Bio

A self-taught approach underlies much of his artistic work. To fund his studies in sculpture, Riikc spent 10 years working in the digital sector, as a web developer and visual content creator. After finishing his MFA in sculpture (2016) at the Académie Royale des Beaux Arts in Brussels, Ricardo then launched his own technology and communications agency. Today, Riikc draws on his experiences in both the fine arts and the technology sectors, to create artwork that spans several genres, including metalwork; digital art; 3D printing and drawing; connected art; and mixed media artwork.

Ricardo has emerged as one of the world’s preeminent fine artists working in the 3D pen space. Since 2017, Ricardo has been working with the 3D pen company, 3Doodler, to develop their STEAM education strategy and content. His approach has focused on how this new, hands-on technology can be used to make science education — in particular human, animal, and plant anatomy — more accessible.

In 2021, he was invited to develop and lead a fine arts workshop at the Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum in Oranienberg, Germany, which focused on the use of 3D pens as a tool to create art that engages with the history of the Holocaust. The 3D pen sculptures produced during this workshop are still on display within the museum. He was subsequently invited to repeat this workshop at the DEFCON Conference and again at the Sachsenhausen Memorial in fall 2022. In February 2023, Ricardo was invited as a guest artist to showcase 3D pen technology at the Nuremberg Toy Fair, the largest industry event in the world for toy producers.

In 2021, Ricardo received a research grant from the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles to continue his sculptural work. This grant supported his materials research into 3D pen and bronze sculpting, as well as the development of connected objects using EL wire.

In 2022, Ricardo was invited by the organization Biohacking Village, to present his work at the DEFCON hacking conference in Las Vegas, U.S.A. Since this exposition, his interactive installation Memento Vivere has been displayed at three subsequent sites in Las Vegas: the Mexican Consulate in Las Vegas, the “Digital Love: Art + Tech” exhibition at Winchester Cultural Center Gallery, and it currently resides in the atrium of the Clark County Sahara West Library.

Collaborations & Sponsorship

Press

09/2023 — Telemundo – “El Axolotl de México llega a Las Vegas”

09/2023 — BRUZZ – “Beeldhouwer Riikc: ‘Ik hou van het weer hier, in Mexico was het elke dag 40 graden’

09/2023 — De Morgen – “Tienduizenden vast in modder op Burning Man, maar deze Belg maalt er niet om: ‘We zitten hier goed”

08/2023 — Burning Man Journal – “Burning”Build Week 2023: The Calm Before the Storm

07/2023 — Imagen de Veracruz – “Conoce a Ricardo Martínez ‘Riick’, el mexicano que llevará escultura de ajolote al Festival Burning Man”

07/2023 — La Jornada – “Artista mexicano llevará un ajolote luminiscente de 6 metros al festival Burning Man”

06/2023 — El Sol de Salamanca – “México estará presente en Burning Man 2023”

06/2023 — Azteca TV- “¡Orgullo Nacional! Artista mexicano lleva un ajolote luminiscente gigante al festival Burning Man”

05/2023 — The Bridge – “Artista mexicano creará axolotl gigante en desierto de Estados Unidos”

03/2023 — Burning Man Journal – “Introducing the 2023 Black Rock City Honoraria”

08/2022 — 3DPrint.com – “3D Printed Skull Lights Up DEFCON”

03/2022 — BRUZZ – “Artist Ricardo Martínez Herrera: ‘I’m working on a brain that fills the whole room.”

03/2021 — Diario Financiero – “Los destinos paradisíacos que buscan atraer a los teletrabajadores chilenos.“

02/2021 — YMCB – “Ricardo’s Entrepreneurial Journey“

01/2021 — Stamparein3D.it – “Ricardo Martínez Herrera e la scultura con 3Doodler da Death Stranding“

01/2021 — 3DGrenzenlos.de – “Mexikanischer Künstler entwirft beeindruckende Kunstwerke mit dem 3Doodler 3D-Druck-Stift“

01/2021 — 3DPrint.com – “3D Doodler Creates “Death Stranding” Baby and Sophisticated Art with 3D Printing Pen“

01/2017 — El Horizonte – Triunfa con su pluma 3D en Europa

05/2016 — INSIDER – “LIX 3D Pen“

04/2016 — Milenio – “El espíritu de solidaridad esta en todas partes“

04/2015 — El Pulso San Luis Potosi – “Triunfa potosino en Bruselas”

For press inquiries or collaborations please contact me at studio@riikc.art.

Events & installations

08/2023 — Black Rock City, Nevada, USA — Axolotl: A Spirit Guide, Burning Man Honorarium sculpture

02/2023 – 07/2023 — Sahara West Library, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA — Memento Vivere interactive exposition.

02/2023 — Spielwarenmesse, Nuremberg, DE — Metztli exposition and 3D pen demo.

12/2022 – 01/2023 — Winchester Gallery, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA — “Digital Love: Art + Tech” exposition of Memento Vivere

08/2022 – 12/2022 — Mexican Consulate in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA — Memento Vivere interactive exposition.

08/2022 — DEFCON 30, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA — “Memento Vivere” sculpture presentation and 3D pen workshop.

08/2021 — Sachsenhausen Memorial, Berlin, DE – Developed and led a weeklong, 3D

11/2019 — BOZAR : panelist in “Equal Participation of the next generation in the digital era“ — Conference on STEAM education and exhibition opening pen workshop for university students.

11/2019 — MolenGeek Makers Weekend, Brussels, BE – Organizer and lead technical coach for this “Hackathon,” in partnership with MolenGeek and cityfab1.

09/2017 — United Nations, New York, USA – Presentation of Public-Private Partnership good practices

2015 — Toujours Plus à l’Ouest, Brussels, BE – Sculpture exposition with the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels.

2015 — Triennale de l’Art et du  Végétale, Ath, BE – Public installation created for the citywide event.

2015 — Espace Saint Bernard, Brussels, BE – Sculpture and painting exposition in a private gallery.

2014 — Plus à l’Ouest, Brussels, BE – Sculpture exposition with the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels.