NEW YORK, NY.- Alexander Berggruen announced representation of Raul De Lara.
Raul De Lara (b. 1991, Culiacán, Sinaloa, México) handcrafts wooden sculptures that depict household objects and the natural world. Poetic symbolism emerges, inspired by his experience as an immigrant from Mexico and a DACA recipient. His work balances political messages with exploring the beauty and mystery of the natural world and the mundane.
Alexander Berggruen presented De Lara's work in a duo booth at The Armory Show (September 25-27, 2026 / VIP Preview — September 24, 2026). The gallery has also exhibited the artist's work in the group show Raul De Lara, Shanique Emelife, Sihan Guo, Tahnee Lonsdale (December 11, 2024–January 15, 2025).
De Lara received an MFA in Sculpture and Extended Media from Virginia Commonwealth University and a BFA in Studio Art from The University of Texas at Austin. He has held museum solo exhibitions at SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, GA and The Contemporary Austin, TX.
The artist has been featured in Art in America, The New York Times TMagazine, American Craft, and Interior Design, among many others. Accolades the artist has been awarded include the Maxwell/Hanrahan Award in Craft, The Hopper Prize Shortlist, NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow in Craft/Sculpture, The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown Fellowship, and Luminarts Fellowship Finalist.
In a recent interview with Elisa Carollo for the publication Observer, De Lara stated: A lot of the motifs I’ve been doing in the past few years are what I call our silent roommates, which include your houseplants, furniture, objects that accompany our daily life. A lot of my work reflects my interest in bringing personalities to these seemingly inanimate objects. When do they come to life? What does that spark of life look like? — Raul De Lara
For the New York Times Style Magazine, Petala Ironcloud wrote the following about De Lara's work.
A meticulous carver who often uses traditional American and Mexican techniques. De Lara reimagines banal household items — snow shovels, chairs and spades, as well the Monstera deliciosa plant, a south Mexican native that has become an American houseplant cliché — as commentaries on labor and immigration. — Petala Ironcloud for New York Times Style Magazine
De Lara’s work has been exhibited at Tucson Museum of Art, AZ; Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Museum, CA; Reynolds Gallery, Richmond, VA; Honor Fraser Gallery, Los Angeles, CA; Wharton Esherick Museum, Paoli, PA; MINT Gallery, Munich, DE; The Immigrant Artist Biennial, New York, NY; and Institute of Contemporary Art | Maine College of Art & Design, Portland, ME. He lives and works in New York City.
