Oliver Rios

Oliver Rios is a Puerto Rican visual artist, photographer, designer, and cultural documentarian based in East Harlem. Influenced by the social and cultural challenges of New York City in the 1970s and 1980s, his work emphasizes community engagement, social justice, and cultural empowerment.

In the early 1990s, Rios became involved in El Barrio’s mural movement, collaborating with artists to create impactful anti-violence murals. His iconic image of the Coquí on the Puerto Rican flag emerged during the Testimonio exhibition at the New Museum of Contemporary Art (1993), symbolizing diasporic identity and resilience. Rios has contributed to various exhibitions and projects, including Casitas: Gardens of Reclamation at El Museo del Barrio (1999) and the inaugural exhibition HOME, MEMORY, AND FUTURE at CCCADI, which integrated Augmented Reality (2016). More recently, Rios served as Art Director for John Leguizamo’s American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos. The objective was to present a historic visual collection of Latino art that showcases the significant contributions of Latinos to world history.

In 2006, he founded Orios Designs, providing creative consulting and branding for cultural and commercial organizations. His branding work includes logos for organizations such as The Association for Hispanic Arts (AHA), Aeropostale, High 5 Games, Rise UP NYC, and the Rafael Tufiño Printmaking Workshop, to name a few. At the heart of Ríos’ artistic practice lies his Puerto Rican identity, which serves as a guiding map for both his cultural heritage and creative inspiration.  Under the mentorship of Nitza Tufiño and the Rafael Tufiño Printmaking Workshop (RTPW), Ríos has re-engaged with linocut printmaking, transforming Boricua iconography into powerful visual statements that address identity and social justice. In 2024, the RTPW was invited by The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) to display their printmaking work on material to adorn the Creative Lab inside the museum.

Ríos continues to document El Barrio and uplift community narratives through innovative projects, affirming the power of art as a tool for social change.