Richie Morales

Richie Morales is a self-taught Guatemalan-American painter based in Madison, Wisconsin, where he works from his Xibalba Art Studio at the Arts + Literature Laboratory. Originally from the outskirts of Antigua, Guatemala, Morales channels his experiences with social violence and community resilience into richly textured, vibrantly colored paintings. His work draws deeply from Indigenous Guatemalan culture—traditional huipiles, hummingbirds, and native flora. Notable series include "Migration Without Borders," "Voices of Genocide," and "The Effects of Time on Memory." As he puts it, "Painting is my first language."