Ruffo Romero

For over two decades, I have been developing a visual language rooted in my experiences as a gay man, exploring themes of identity, history, sexuality, social perception, resilience, and collective memory through contemporary visual art. I began painting at 18, shortly after coming out at 17. Growing up, I experienced ridicule because of my weight and, later, because of my sexuality. There were times when I struggled with isolation and questioned where I belonged in the world. Coming out changed my life. It allowed me to stop living according to other people's expectations and to begin focusing on what brought me joy, purpose, and authenticity.

Drawing from LGBTQ+ history, personal experiences, historical research, and observations of society, I explored how individuals and communities are perceived, marginalized, celebrated, and remembered. Many of my works incorporated words that were often used against gay people. Through painting, I sought to reclaim those words and transform them into symbols of strength, pride, and visibility.

Over time, my work evolved into a personal visual language built around recurring forms and symbols that explore connection, identity, transformation, relationships, and our shared humanity. My work is also inspired by the generations who came before us and the struggles they endured for equality, visibility, and acceptance. Historical events such as the persecution of gay people during the Holocaust and the Lavender Scare of the McCarthy era, among others, have influenced my work, while my experiences with drag and queer culture have encouraged other bodies of work. Together, these influences allow me to explore both the struggles and the beauty, joy, and resilience found within LGBTQ+ history and experience.

The human body and sexuality remain important themes within my practice. Through representations of intimacy, desire, and vulnerability, I explore how the body has been celebrated, judged, controlled, and reclaimed throughout history. These subjects are not intended solely as provocation, but as reflections on authenticity and personal freedom.

My paintings embrace the idea that identity is never one-dimensional. There is joy, pain, strength, vulnerability, celebration, and struggle. While my work is deeply connected to the gay experience, it is ultimately about something larger: our desire to be seen, accepted, and loved.