Ricder Ricardo graduated from the University of North Florida, Department of Art and Design with a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, Painting, Drawing, and Printmaking and a minor in Photography.
Ricder was born in a rural area of Havana Cuba in 1985. He and his family moved to the United States in the year 2000 in pursuit of freedom. Ricder has presented works in numerous galleries and academic institutions, some of which include the Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Science and History, Florida State College South Campus Gallery, Florida State University, Athens Institute for Contemporary Art Gallery, and Yellow House among others. In addition, his pieces have been featured in publications like RADX Magazine, Talon Review, and JAX TDY.
Today, his work is predominantly figurative, expanding to different mediums like painting, printmaking, and photography. During his creative process, he is interested in the integration of media and how each stage of the process informs the next. In addition, his work is influenced by popular media, family, and friends, as well as his own experiences of dealing with self-perception, discrimination, and acceptance. Furthermore, his work intends to showcase his fight to exist in two different cultures and simultaneously construct his own version of the American Dream.
"As a young gay Cuban-American man I never dreamt that becoming an artist would be a possibility for me; growing up in Cuba, surrounded by poverty and lacking freedom of expression, art became the only thing that gave me fuel to dream of a better future. My work has given me the tools to find my voice and to let it be heard, by creating pieces that highlight my identity as both a Cuban immigrant and a gay man living in the United States".