Juan Araujo was born in 1971 in Caracas, Venezuela. He lives and works in Lisboa, Portugal.
The research of the Venezuelan painter investigates the history of Western culture and the history of art through a hyper-realistic reproduction of images found in books, magazines, photographs and online. However, the artist’s work doesn’t just make reference, it focuses on history, images and their indelible permanence over time, through different methods of replication, adaptation and dissemination.
Araujo has exhibited widely internationally including solo presentations at PEER, London, UK (2019); Inhotim Center for Contemporary Art, Belo Horizonte, Brazil (2013) and Centro Gallego de Arte Contemporánea, Santiago de Compostela, Spain (2008).
His work has also featured in numerous group exhibitions and biennials including Healing and Repairing, Bienal de arte contemporânea de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal (2017); Roberto Burle Marx: Brazilian Modernist, Jewish Museum, New York, USA (2016); United States of Latin America, Museum of Contemporary Art, Detroit, Michigan, USA (2015); The insides are on the outside, curated by Hans-Ulrich Obrist, Casa de Vidrio, Sao Paulo, Brazil (2013); the Aichi Triennial, Nagoya, Japan (2010), Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo, São Paulo (2009); the Sharjah Biennial, United Arab Emirates (2009); the Mercosul Biennial, Porto Alegre, Brazil (2007); the São Paulo Biennial (2006); the San Diego Museum of Art (2005) and the American National Society, New York (2005). Araujo was included in the group exhibition Galerie de l'Epoque at Stephen Friedman Gallery, London, and also in the Twentieth Anniversary Exhibition, London, England (2015).
His work is found in public collections including Tate, London, UK; Museum of Modern Art of New York, New York, USA; Jumex Collection, Mexico City, Mexico; Inhotim Center for Contemporary Art, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Galería de Arte Nacional, Caracas, Venezuela; Museu de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas, Caracas, Venezuela; Centro Gallego de Arte Contemporánea, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, Venezuela; Art Now International Collection, San Francisco, USA; Fundación Mercantil, Caracas, Venezuela; Cisneros Collection, Caracas; Venezuela; Berezdivin Collection, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
2019
Measurable distances of space and air, PEER, London, UK
2018
El jardín de senderos que se bifurcan, Culturgest, Lisboa, PT
2016
Walled-in Shut, Galleria Continua, San Gimignano, IT
2015
Juan Araujo, Stephen Friedman Gallery, London, UK
2013
Mineirianas, Inhotim, Centro de Arte Contemporânea, Belo Horizonte, BR
2012
La ilusión de la transparencia, Galeria Luisa Strina, São Paulo, BR
2010
La silla del diablo, Galería Cristina Guerra, Lisbon, PT
2009
Re - Untitled, Galería Luisa Strina, São Paulo, BR
2008
A Través, Centro Gallego de Arte Contemporáneo (CGAC), Santiago de Compostela, ES
2007
Juan Araujo, Galería Luisa Strina, São Paulo, BR
2006
Juan Araujo, Galería Elba Benítez, Madrid, ES
2003
Obras recientes, Galería Sicardi, Houston, Texas, USA
2002
Holanda, Galería D`Museo, Caracas, VE
2000
Batallas, Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, VE
2018
FRONT INTERNATIONAL:CLEVELAND TRIENNIAL FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, Cleveland, USA
Southern Geometries, from Mexico to Patagonia, Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris, FR
Lina Bo Bardi: tupí or not tupí. Brasil, 1946-1992, Fundación Juan March, Madrid, ES
2017
Healing and Repairing, Bienal de arte contemporânea de Coimbra, Coimbra, PT
Dimensões variáveis, MAAT Museu de Arte, Arquitetura e Tecnologia, Lisbon, PT
2016
