Alma Hotel: Artists' Bios

LOBBY

The Floral Nomad

2023-2024
Drawing printed on canvas with archival ink

Carlos Davila Rinaldi

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1958

The fragrance lingers as his hurried steps carry him from one block to the next.
Announcing their arrival with their distinctive song of “aaaazucenas” that many eagerly
await. Daily delivery never goes out of style as the thought of fresh flowers is an
everyday affair, whatever the reason, your customers rely on your endless supply of
these delicate and fragrant flowers which, for many, offer the finishing touch to their
homes. , shops and offices.

Embraced in one arm, an abundant bunch of lilies dance to its rhythm. The tropical
sun bathes Saúl and the flowers he holds. A moment in time where this was an
everyday occurrence that we may not have understood its beauty at the time, but for
some of us the fragrance will always linger.

Piragua
2010
40”x28” Silkscreen on Paper

Wichie Torres
Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, 1952-2020

Wichie was known as a painter of the people. In his formative years he developed his
pictorial language and unique style depicting the local customs from his hometown
and the Island in general known in the art world as Costumbrismo. He is regarded as
one of the art world masters in the island for his painting and drawing skills which
later, also expanded into sculpture. His prints are well known because they are hand
printed with multiple layered colors to create the illusion of them being a painting
instead of a print. This particular work shows kids buying local ice cones from a
traditional piragüero. A scene commonly seen on a daily basis when kids went to the
park or after school on a hot day on the island. Piragüeros remain as a classic
character in Old San Juan through the present day.

“Heladero” from the series “Cotidianidad”

2024
Film Photograph (X-Ray Manipulation)

Winslow
Born in Ocean Park, San Juan
Hours burn away as we labor. Mundane obligation gone unnoticed by passersby.
Normalized in our mind by frequency and repetition, relegated to the peripheral. Seen
but never noticed. Watch! Lest it be forgotten that we are human and miss another
opportunity to gaze out into the sea.

Reception:
Amalgama
Thermo-Plastic Upcycling assembly, 2024

Jesús Gómez

"Amalgama" is crafted from approximately 350 collected shopping bags. Each element
of the artwork was hand-cut and manipulated with heat. What once was a nuisance in
the landscape, is now an object of contemplation.

Floor 2:

Floral Arrangements and Resilient Nature

2004
Embossing on fabric with spray and bleach

Uziel Esteban Orlandi Alegría

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1988

Uziel studied at the School of Fine Arts at the University of Puerto Rico, focusing on
graphic design and engraving. His first solo exhibition in 2013 featured xerographic
transfer on encaustic, paper puppets, sculpture, a mural, and the launch of his book
Ouroborus.

This collection explores compositions using vessels to contain or release shapes and
colors, revealing the duality of the astral and natural energies. Textiles are printed with
carved plastic blocks and bleached to create layers of discoloration, a technique Uziel
has developed since 2015 to avoid heavy machinery.

Floor 3:

Determinado
2014-2018
Narrative-Conceptual Photography and Floral Sculptures

Zuania Muñiz Meléndez

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1985

Zuania holds a Fine Arts degree in photography from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio
Piedras Campus, and a certification from Workshop Experience school in Madrid. Her
digital photography features a minimalist and surreal aesthetic with a poetic touch.
Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Forbes, The Visual Art Quarterly of St.
Louis, ArtPulse Miami, and Latin American Art.

This series blends narrative-conceptual photography and floral sculptures, intertwining

language, body, and flowers. Each photograph meticulously arranges color, form, and
symbolism to evoke a dialogue between nature and humanity. Zuania invites viewers to
explore the connections between language, the body, and the passage of time, using
flowers as vessels for meaning in a harmonious balance of beauty and transience.

Floor 4:

Foliage Series
2024
Wet Cyanotypes, BFK Rives Printmaking Paper 280
Jesús ‘Chu’ Gómez
Born in Cayey, Puerto Rico in 1973

Jesus ‘Chu’ Gómez is a visual artist, designer, and creative director known for using
waste materials in his art. He challenges artistic norms by addressing improper waste
disposal and its environmental impact. His solo exhibition “Meditaciones lumínicas” in
2007 in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and winning the Lexus Grant for Artists in 2014 from the
Museum of Art of Puerto Rico, highlight his innovative work.

His experimental "Wet" Cyanotypes feature botanical elements collected from the
environment. These prints, with blue and yellow abstract backgrounds, capture sunlight
on botanical silhouettes, creating harmonious, organic compositions that reflect
contemplative moments in nature.

Floor 5:

Tari Beroszi
Born in Puerto Rico

Tari Beroszi studied at the Central School of Visual Arts in Santurce, then earned a
Master’s in Photography from Spéos Paris École de Photographie, studying under
Georges Fèvre. She completed a Master of Fine Arts in photography at the Savannah
College of Art & Design in 2010. She received the Lexus Scholarship for Artists in 2013
and a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant in 2020.

Corridors Series: The Invisible Island

2020
This series explores the fragility and resilience of Puerto Rico. Each image features the
island’s coordinates and historical references, capturing its essence through scenes of
ocean horizons and tropical beauty, reflecting Puerto Rico's complex identity and my
witness to its unseen reality.

Rooms Series: From the Other Side of the Sea

2016
This series contemplates journeys, using metaphors of arrival and departure, land and
sea, and stillness and movement to reflect on the desire to set sail. It captures the
contrasts of existence, from simplicity to mystery, and the relationship between space
and objects.
Floor 6:

Floresta, 2024
White ceramic clay

Corteza, 2024
Ceramic with oxides and engobes

Yelyn Vivoni
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico

"When creating a piece of art, I seek to evoke in the viewer a feeling of harmony and
beauty that stirs them. To achieve this, I consider the space where it will be exhibited
as an extension of it, forming an elegant pairing between the abstraction of the work
and the reality of the space that surrounds it."

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Yelyn studied Fine Arts in the University of Puerto Rico
under the tutoring of locally renowned artists. Her work has been exhibited at the
Bienal Internacional de Cerámica de Manises, Valencia, Spain in 2007 and 2009, and
was also participated in the Biennale Internazionale dell’Arte Contemporanea in
Florence, Italy, were she won 5th place medal for her work “Dos Mil Doscientos
Recuerdos al Viento”.

Rooftop:

"Mariposa del Mar", Butterfly of the Sea

Crafted from sand, water, and cement

Rowan St. Clair

Rowan St. Clair, a seasoned muralist and oil painter, draws inspiration from the
Caribbean's natural beauty. In 2021, she held a solo exhibition, 'Nuestra Vida,' with the
Arana Foundation. Her work extends to the streets of Puerto Rico, blending human
experience with nature. Using color, form, and texture, Rowan invites viewers to
immerse in the landscapes and narratives she creates. Her art highlights the
transformative power of creativity and its connection to the world's beauty.

Seamlessly blending Viejo San Juan's historic elements into a vibrant centerpiece, she
pays homage to the Caribbean's spirit while embodying coastal strength, a reminder of
the ever-present ocean. This piece commemorates the women who, like the ocean's
currents or waves around us, support and guide us with their strength. In memory of
Wendy Southard, and in tribute to all women who continue to inspire.