Reinaldo Sanguino (born 1973 in Caracas, Venezuela) is an artist whose practice operates at the intersection of ceramics, sculpture, and design. Trained at the School of Visual Arts Cristóbal Rojas in Caracas, he moved to New York in the early 1990s, where he established an internationally recognized practice. He currently lives and works between Puerto Rico and New York.
Sanguino’s work is rooted in a sustained engagement with clay as both medium and subject. Working with materials such as stoneware and porcelain, he employs a wide range of glazes, underglazes, and metallic finishes, often combining traditional ceramic techniques with contemporary approaches. Some works are developed in collaboration with artisans working in wood and metal, extending the material and conceptual scope of his practice.
His process is physical, gestural, and intuitive. Using hand-building, wheel-throwing, and sculptural techniques, Sanguino activates the full body in the act of making. His works are distinguished by their richly textured surfaces and vibrant use of color, emphasizing tactility, transformation, and the sensory presence of objects. Moving fluidly between functional and sculptural forms, his practice challenges the boundaries between art and everyday use.
Conceptually, Sanguino approaches the object as a carrier of energy and experience. His work reflects on the relationship between materiality and personal perception, often engaging with ideas of duality, transformation, and interconnectedness. Making becomes a way of understanding and shaping lived experience, with each object embodying both physical process and intangible resonance.
Key bodies of work trace the evolution of his practice. The series Gods and Designers emerged from a narrative centered on displacement and identity, reflecting his early years as an immigrant in New York. These works, which include elaborately crafted porcelain crowns placed on luxury boxes, examine themes of power, status, and cultural symbolism. Works from this series were presented in the El Museo del Barrio Biennial, and Honoring a Queen is now part of the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Other works have been exhibited at institutions such as El Museo del Barrio, the Pérez Art Museum Miami, the Museum of Arts and Design, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. His work is also included in major collections such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Mint Museum.
Since the early 2010s, Sanguino has increasingly focused on functional objects that integrate elements of craft, art, and design. By creating works that are both utilitarian and expressive, he invites a heightened awareness of the presence and meaning embedded in everyday forms. His practice continues to explore how material, gesture, and use can converge, allowing objects to carry both physical and symbolic significance.