Raúl de Nieves, In Light of Innocence

Raúl de Nieves’ exclusive release of two limited-edition multiples on Dropshop coincides with his first solo institutional show in New York City, In Light of Innocence, on view at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn from September 13 – December 14, 2025. The drop draws from a new body of work that transforms Pioneer Works into an immersive, cathedral-like environment, conjuring personal reflection and collective imagination. A Right of Passage, a gold ring set with precious stones, and Page of Wands, an embroidered tapestry, highlight de Nieves’ experimentation as a multi-media artist.  

Known for his use of modest, everyday materials, de Nieves explores aesthetic beauty while challenging its historical and religious underpinnings. Page of Wands reimagines one of the artist’s faux-stained glass windows into a richly embroidered tapestry, referencing Western religious traditions—particularly, those of Catholicism—and ultimately recontextualizes places of worship as sites of transformation, despite their legacies of violence and exclusion. Fabricated with the esteemed Studio Göta in France, vibrantly colored threads capture the luminosity of stain-glass and were painstakingly embroidered with over 537,664 stitches to capture the essence of his site-specific installation on a collectable scale. 

In conjunction with his reinterpretation of Catholic and Mexican folkloric motifs, de Nieves uses tarot’s rich symbolism and archetypes as a framework for imagining new relationships with the future. His ring, A Right of Passage, creates an acrostic spelling A DOOR with the previous stones that adorn the surface - an amethyst, a diamond, two onyxes, and a ruby. Unlike traditional religious hierarchies, tarot allows for multiple perspectives, where a ring can also act as a portal and catalyst for the wearer’s imagination.