Carlos Rolon
Carlos Rolón was born and raised in Chicago, where he still lives and works. Rolón attended Columbia College Chicago in 1989, with a concentration in painting and drawing. His early career was heavily influenced by early New York City street, hip hop, disco and punk culture of the 1980s. He abandoned creating work as a street artist for abstract paintings in his early twenties. A contemporary art gallery in Japan, which sold out before the opening.
In 2005, the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis held a solo exhibition of Rolon’s work. His most significant exhibition in the US up to that point, the show included several new works created for the show, including a 14 by 42-foot site-specific installation. The exhibition was accompanied by a full-color publication with audio.
His paintings have appeared at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago and Chicago Cultural Center during that time. A significant advance in Rolón’s career came in 2007 when Jeffrey Deitch, owner of Deitch Projects, took note of his work at the 52nd Venice Biennale and offered him a solo exhibition and began representing him.
Rolón has since had solo shows in Asia, Europe, Africa, and Puerto Rico.