BREWING THOUGHTS

Brewing Thoughts, curated by Mara Torres González, presents a mature and contemplative body of work that deepens Julia Rivera’s long-standing inquiry into the human condition. Curated as a continuation of a long conversation, the exhibition reflects Rivera’s ability to move fluidly between painting and sculpture, and from object to figure, while maintaining a consistent emotional intelligence—balancing academic rigor with intuitive expression.

The exhibition is anchored primarily by female figures rendered with quiet authority and psychological depth. Their presence is restrained yet resonant, shaped by subtle shifts in posture, gaze, and surface. Julia’s approach reflects her extensive academic training across New York, Europe and Puerto Rico, while resisting rigidity in favor of a distinctly personal visual language.

Symbolic elements—birds, botanical forms, and utilitarian objects—appear sparingly throughout the artwork as conceptual extensions rather than narrative devices. In the sculptural works, male figures introduce physical weight and material gravity, expanding the exhibition’s emotional range while maintaining cohesion.

At moments, the work edges toward self-portraiture, dissolving distinctions between artist and subject and reinforcing Julia’s sustained engagement with introspection and transformation.

Brewing Thoughts offers collectors a cohesive and thoughtfully resolved body of work—one that balances technical mastery with philosophical restraint and affirms Rivera’s place within a contemporary figurative tradition grounded in human presence and emotional clarity.