RF. Alvarez (United States) is a Texan artist whose paintings draw on art-historical references to explore personal life and memory. Working in dry-brushed acrylic on raw linen, he combines Baroque sensibilities—including chiaroscuro lighting and devotional staging—with depictions of backyards, bars, and rural nights that reflect his experience as a gay man in the American West. His paintings render friends and lovers with luminosity, their gestures caught in the charged stillness before or after an unseen event.
During his residency at Delfina Foundation, Alvarez will expand his practice into theatre, developing an original narrative and mise-en-scène that translates the imagery of his paintings into a tangible and living form. Through this new medium, he will turn his attention to the American experience from an outside perspective, drawing on London’s theatrical and art-historical resources.
Recent exhibitions include I Remember Everything at Megan Mulrooney Gallery (2025); The Minotaur Bar at Martha’s Gallery (2025); and The Look Back at Taymour Grahne Projects (2024).
Alvarez was born in San Antonio, Texas, USA and is currently based in Austin, Texas, USA.
Headline Supporter:
Armory
Artist’s website
Tags
Please note all artist-in-residence biographies are accurate at the time of their residency. For up-to-date bios please visit the artist’s website.