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Self-portrait, as a child in the workshop

Caracas, 15 de noviembre del 2024.

A mi padre.

En el santuario de mi padre, un taller de carpintero, yacen reliquias sagradas: taladros que suspiran historias antiguas, fotografías que se desvanecen como sueños lejanos, y fragmentos de madera que guardan el eco de sus manos. Aquí, entre aserrín y herramientas, construyó un altar a su memoria, un puente hacia un pasado que se antoja cada vez más cercano. En este ritual íntimo, donde el tiempo se dilata, me sumerjo en un mar de sensaciones: el aroma a cedro que me transporta a mi infancia, el tacto áspero de la madera que me conecta con la tierra, y el sonido de los martillos que resuena en mi alma. 

Soy un carpintero de recuerdos, tallando mi propio autorretrato en los vestigios de su legado. Aquel niño que jugaba entre astillas y sueños ahora es un hombre que busca en las herramientas de su padre una conexión espiritual. La transformación de la madera, como la transformación del alma, es un proceso lento y paciente, lleno de belleza y misterio.

 

*

 

To my father.

In my father’s sanctuary, a carpenter’s workshop, sacred relics lie: drills that whisper ancient tales, fading photographs like distant dreams, and wood fragments that hold the echo of his hands. Here, among sawdust and tools, I build an altar to his memory, a bridge to a past that seems ever closer. In this intimate ritual, where time slows down, I immerse myself in a sea of sensations: the scent of cedar that transports me to my childhood, the rough touch of wood that connects me to the earth, and the sound of hammers resonating in my soul.

I am a carpenter of memories, carving my own self-portrait in the vestiges of his legacy. That child who played among shavings and dreams is now a man who seeks a spiritual connection in his father’s tools. The transformation of wood, like the transformation of the soul, is a slow and patient process, full of beauty and mystery.

My father planing wood
Acceptance of grief, self-portrait
Antique drill, quartz ,found objects on wood
Memorial drawer
Artist in studio
Wooden chains made by my father's hands
Detail of assemblage
Detail of assemblage
Artist in studio

Robinson Moreno is a Venezuelan-Colombian visual artist based in Caracas, whose work addresses social denouncement, solidarity, and collective transformation. Inspired by his working-class background, he collaborates with collectives to create art and promote change. His practice encompasses street art, printmaking, and animation, exhibited internationally. Has been a fellow at TYPA Residency, Ragdale Youth Engagement, Surel's Place , and IDARTES. He has won first place in design competitions for Terium and TRES, and received the Prince Claus Fund Seed Award in 2021. In 2024, he secured a CNAC film fund to complete his first experimental animated short film, Galaxia.

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