{"id":11246,"date":"2025-12-01T20:21:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T20:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artsolido.com\/?p=11246"},"modified":"2026-01-31T21:01:56","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T21:01:56","slug":"the-art-of-strength-a-conversation-with-juan-luis-perez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artsolido.com\/es\/2025\/12\/01\/the-art-of-strength-a-conversation-with-juan-luis-perez\/","title":{"rendered":"The Art of Strength: A Conversation with Juan Luis P\u00e9rez"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Piter Ortega N\u00fa\u00f1ez<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Canvas to Culture, and Fitness to Freedom<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"Born in\u00a0Havana<\/strong>\u00a0and based in\u00a0Miami<\/strong>, Juan Luis P\u00e9rez is a self-taught contemporary artist whose work resists categorization. He defines his practice through freedom of choice\u2014changing style \u201cas if changing clothes,\u201d refusing academic dogmas, and working instinctively across materials and techniques. His paintings operate as social portraits of the human condition: urgent, physical, and emotionally charged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That same intensity fuels another facet of his life: Rock Fitness<\/strong>, a luxury boutique gym concept in South Florida that merges elite performance, intentional design, and a disciplined culture of training. This conversation explores how art and fitness converge into a single philosophy of life\u2014where creation, repetition, and strength become forms of meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n

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About His Art and Creative Journey<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Your work is often described as difficult to categorize. Is that intentional?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan Luis P<\/strong>\u00e9<\/strong>rez:<\/strong> Absolutely. I don\u2019t believe in fixed categories. I change style as if I were changing clothes because art, for me, is freedom of choice. The moment a style becomes a rule, it stops being honest. I\u2019m not interested in trends or fashions\u2014I\u2019m interested in what feels true at a given moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. You<\/strong>\u2019<\/strong>ve spoken about staying away from fads and trends. What does that independence protect in your work?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan Luis P<\/strong>\u00e9<\/strong>rez:<\/strong> It protects authenticity. Trends can be seductive, but they\u2019re also temporary. If you follow them, you end up producing echoes. Independence allows me to work from instinct and necessity, not from expectation. That\u2019s the only way I can stay connected to real inspiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Being self-taught is central to your identity. Why was resisting academic dogma important to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan Luis P<\/strong>\u00e9<\/strong>rez:<\/strong> Because dogma can become a cage. I respect academic knowledge, but I don\u2019t believe creativity should obey rigid formulas. Being self-taught gave me the freedom to experiment, to fail, to invent my own language without permission.<\/p>\n\n\n

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4. Your materials are diverse\u2014oils, acrylics, charcoal, resins, newspaper, gesso. What draws you to that mix?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan Luis P<\/strong>\u00e9<\/strong>rez:<\/strong> Each material has a temperament. I like the tension that happens when dissimilar elements collide. The spatula, for example, became central in my work because it allows movement, force, and immediacy. I\u2019m also drawn to monochromatic palettes and rough textures\u2014they speak more directly to emotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. What themes consistently return in your art?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan Luis P<\/strong>\u00e9<\/strong>rez:<\/strong> Human beings and their conflicts. My work is essentially social portraiture. I\u2019m interested in the pressure points of our time\u2014identity, displacement, contradiction, connection. Even when the imagery changes, that concern remains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. You once said, <\/strong>\u201c<\/strong>If I think of something and I feel it, I create it.\u201d How does intuition guide your process?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan Luis P<\/strong>\u00e9<\/strong>rez:<\/strong> Intuition is the engine. I don\u2019t start with a strict plan. Feeling and concept arrive together. Rules don\u2019t apply to my world; the work reveals itself through action. Painting is a physical act for me\u2014almost athletic.<\/p>\n\n\n

