Julián Ruiz was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico in 1974. He began his artistic training at the age of seven under the guidance of Edmee Téllez, a student of the Spanish painter José Azaustre. Over the years, Ruiz continued to refine his technique, earning a Master’s Degree in Drawing and Painting from PC University in Ponce in 2005. 

Since 2000, he has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Puerto Rico, Europe, New York, and the Dominican Republic. In 2023, he was selected to represent Puerto Rico at the XIV Florence Biennale in Italy, one of the most prestigious international contemporary art exhibitions. In 2015, he was appointed Arts Representative for his hometown of Ponce, recognizing his role within the local cultural scene. His work is also part of the curated art collection of the Office of Puerto Rico in the U.S. Congress, Washington, D.C.

Ruiz’s work is distinguished by vibrant colors and dynamic forms that convey both aesthetic energy and conceptual depth. His creative process flows intuitively, blending color and form with a natural sense of rhythm and movement. Constantly evolving, he reinvents himself through each new technique, embracing experimentation as an essential part of his artistic journey.

Commenting on Ruiz’s practice, art critic Manuel Álvarez Lezama writes: “With great command of composition and a bold, original approach to color, Julián Ruiz presents a series of dramatic paintings in which Nature and the Human Being engage in a dialogue – both poetically and on a existential level. In some of his exhibited works, the artist allows Nature and Humanity to play; the wonders and enigmas of Life appear, interact, intertwine, and often contend for prominence. In other pieces, this multifaceted poet of color uses abstraction and a highly energetic form of expressionism to capture and bring to life the spectacular beauty of our natural world – in this case, our native flora.”