LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KTSM) — Paulo Rivera, a second-generation Guatemalan and a visual artist in Las Cruces, has launched his first art exhibit since moving to the Borderland. “Inner Visions,” as the exhibit is named, will be open every Friday and Saturday from 12 to 5 p.m. until May 3. The show will located at 221 North Main St. in Downtown Las Cruces.  Paulo Rivera “It's a labor of love. Every day, I come into the gallery is a new opportunity for me to meet people, have them be a part of this energy, be a part of this experience, and that to me is everything. The communion between the artist and the public, that's where the artwork really takes life,” Rivera said.  Rivera’s paintings can be characterized for their vibrant colors and abstract images. He said the recurring theme in his artwork is combining the spiritual with nature, and how people fit within those concepts.  “That's really the language of my art. There’s a metaphor behind the image -- very surreal, very abstract. I would like for people to take home a perspective of some unexplored inner dimension within themselves,” Rivera said.  Rivera said the paintings in his exhibit are also an expression of his journey and life experiences, moving from coast to coast in the United States. Rivera was born and raised in Los Angeles, subsequently lived in New York for 18 years, and finally moved to Las Cruces in 2021.  At each stop, Rivera said he’s drawn inspiration from different sources for his paintings. He said he’s drawn inspiration from a book, from his dreams, and for one in particular from the 1970 science fiction film "The Man Who Fell to Earth."   But Rivera said that moving to Las Cruces has helped him add a new layer to his artwork that combined perfectly with his already developed abstract and progressive style of paintings.  “So that was a big obstacle to overcome. Coming from a big mecca like New York City, with so much energy and so much intensity and so many people. And then closing my eyes, opening my eyes and finding myself in an absolutely different environment, more relaxed, more in tune with nature, these beautiful Organ Mountains,” Rivera said.  “The sunshine out here, I'm convinced it completely does something to your chemistry and your brain -- something very powerful. And so coming from a colder climate and more condensed environment, to a more open, relaxed and very sunny setting has actually, I think, chemically triggered something within myself that I align with my creativity. And (my art) is being more reflective of the local scenery here,” Rivera said.  Rivera said that with time, he will continue to create more art that is reflective of Las Cruces' landscape, its culture, and its history. ...read more read less