Arturo Rodriguez Naranjo is a Colombian artist who has left his mark on number of cities of the world, going by the name “Volátil.” His work is full of color and passion and the faces of his subjects, usually women with very Latin features, are imbued with symbols and auras that bring his pieces to life. He says that he chose to go by the artist name Volátil (meaning “Volatile” in English) because he felt it fit with his mystical theme, the fire that purifies, and the strong connection he feels with nature, elements that are never lacking in his paintings and murals.
Arturo was born in Barranquilla, and it was his mother (also a painter) who instilled in him the need to express himself through art. Constantly on the move, he lived for a time in La Guajira, then later moved to Pereira for a few years, and then found himself in Manizales and later in Bogotá. This tendency to keep moving from place to place and to leave murals everywhere he went gained him a reputation as a sort of modern day nomad painter.
According to the artist, his work attempts to present elements and metaphors that have the power of transformation and to stimulate culture; elements such as fire, radiant light, and the delicacy of the female form are themes common in his paintings. The poetic intention in his work is to foster a connection to that transformative potential that we all have.
Arturo is also a talented musician, expressing through lyrics what painting sometimes cannot. Check out his multitalented artistic expressions on his Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/arturo.volatil/