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7. Your work often reflects dialogues between cultures. How does that appear visually?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan Luis P<\/strong>\u00e9<\/strong>rez:<\/strong> Through tension and coexistence. East and West, different societies, different symbols\u2014yet one human condition. I\u2019m interested in how cultures differ on the surface but share the same emotional core.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. One of your recognized works speaks about unity in a fragmented world. Why is connectedness important to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan Luis P<\/strong>\u00e9<\/strong>rez:<\/strong> Because we live in a time of separation disguised as communication. I\u2019m interested in what still binds us together. Even conflict can be a form of connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the Studio to the Gym: Rock Fitness<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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9. What inspired you to create Rock Fitness?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan Luis P<\/strong>\u00e9<\/strong>rez:<\/strong> Rock Fitness was born from discipline. Training has always been part of my life, and I saw fitness as another form of craft. I wanted to create a space where performance is taken seriously\u2014where people train with intention and expect excellence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Why was design as important as training in Rock Fitness?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan Luis P<\/strong>\u00e9<\/strong>rez:<\/strong> Because environment shapes behavior. Design is not decoration\u2014it\u2019s structure. A well-designed space reinforces commitment, focus, and respect for the process. That\u2019s as true in a gym as it is in a studio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. Do you see parallels between art and fitness?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan Luis P<\/strong>\u00e9<\/strong>rez:<\/strong> Completely. Both demand repetition, patience, and discipline. In art, you build a visual language; in fitness, you build a body. Both are about consistency over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12. The phrase <\/strong>\u201c<\/strong>Train Like a Pro. Live the Luxury Grind\u2122\u201d defines Rock Fitness. What does it mean to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan Luis P<\/strong>\u00e9<\/strong>rez:<\/strong> It means intensity without compromise. You can grind hard and still demand quality\u2014coaching, equipment, experience. Luxury, for me, is precision and standards, not excess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

13. How do you balance being an artist and leading a fitness brand?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan Luis P<\/strong>\u00e9<\/strong>rez:<\/strong> They balance each other. Art keeps me open and experimental; fitness keeps me grounded and disciplined. One feeds the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking Ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

14. What do you hope people take away from your paintings and sculptures?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan Luis P<\/strong>\u00e9<\/strong>rez:<\/strong> A confrontation with themselves\u2014with what\u2019s human, fragile, and unresolved. I don\u2019t want comfort; I want recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15. What do you hope people experience at Rock Fitness?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan Luis P<\/strong>\u00e9<\/strong>rez:<\/strong> Respect for the process. A sense that excellence is built daily, through discipline and intention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

16. Do you see future projects where art and fitness intersect more directly?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan Luis P<\/strong>\u00e9<\/strong>rez:<\/strong> Yes. I\u2019m interested in creating experiences where movement, space, and visual language coexist\u2014events, installations, collaborations. The body and the image speak the same language of effort.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Closing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan Luis P\u00e9rez\u2019s work\u2014on canvas and in the gym\u2014argues for a single truth: discipline is creative, and creativity is physical<\/strong>. Whether through the force of a spatula or the repetition of a lift, his practice insists on intention, freedom, and the courage to build one\u2019s own rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2e3b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Piter Ortega N\u00fa\u00f1ez\u00a0(Havana, 1982) is an art critic, curator, and journalist. He holds a\u00a0Master\u2019s degree in Journalism from the City University of New York (CUNY)\u00a0and a\u00a0Bachelor\u2019s degree in Art History from the University of Havana. In 2022, he received an\u00a0Emmy Award\u00a0for his work as a reporter at\u00a0WXTV\u2013Univision 41 New York. In 2008, he was awarded Cuba\u2019s\u00a0National Art Criticism Award \u201cGuy P\u00e9rez Cisneros.\u201d\u00a0He is the author of\u00a0four books on visual arts, including\u00a0\u00bfC\u00f3mo se interpreta una obra de arte? (How to Interpret a Work of Art), and has curated\u00a0dozens of solo and group exhibitions. He is the founder and director of\u00a0TV Mi Gente\u00a0and\u00a0TVG Arte, independent platforms dedicated to\u00a0art, culture, politics, social issues, health, spirituality, and conversations that challenge conventional narratives. Ortega lives and works in\u00a0New York City.<\/sub><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Piter Ortega N\u00fa\u00f1ez From Canvas to Culture, and Fitness to Freedom Born in\u00a0Havana\u00a0and based in\u00a0Miami, Juan Luis P\u00e9rez is a self-taught contemporary artist whose work resists categorization. He defines his practice through freedom of choice\u2014changing style \u201cas if changing clothes,\u201d refusing academic dogmas, and working instinctively across materials and techniques. His paintings operate as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":142254829,"featured_media":11263,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[28094],"tags":[177,1747,5189,124,349],"class_list":["post-11246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-visual-art","tag-art","tag-fiction","tag-fitness","tag-life","tag-writing"],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8lHqs-2Vo","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/artsolido.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/jlp-5.jpg?fit=1290%2C1199&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsolido.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsolido.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsolido.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsolido.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/142254829"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsolido.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11246"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/artsolido.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11246\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11268,"href":"https:\/\/artsolido.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11246\/revisions\/11268"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsolido.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsolido.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsolido.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsolido.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}