Francesc Ruiz Abad (Palamós, 1990) is a Catalan artist whose practice combines a myriad of image-making approaches, emphasizing painting and drawing but also including installation, publication and ceramic. Heavily influenced by his collecting habits and nomadic inclinations, his work plays with the standards of depiction from an often curious and jesting gaze.
During his residency at Cité des Arts, he is researching Alfred Janniot's bas-relief at La Porte Dorée. His exploration delves into the relationships between animal representation and colonial product propaganda, revealing the inherent dynamics between Nature and Culture, while also examining power dynamics in the Western world.
Francesc holds a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from the University of Barcelona and was an invited student at Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig. His individual exhibitions include Blau de Montserrat (galeria cadaqués, Spain), Over Production is Over. (Dràcul·la, Spain), Pouvoir et Fatigue (Le Beffroi, France), Still Cuba (XIII Havana Biennial, Cuba), Night on Earth (Mannerheim Gallery, France), A la corda fluixa (Ana Mas Projects, Spain), Copy to Learn, Learn to Copy (The LODGE, USA), and I didn't know I was collecting (Arranz-Bravo Foundation, Spain).
He is the author of several publications and has delivered international lectures such as Paper Exhibitions (New York Art Book Fair, MoMA PS1) and Hiding Maps (Yarat Art Center, Azerbaijan). Francesc has been awarded the Grand Prix of Jeune Création Européenne and the Visual Arts Award by Arranz-Bravo Foundation, and has received grants from private and public institutions, including the Guasch Coranty Foundation, Sala d’Art Jove, Arranz-Bravo Foundation, Injuve, Felicia Fuster Foundation, among others.