Risa Puleo
RAÚL DE NIEVES: ETERNAL RETURN & THE OBSIDIAN HEART
“Eternal Return and The Obsidian Heart” is, to date, the most comprehensive survey of work by Raúl de Nieves (1983). De Nieves investigates divinity, desire, and decadence across material, emotional, and spiritual realms. The artist draws inspiration from his childhood spent in Michoacán, Mexico, where public religious ceremonies and private rituals incorporate elaborate costuming and theatrical components. Coming of age in DIY scenes in San Diego and San Francisco also energized de Nieves with a theatrical approach to art making.