Rio Gordon was born in Southern California in 1974, and early in childhood, exhibited a natural proficiency for drawing, sculpting and painting. His efforts were recognized and supported by his parents and teachers, and Rio found himself immersed in a world of imagination as he worked out dreams, visions and karmic debt through the creation of highly symbolic artworks which featured potent animal spirits, hidden geometries and raw emotion... His path continued through a dramatic and intense childhood and young adulthood, where he learned to express himself in Theatre, Music Performance and Poetry, becoming adept and published from an early age at these forms.

Rio discovered the inner world of the entheogens at an early age, and their use and import had a dramatic effect on his art, inspiring inner mindscapes and mandalic reconstructions of history and social issues. His use of color and form and the vibrant nature of his brushstrokes clearly show the powerful influence of the psychedelic medicines in his meditation. Rio continued his personal explorations into these dimensions, and over a decade of reading and experimentation, became a known writer and painter on the subjects of hallucinogenic experiences and the Art of Dreaming.

Rio rediscovered his roots to Hawaii in 2000, and moved his young family to the Big Island shortly thereafter, where he became an active student of Hawaiian culture, language and ethos. He continued to create new artwork, continuing a fresh rush of inspired Visionary canvases inspired by the raw tropical beauty around him. Rio was disillusioned, however, by the lukewarm reception given to Visionary Art in the Island market, and felt that the potent Vision culture could express secrets of Hawaiian myths and energies in a previously unseen manner.

This realization led him to market his artwork to Visionary galleries and Festivals nationwide. His work has been shown at many of these landmark events including Burning Man, Symbiosis, Earthdance, Beloved, the Oregon Country Fair, Freakers Ball, Raindance and others. His work has recently been exhibited in the 7th Interdimensional Art Show in San Francisco and with the collective led by Roman Villagrana, TribeThirteen.

These experiences led Rio to the inspiration to create a Visionary Art festival in Hawaii that would bring the culture and color of these events home to the Islands. Inspired by a Vision and having discovered the Alchemical Arts Conference of Terrence McKenna, Rio set about to found and host Alchemeyez, which has now become his main Project.

In Rio’s own words, he describes his Visionary Art process with the following:

 

I am an illuminated spiritual artist who is making orb-webs of creativity in free form fashion. My artworks are like windows, dusty panes which when wiped clean, reveal secret patterns and illuminations. I am a Channel for all Energy that resides in Lightness, finding form in the quest. It is my intention that the artworks themselves become portals which inspire contemplation, sacred breath, and inner guidance. I have, over the years, been witness to a variety of powerful reactions from these 'paintings'. I believe very strongly that sacred, illuminated, visionary art has a role to play in the ascension of the Human Race. In that regard, it has always been my intention and vow to propogate this energy and spread it world-wide. There are others like me and when we come together, the world will know that this holy artform can save our species!