returned to New York in 2000, this time to stay, but he always remembered the restlessness of his life in his art.
His work inhabits and extends the collage and assemblage tradition of Kurt Schwitters. The use of found objects early on in his career draws parallels to Robert Rauschenberg and Jean-Michel Basquiat. From photographs and paintings of eroticized female subjects, to bold mixed-media collages featuring LED lights, to highly politicized sculptural works, to whimsical murals on the streets of New York, Guzman’s art blends a Pop and street aesthetic with an affinity for humorous subversion.
The artist’s practice of transforming humble materials into powerful works runs parallel to his life’s transformation—from an immigrant to a homeless skater and graffiti writer, to a world-renowned contemporary artist working across multiple disciplines including design, video, curation, and publishing. Guzman’s recent exhibition at the MMOMA explored the arc of his development as an artist heavily influenced by his life experiences and shows the trajectory of Haculla from street to canvas and back to street again in the form of an international streetwear brand.
Guzman is an artist of extremes. Bringing together skate culture with fine art, found objects with new ideas and the optimism of an emerging artist with the knowledge of a mature one.
An artist on the move, Harif Guzman was born in Venezuela in 1975 and subsequently launched into a life of perpetual motion. First taken by his father to Colombia, then Puerto Rico, then New York City, then Fort Lauderdale, and then up and down the California coast by himself. Guzman grew up skating, learning from a young age how to use this art form to his advantage. He transformed it into a sense of aesthetics, community and identity.
Guzman does the same as an artist. He began making art in the 1990s honing his skills traveling between the skating scenes of San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. Guzman transformed movement into an art form. He returned to New York in 2000, this time to stay, but he always remembered the restlessness of his life in his art.
His work inhabits and extends the collage and assemblage tradition of Kurt Schwitters. The use of found objects early on in his career draws parallels to Robert Rauschenberg and Jean-Michel Basquiat. From photographs and paintings of eroticized female subjects, to bold mixed-media collages featuring LED lights, to highly politicized sculptural works, to whimsical murals on the streets of New York, Guzman’s art blends a Pop and street aesthetic with an affinity for humorous subversion.
The artist’s practice of transforming humble materials into powerful works runs parallel to his life’s transformation—from an immigrant to a homeless skater and graffiti writer, to a world-renowned contemporary artist working across multiple disciplines including design, video, curation, and publishing. Guzman’s recent exhibition at the MMOMA explored the arc of his development as an artist heavily influenced by his life experiences and shows the trajectory of Haculla from street to canvas and back to street again in the form of an international streetwear brand.
Guzman is an artist of extremes. Bringing together skate culture with fine art, found objects with new ideas and the optimism of an emerging artist with the knowledge of a mature one.
CV
EXHIBITIONS
2023 — ‘Against All Odds’ Black—Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
2022—’Paradiso de Pain’ Black—Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
2021—’Mastering Mood Swings’ Black—Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
2021—MMOMA show, New York state of mind, Moscow, Russia
2017—‘SOHO ARTS CLUB: A Retrospective’ SOHO ARTS CLUB, Chelsea, New York
2017—‘Power Struggle’ Zona Maco, Mexico City, Mexico
2016—Solo Exhibition, ‘Achilles Armor—Legend of a Mother’s Love, Art Basel, Miami Beach, Florida
2016—Artist Residency with Fernanda Motta “HARIF GOES BRAZIL” Floripa, Brazil
2016—Commisioned Mural for the 2016 OLYMPICS in Rio, Brazil
2016—Featured Artist Exhibition for SURRENDER Singapore
2015—Solo Exhibition "IN CHARGE" at Die Fabrik New York, NY, United States
2014—Solo Exhibition "Born with Two Left Feet" at SOHO ARTS CLUB New York, NY, United States
2014—Solo Exhibition "Two Cups of Blood" at SOHO ARTS CLUB New York, NY, United States
2014—Featured Artist Exhibition "any Warhol Foundation for Absolut Vodka" Seoul, Korea
2013—Whitney Arts Party, Art Auction, New York, NY, United States
2013—Frieze Art Fair, New York, NY, United States
2013—Art HK, First Edition of Art Basel in Hong Kong, China
2013—Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 — ‘MUSE’ Black—Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
2013—Dying to LIve Selected Works, Dallas Art Fair, Deborah Colton Gallery, Dallas, Texas, United States
2011—Powers, 182 Mulberry Street, New York, NY, United States
2010—Heroes and Villians, The Rock Art Studio, Art Basel, Miami Beach, Florida, United States
2008—Public Viewing, Small Bills, Los Angeles, California, United States
2008—Vanguard, Gen Art, Miami, Florida, United States
2007—Draw Tour, Fuse Gallery, New York, NY, United States
2007—Draw Tour, Gallery Lombardi, Austin, Texas, United States
2007—Draw Tour, Leonard Street Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2007—Volcomics, The Volcom Store, Los Angeles, California, United States
2007—Volcomics, Space Gallery, San Francisco, California, United States
