A fine observer of human nature, Viquez creates a protean oeuvre based on his own life – not without irony – from his emigration to Spain to the most mundane encounters. His works are shaped by his hopes, chances and unsatisfied needs, mirroring society through the lens of his idiosyncratic experience. Boldness is symptomatic of Viquez’ aesthetics, genuinely reflecting his musical practice as a drummer in the punk rock band Prenatal. His visual work plays a personal game that develops from the most delicate drawings on paper to large-scale installations.
A saw made of rubber, a fire hose studded with nails, a wooden pallet turned into a gate, the roof of a taxi, Viquez finds inspiration in everyday objects that he turns into extraordinary sculptures, mockingly questioning their purpose. Playing on the concept of scale, juxtaposing antagonistic materials and decontextualising them, the artist thrives on oxymorons that often become a key to otherwise cryptic pieces. His paintings and drawings are articulated around written words that alert the viewer rather than being simple titles, bestowing a deeper layer of meaning upon the figurative compositions.
Viquez has had solo exhibitions at Museo de Mallorca, Spain (2022); CCA Andratx, Spain (2021); Taller Los Guayabos, Guadalajara, Mexico (2019); Museu de Porreres, Spain (2019); NR Projects, Berlin, Germany (2015); Es Baluard Museu d'Art Contemporani de Palma, Spain (2014); and participated in the seminal exhibition ‘Socle du Monde: Biennale between Cultures’ at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Herning, Denmark, in 2010. His work is included in several institutional collections, such as Es Baluard Museu d'Art Contemporani de Palma, Colección Olor Visual – Fundación Ernesto Ventós, Barcelona, Colección Tomás Ruiz – MAKMA, Valencia, and Fundación Barceló, Palma, Ajuntament de Palma, and By Art Matters, Hangzhou, China, amongst others. He was awarded the Francisco Bernareggi Visual Arts Award (2017) and the Mallorca International Art Award (2022). Viquez will be part of a group exhibition at TOR Art Space in Frankfurt, Germany, opening in April 2023.