Roberto Burle Marx: Brazilian Modernist, Jewish Museum, New York, USA touring to Deutsche Bank Kunst Halle, Berlin, DE, and the Museu de Arte do Rio, Rio de Janeiro, BR
2015
Another Part of the New World, Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Moscow, RU
Twentieth Anniversary Exhibition, Stephen Friedman Gallery, London, UK
Galerie de L'Epoque, Stephen Friedman Gallery, London, UK
From the Object to the World - Inhotim Collection, Itaú Cultural, São Paulo, BR
United States of Latin America, Museum of Contemporary Art, Detroit, Michigan, USA
2014
Eu represento os artistas, Revisited, curated by Fernanda Arruda, Galeria Luisa Strina, São Paulo, BR
2013
The insides are on the outside, Casa de Vidro, São Paulo, BR
Colección: adquisiciones e incorporaciones recientes, Centro Gallego de Arte Contemporáneo (CGAC), Santiago de Compostela, ES
2012
New Works, Inhotim, Centro de Arte Contemporânea, Belo Horizonte, BR
2011
All to wall (part 1) , curated by João Silvério, Cristina Guerra Contemporary Art, Lisbon, PT
En obras. Arte y Arquitectura en la Coleçao Teixeira de Freitas, TEA, Tenerife, ES
Reflejos, OTR espacio de arte, Madrid, ES
A Line Of Color, Henrique Faria Fine Art, New York, USA
2010
El Gabinete Blanco, Colección Jumex, Mexico City, MX
Panamericana, Galería Kurimanzutto, Mexico City, MX
Aichi Triennal, Nagoya, JP
Let’s talk about houses: when art speaks architecture, MNAC - Museu do Chiado, Lisbon, PT
2009
Sharjah Biennial 9, Sharjah, UAE
La II Trienal Poligráfica de San Juan, San Juan, PR
31º Panorama da Arte Brasileira, São Paulo, BR
2007
Construction Time Again, Lisson Gallery, London, UK
6a Bienal Bienal do Mercosul, Porto Alegre, BR
2006
XXVIII Biennale de São Paulo, São Paulo, BR
2005
Insite, Centro Cultural de Tijuana, MX
Romance, Galería Cristina Guerra, Lisbon, PT
Jump Cuts, American National Society, New York, USA
Arte Contemporáneo Venezolano de la Colección Cisneros (1990-2004), Museo de Arte Moderno Jesús Soto, Ciudad Bolívar, VE
Torres de Caracas, Modernidad Silenciada, Galería Mendoza, Caracas, VE
2004
Reanimation, Kunstmuseum, Thun, CH
Afinidades Secretas, La Casa Encendida, Madrid, ES
VIII Bienal Internacional de Cuenca, Cuenca, EC
2003
A Nova Geometría, Galería Fortes Vilaça, São Paulo, BR
Still Life, Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, VE
2002
Fragmento y Universo, Fundación Corp Group Centro Cultural, Caracas, VE
Etnografía, modo de empleo, Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, VE
Paralelos, Museo de Arte Moderno, Río de Janeiro, BR
2001
IV Edición del Salón Jóvenes con FIA (1st Prize), Ateneo de Caracas, VE
2000
Analogías y Confrontaciones 2000, Ateneo de Caracas, VE
Litoral El lado anverso, Museo Alejandro Otero, Caracas, VE
1999
Nuevas Adquisiciones, Galería de Arte Nacional, Caracas, VE
II Edición del Salón Jóvenes con FIA, Ateneo de Caracas, VE
IV Edición del Salón Pirelli (3rd Prize), Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas, VE
Perspectiva Visual, Galería de Arte Nacional, Caracas, VE
1998
II Bienal de Paisaje (Henry Pittier Award), Museo Mario Abreu, Maracay, VE
1997
La Invención de la Continuidad, Galería de Arte Nacional, Caracas, VE
1994
VII Edición del Salón Nacional Eugenio Mendoza, Sala Mendoza, Caracas, VE
Galería de Arte Nacional, Caracas, VE
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas, VE
Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, VE
Tate Collection, London, UK
Jumex Collection, Mexico City, MX
Museum of Modern Art of New York, New York, USA
Centro Gallego de Arte Contemporáneo, Santiago de Compostela, ES
Inhotim, Centro de Arte Contemporânea, Belo Horizonte, BR
Art Now International Collection, San Francisco, USA
Fundación Mercantil, Caracas, VE
Cisneros Collection, Caracas, VE
Berezdivin Collection, San Juan, PR