2007—Volcomics, Fuse Gallery, New York, NY, United States
2007—Volcomics, Claska Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2007—11 Spring Street, New York, NY, United States
2007—Street Art Show, The Pure Project, New York, NY, United States
2007—Vanguard, Gen Art, Art Basel, Miami Beach, Florida, United States
2006—1981 Rocks, China Heights Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2006—Give Me Shelter, Exhibition to Benefit Earthpledge, New York, NY, United States
2006 —Tortured Soul, Scion Dashboard Gallery, San Francisco, California, United States
2006—Leave New York, 131 Chrystie Street, New York, NY, United States
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2007—The Vandalism Vandal, New York Magazine, Harif Guzman, Animal
2006—Big Foot and Harif Guzman, Skate Magazine, Harif Guzman, Oyster Magazine
Last Hurrah for Street Art, New York Times
2005—Intimitable, Italian Vogue
2004—La Haculla, Scion
Ha for Volcom, Vice
2003—Harif Guzman, LoDown Magazine
2002—Sport and Street Collezioni
PRESS
2021 — GVA: Amerikaanse kunstenaar Harif Guzman stelt tentoon in hartje Antwerpen
2021 — ARAB NEWS: Venezuelan artist Harif Guzman talks first solo show in Dubai
2016 — CISION: East, Miami Offers Sneak Peek of its Highly Anticipated Art Room During Art Basel Miami
2015 — OBSERVER: Meet the Graffiti Artist Shaking Up the Fashion World
2014 — GUEST OF A GUEST: Interview: Artist Harif Guzman On Turning Haculla Into A Clothing Line & The Inspiring Reason Behind His New Soho Arts Club
EXHIBITIONS
2023 — ‘Against All Odds’ Black—Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
2022—’Paradiso de Pain’ Black—Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
2021—’Mastering Mood Swings’ Black—Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
2021—MMOMA show, New York state of mind, Moscow, Russia
2017—‘SOHO ARTS CLUB: A Retrospective’ SOHO ARTS CLUB, Chelsea, New York
2017—‘Power Struggle’ Zona Maco, Mexico City, Mexico
2016—Solo Exhibition, ‘Achilles Armor—Legend of a Mother’s Love, Art Basel, Miami Beach, Florida
2016—Artist Residency with Fernanda Motta “HARIF GOES BRAZIL” Floripa, Brazil
2016—Commisioned Mural for the 2016 OLYMPICS in Rio, Brazil
2016—Featured Artist Exhibition for SURRENDER Singapore
2015—Solo Exhibition "IN CHARGE" at Die Fabrik New York, NY, United States
2014—Solo Exhibition "Born with Two Left Feet" at SOHO ARTS CLUB New York, NY, United States
2014—Solo Exhibition "Two Cups of Blood" at SOHO ARTS CLUB New York, NY, United States
2014—Featured Artist Exhibition "any Warhol Foundation for Absolut Vodka" Seoul, Korea
2013—Whitney Arts Party, Art Auction, New York, NY, United States
2013—Frieze Art Fair, New York, NY, United States
2013—Art HK, First Edition of Art Basel in Hong Kong, China
2013—Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 — ‘MUSE’ Black—Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
2013—Dying to LIve Selected Works, Dallas Art Fair, Deborah Colton Gallery, Dallas, Texas, United States
2011—Powers, 182 Mulberry Street, New York, NY, United States
2010—Heroes and Villians, The Rock Art Studio, Art Basel, Miami Beach, Florida, United States
2008—Public Viewing, Small Bills, Los Angeles, California, United States
2008—Vanguard, Gen Art, Miami, Florida, United States
2007—Draw Tour, Fuse Gallery, New York, NY, United States
2007—Draw Tour, Gallery Lombardi, Austin, Texas, United States
2007—Draw Tour, Leonard Street Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2007—Volcomics, The Volcom Store, Los Angeles, California, United States
2007—Volcomics, Space Gallery, San Francisco, California, United States
2007—Volcomics, Fuse Gallery, New York, NY, United States
2007—Volcomics, Claska Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2007—11 Spring Street, New York, NY, United States
2007—Street Art Show, The Pure Project, New York, NY, United States
2007—Vanguard, Gen Art, Art Basel, Miami Beach, Florida, United States
2006—1981 Rocks, China Heights Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2006—Give Me Shelter, Exhibition to Benefit Earthpledge, New York, NY, United States
2006 —Tortured Soul, Scion Dashboard Gallery, San Francisco, California, United States
2006—Leave New York, 131 Chrystie Street, New York, NY, United States
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2007—The Vandalism Vandal, New York Magazine, Harif Guzman, Animal
2006—Big Foot and Harif Guzman, Skate Magazine, Harif Guzman, Oyster Magazine
Last Hurrah for Street Art, New York Times
2005—Intimitable, Italian Vogue
2004—La Haculla, Scion
Ha for Volcom, Vice
2003—Harif Guzman, LoDown Magazine
2002—Sport and Street Collezioni
PRESS
2021 — GVA: Amerikaanse kunstenaar Harif Guzman stelt tentoon in hartje Antwerpen
2021 — ARAB NEWS: Venezuelan artist Harif Guzman talks first solo show in Dubai
2016 — CISION: East, Miami Offers Sneak Peek of its Highly Anticipated Art Room During Art Basel Miami
2015 — OBSERVER: Meet the Graffiti Artist Shaking Up the Fashion World
2014 — GUEST OF A GUEST: Interview: Artist Harif Guzman On Turning Haculla Into A Clothing Line & The Inspiring Reason Behind His New Soho Arts Club
SELECTED WORKS
ANCESTORIAL WATER GODS
70cm × 90cm
Mixed media on canvas
70cm × 90cm
Mixed media on canvas
ONE OF A KIND — UNTITLED
100cm x 80,5cm
Mixed media on canvas
100cm x 80,5cm
Mixed media on canvas
UNTITLED
100cm x 81cm
Mixed media on canvas
100cm x 81cm
Mixed media on canvas