ROCIO VILLANUEVA
“I consider myself an alchemist of light, capable of transforming photography into the ether that envelops all that is intangible, all that is sublime.”
Rocio Villanueva
Rocio Villanueva:
BIOGRaphy
Rocío Villanueva is an Italo-Guatemalan photographer and artist based in Guatemala City, whose passion for art began at a young age. Encouraged and inspired by her great-uncle, who casually introduced her to the art world, Rocío developed a profound love for creative expression. Since childhood, she has explored drawing, painting, and photography, cultivating a keen appreciation for art in general. This early influence was pivotal in her artistic development and in shaping her unique vision, which she continues to refine over the years.
Self-taught and dedicated to pushing creative boundaries, Rocío has spent the last seven years creating conceptual artworks in a surrealist style. Through her images, she invites viewers to immerse themselves in parallel, dreamlike worlds that challenge perceptions of reality. Her primary medium is digital photography, which she uses as a blank canvas, intervening extensively with editing tools, particularly Photoshop. This process not only transforms the original image but also allows her to breathe life into complex visions that reflect her inner world, becoming an extension of her thoughts, dreams, and emotions.
Rocío’s creative process begins long before she turns on her computer or opens an image file. For each artwork, she first sketches detailed drawings on paper, capturing the initial concept and defining key elements such as characters, settings, times, and places. These initial sketches serve as the foundation for a creative journey where light, shadows, colors, and textures play essential roles. Each image evolves into a space that appears to exist in another dimension, closer to painting than photography, where the tangible and intangible seamlessly blend.
Her artwork has been exhibited in both collective and individual exhibitions, reaching audiences in prominent artistic cities internationally. Rocío has participated in group exhibitions in cities such as Guatemala, Barcelona, Vienna, New York, Rome, Paris, Dominican Republic, Chicago, Miami, and Palm Beach. These opportunities have enabled her to share her work in diverse and multicultural contexts, earning acclaim for her distinctive style and ability to connect with viewers through imaginary worlds. Additionally, she has held individual exhibitions in Guatemala City, offering a deeper, more intimate portrayal of her artistic vision.
Throughout her career, Rocío has captured the attention of both audiences and art critics for her ability to craft visual scenes that transcend conventional reality. Her work reflects an ongoing pursuit of self-discovery and spiritual connection, with each piece serving as an invitation to explore what lies beneath the surface, challenging perceptions and evoking deep introspection in the viewer. In her art, dreamlike and symbolic elements intertwine, forming a unique visual language that mirrors her personal and artistic evolution.
Artist Statement
My photographic work is a journey into the depths of the soul, merging the visible with the unseen, the conscious with the unconscious, unveiling hidden worlds within the human experience. In my images, characters dwell in realms suspended between contemplation and transformation—places of stillness where inner silence prevails over external noise, and human essence finds sanctuary in dreamed spaces.
I do not create to please the external world; instead, I seek to express from the most subtle and intimate truths of my being, from that core where ancient memories, future longings, and the eternal present converge. My work reflects the fragility and inherent beauty of the human spirit, capturing both the intensity of pain and the healing power found through loss and self-reconnection.
Each image I create invites viewers to recognize their own story, exploring the depths of their inner worlds, connecting seemingly isolated elements into harmonious unity. My process arises from pure intuition, allowing the artwork to flow spontaneously, free from judgment, theory, or imposed structures, permitting what needs to be revealed to emerge naturally.
I accompany my visuals with poetic texts because words, like photographs, hold the power to touch the soul. These words are carefully chosen, resonating harmoniously with the imagery, opening subtle channels of understanding, and awakening profound inner transformation within those who encounter them.
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Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
Tu Vida en Mí, Rocío Villanueva Art Gallery & Studio, Guatemala, 2022
Los Mutantes de los Apegos, Rocío Villanueva Art Gallery & Studio, Guatemala, 2022
Los Mutantes de los Apegos, Escuela de Artes Plásticas Rafael Rodríguez Padilla, Guatemala, 2022
Group Exhibitions
Arte en Mayo, Galería Rozas Botrán, Guatemala, 2025
Arte en las Calles, Galería Rozas Botrán, Guatemala, 2025
Noche de Estrellas, Galería Rozas Botrán, Guatemala, 2024
