Ria x Gallery is proud to present Joy is Happiness for No Reason, a solo exhibition by American artist Douglas Díaz on view from June 3, 2022 to July 29, 2022. Showcasing nineteen acrylic paintings on paper and canvas which represent a new proposal that marks a shifts from themes of grief and darkness to joy and happiness.

For Díaz, joy represents an ever-present condition not unlike the blue sky. Everything else, such as clouds, storms, or birds, are the part of life that obscure our view of the sky. Conversely, he defines happiness as a momentary euphoria, an external and inconsistent force that ebbs and flows. Happiness is a condition that distracts from the true goal of joy. "To truly be still and find the joy that I seek—and that I believe is who I am in essence, there has to be an acceptance of all the things that goes with life. It's not about subtracting things, it's about layering them on top of each other." Joy is Happiness for No Reason is not a response to a general statement, but one more layer of an ongoing discussion.

This show also represents a significant shift in his approach to color. Historically, Díaz predominantly created with black and graphite, occasionally using color sparingly, as he understood color in terms of chakras and energy levels. For Joy is Happiness for No Reason, the artist uses colors to pursue other avenues, taking a stance in contrast to the traditional artistic significance and aesthetic use of color. As he states “I have thrown all of that away for this show. I am using color in a way that is all about producing contrast and specific forms of tension. I am specifically increasing levels of intensity to change the mood of something and to change the modes of interrelation.”

For the past eight years, Díaz has been working in different cities around the world, and each place has had a major influence in his work. He began painting in Japan, where he explained that the energy was very calm with a subtle vibration. During his time in Hawaii, the process was quite the opposite in terms of intensity. Díaz currently lives and works in Sweden and has found peace and tranquility, "this show has a nice association with Sweden" as he expressed. "It’ll be something new that I have never done before.”

Douglas Díaz (b. 1972) is a Brooklyn, New York born artist. His work explores questions of his own humanity, challenging preconceptions and thoughts, embracing fears and the darkness that lies deep within the unconscious in an attempt to gain spiritual equanimity. In 2017, Douglas had his first solo museum exhibition titled SHUKKE at Art 1 Museum, Indonesia. Most recently, Douglas’s show titled GRIEF (December 2021-January 2022) was featured at the East Hawai'i Cultural Center in Big Island, Hawai'i. His work has been collected both privately and publicly in more than 20 different countries. Douglas currently lives in Sweden with studios in Stockholm, Bangkok, and Bali.