Daniel RIERA ARTIST, CREATOR, CHEF,
EVENT SPECIALIST
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“Pearl” is a sculpture that embraces simplicity while carrying a deeper reflection on thought, direction, and human perspective. The piece is composed of four wave-like forms arranged in opposing V-shaped directions — almost as if one movement is traveling north while the other moves south. In many ways, the sculpture represents the contrast between different ways of thinking and seeing life. It reflects how people can hold ideas, values, or purposes that move completely against one another, even when both may contain something meaningful or valuable. The title “Pearl” felt natural for the piece because of both its color and its symbolism. Pearls are formed through time, pressure, and transformation, and to me, they represent something precious born from complexity. In the same way, human thoughts and beliefs — even opposing ones — can hold beauty and value. One of the most distinctive aspects of the sculpture is its finish. The piece is painted in a luminous pearlescent white that shifts subtly with light and perspective. Achieving this effect required an enormous amount of work because pearlescent white paint is naturally translucent. To build the depth and richness of the surface, I applied many layers of pearl white until the sculpture achieved the visual density and glow I was searching for. Afterward, I sealed the piece with a clear high-gloss finish that enhanced the reflective quality of the surface and gave it a smooth, radiant appearance. “Pearl” was created from recycled hardwood, giving the sculpture both physical weight and emotional significance. The density of the wood gives the piece a strong and grounded presence despite the softness of its visual language. Like several of my smaller works, it was built from reclaimed material, transforming something discarded into something intentional and enduring. The sculpture can be displayed vertically or horizontally, either mounted on a wall or placed on a desk or table. No matter how it is positioned, the interaction of the opposing wave forms creates a continuous dialogue between harmony and contradiction — a reflection of how valuable ideas, like pearls themselves, can sometimes exist in direct opposition to one another.
This piece is "Purple" because I strongly identify the spirit with the color purple. The work is called “Eternal” because it takes the form of an infinity symbol, and the infinity symbol represents eternity. For some people, it even represents the symbol of God. To me, it represents the highest level a being can reach — achieving the awareness that it is eternal. The inspiration behind this piece was the durability of the spirit as a living being, and the color purple represents that idea for me. I love this work because of what it symbolizes. Even though it represents eternity, I feel that it is still an imperfect piece. One side is larger than the other, which makes it imperfect, and that imperfection is part of the conscious decision of a spiritual being to remain imperfect. I also really love that I created it using the “tubing” technique, which is the process I developed using polymer foam pool noodles. I applied six layers of plaster to the structure, then repaired and refined the imperfections with epoxy putty. After that, I sanded the entire surface, applied primer, and painted it in a very deep royal purple that gives the sculpture a beautiful and powerful presence. One of the most important details of this piece is that depending on the angle from which you view it, it can appear either more symmetrical or more asymmetrical. It is an infinity symbol from which wave-like forms expand outward from both sides, reinforcing the idea and sensation of movement, energy, and timelessness and endless existence.
“NUX” is a sculpture created from walnut wood, a material I chose specifically because of its incredibly beautiful natural grain. Rather than covering or altering it, I decided to leave the wood exposed so the organic patterns could become part of the visual language of the piece itself. The result felt extraordinary to me — the flowing wave-like forms combined with the natural grain create a sensation of movement within something otherwise solid and still. I chose the title “NUX” because it comes from the Latin origin associated with the walnut tree. The name felt appropriate for a piece so deeply connected to the identity and character of the wood itself. This sculpture can exist either as a wall piece or as an object displayed on a desk. Despite its small size, it carries a strong visual and emotional presence. When observing it, there is a unique sensation of seeing a rigid material like wood appear almost fluid through the movement of the carved waves. One of the aspects I love most is that the sculptu
“Tube” was born from an experimental technique I developed almost by accident. At the time, I was searching for a solid block of polymer foam to sculpt with, but I couldn’t find the material anywhere. The only thing available were pool noodles — the floating tubes commonly used in swimming pools. Instead of abandoning the idea, I decided to work with them. I attached the tubes onto a wooden platform and began building the surface using multiple layers of plaster and epoxy putty. After applying six layers, the structure became incredibly solid — almost stone-like — while also gaining a substantial physical weight and presence. Once the form was fully cured, I carefully sanded the entire surface, applied primer, and painted it in a fluorescent yellow to create an immediate visual impact. To complete the piece, I coated it with epoxy resin, giving it a glossy, reflective finish that contrasted beautifully with the sculpture’s heavy and rigid structure. The work is titled “Tube” because it was one of the first pieces created using this “tubing” technique — a process named directly after the tubes that form its internal structure. What began as an improvised solution ultimately evolved into a sculptural method of its own, transforming everyday materials into bold, monumental forms.
