Mario Rodríguez, known in the art world as Mareo, was born in Mexico City in 1981. As a multidisciplinary artist, his creative journey has taken him around the globe, shaping a unique perspective on the relationship between art, matter, and spirit. Educated in Colombia and currently based in Barcelona, Mareo’s academic background is as diverse as his artistic vision. He earned his architecture degree from UPB Medellín in 2004, followed by a master’s in design from Elisava Barcelona in 2006, and later completed a master’s in fine arts at UNA in Buenos Aires in 2013.
Mareo’s talent has gained international recognition through a remarkable series of solo exhibitions, appearances at prestigious art fairs, and creative projects across the world.
My creative journey spans multiple scales and the forces inherent to the sublime in landscape. From the monumental presence of mountains merging into the ocean, to the convergence of ether and earth through lightning, to rock formations and their gradual disintegration—down to the elemental unit: the stone itself.”
—Mareo Rodríguez
His artistic language extends beyond sculpture and installation. Mareo has also contributed to the literary world, with his work featured in several publications, including three key titles. One of them, Expansion, was published in 2018 by Italian gallery E3 Contemporanea and Vanillaedizioni. In 2020, he self-published Matter is Condensed Light, offering a deeply personal look into his philosophy. Most recently, his exhibition Portals was presented by VC 03 at Valletta Contemporary in Malta in 2022.
“My work is a tribute to nature—an intersection of landscape abstraction and spiritual exploration that encapsulates the dichotomy between matter in the physical realm and light in the pursuit of the ethereal and the sacred.”
—Mareo Rodríguez
Get to know Mareo’s pieces in Casa HOTBOOK!
La mirada de Guillermo Kahlo en Casa HOTBOOK
Juan Oliver, el genio gótico, en Casa HOTBOOK
Ladurée en México: sabor y elegancia en el corazón de Polanco