Latente, Museo Ixchel, Guatemala, 2024
Momentos, Convento Santo Domingo, Guatemala, 2024
Sumarte de El Salvador, Art Auction, San Salvador, El Salvador, 2024
Sin Límites, Galería La Pigna, Rome, Italy, 2024
Fundecan, Guatemala, 2024
Arte en Mayo, Fundación Rozas-Botrán, Guatemala, 2024
Fotonostrum Sideshow, Galería Fotonostrum, Barcelona, Spain, 2023
Momentos, Convento Santo Domingo, Guatemala, 2023
Sumarte de El Salvador, Art Auction, San Salvador, El Salvador, 2023
Fundecan, Guatemala, 2023
Junkabal, Guatemala, 2023
Arte en Mayo, Fundación Rozas-Botrán, Guatemala, 2023
Firenze Contemporary, Armando Xhomo Gallery, Florence, Italy, 2023
FundaExpo, Fundaniños, Guatemala, 2022
Amarte Expo, Fundaemi, Guatemala, 2022
Momenti, Convento Santo Domingo, Guatemala, 2022
Sumarte de El Salvador, Art Auction, San Salvador, El Salvador, 2022
Junkabal, Guatemala, 2022
Arte en Mayo, Fundación Rozas-Botrán, Guatemala, 2022
Latinas, Le Monde Vu Par Les Femmes d’Amérique Latine, Galerie Rivoli 59, Paris, France, 2022
EnamorArte, Rozas, Guatemala, 2022
Arte12, Sol del Rio Gallery, Guatemala, 2021
Exposure, See-Me at Scope Art Show, Miami, USA, 2021
Due Dimensioni, Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas Rafael Rodríguez Padilla, Guatemala, 2021
Re-Visions III, Sol del Rio Gallery, Guatemala, 2021
Dependencia Independencia, Sol del Rio Gallery, Guatemala, 2021
Juannio, Guatemala, 2021
Arte en Mayo, Fundación Rozas-Botrán, Guatemala, 2021
Momenti, Convento Santo Domingo, Guatemala, 2020
Art Saves Humanity Exhibition, See Me, Virtual Exhibition, 2020
Arte en Mayo, Fundación Rozas-Botrán, Guatemala, 2020
See Me "S/he Persisted...", Virtual Exhibition, New York, USA, 2020
Salón de Invierno, Art Nou Mil-lenni Gallery, Barcelona, Spain, 2020
Open Call, Fotomaiz Festival, Xelajú, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, 2019
Trama, Trama de Tejido, La Fototeca, Guatemala, 2019
Contemporary Art, Giovani Omiccoli Association, Rome, Italy, 2019
Momentos, Convento de Santo Domingo, Guatemala, 2019
Ayudarte/Colección 2019, Hotel Intercontinental, Guatemala, 2019
Artistas Italianos en Guatemala, Italian Cultural Institute, Guatemala, 2019
Chapinismos, Junkabal, Anacafé, Guatemala, 2019
Tiempo y Espacio, Italian Cultural Institute, Guatemala, 2019
De lo Íntimo al Inconsciente, Art Exhibition in Vienna, Austria, 2019
Arte en Mayo, Fundación Rozas-Botrán, Guatemala, 2019
Esencias, Banco de Guatemala, Guatemala, 2019
Momentos Duraderos, Galería del Centro, Fundación G&T Continental, Guatemala, 2019
See Me, The Affordable Art Fair, Metropolitan Pavilion, New York, USA, 2019
Horizontes, Museo de las Casas Reales, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 2019
Open Art, Biblioteca Angelica, Rome, Italy
Vibrante, Monogramma Gallery, Rome, Italy, 2018
Momentos, Convento de Santo Domingo, Guatemala, 2018
Juegos Olvidados, Guatemala, 2018
Juegos Olvidados, Rome, Italy, 2018
8x8 Self Portrait Exhibition, 33 Contemporary Gallery, Chicago, USA, 2018
Arte en Mayo, Fundación Rozas-Botrán, Guatemala, 2018
Mesoamérica, Guatemala City and Antigua Guatemala, 2018
Futuros con Colores, Antigua Guatemala, 2018
Reflexiones, The Box Gallery, West Palm Beach, USA, 2017
En Sus Zapatos, Guatemala, 2017
Guatemágica, Antigua Guatemala, 2017
Momentos, Convento de Santo Domingo, Guatemala, 2017
Lazos Invisibles, Guatemala es Guatemala, Rome, Italy, 2017
Lazos Invisibles, Guatemala es Guatemala, Guatemala, 2017
Education
Artistic Processes, Renato Osoy, 2021
Creative Methods, La Fototeca, Guatemala, 2018
The Unexpected Image, La Fototeca, Guatemala, 2018
The Creative Process, La Fototeca, Guatemala, 2017
Project Editing, La Fototeca, Guatemala, 2017
Photo Illustration, La Fototeca, Guatemala, 2016
Level 20, The Arcanum, United States, 2016
Fiction and Reality, La Fototeca, Guatemala, 2015
Introduction to Photography, La Fototeca, Guatemala, 2014
Graphic Design, Instituto Femenino de Estudios Superiores, Guatemala, 1988
Mentions and Awards
FotoNostrum Magazine Issue 38, Barcelona, España, 2024
Honorable Mention, Arte en Mayo, Fundación Rozas-Botrán, Guatemala, 2023
Artistic Merit, La Pinacothèque, Luxembourg Art Prize, Luxembourg, 2022
Honorable Mention, Arte en Mayo, Fundación Rozas-Botrán, Guatemala, 2022
Participant, Juannio, Museum of Modern Art, Guatemala, 2021
Honorable Mention, Arte en Mayo, Fundación Rozas-Botrán, Guatemala, 2021
Second Place, Fine Arts Category, Lockdown Photo Competition, FotoNostrum, Barcelona, Spain
Second Place, Latin American Women Photographers Foundation Contest, Exhibition in Paris, 2021
Second Place, Visual Arts, Memoria Artística 2020, Imaginario, Guatemala, 2020
Honorable Mention, Arte en Mayo, Fundación Rozas-Botrán, Guatemala, 2020
Best Photographic Work, Open Call, Fotomaíz Festival, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, 2019
Unique Collection, Expresiones Chapinas, Bajo de Agua, Junkabal, Anacafé, Guatemala, 2019
Second Place, En Guatemala se Vive el Arte, guatemala.com, Guatemala, 2019
First Place, Photography, Open Art 2019, Rome, Italy
First Place, Conceptual Photography, Latin American Women Photographers Contest, Visor Magazine, Mexico, 2017