La Mano Fria

A graphic designer, typographer, and record label owner who relocated from New York to Miami. In the fall of 1996, Rice and Beans clothing released its first work at the legendary New York shop "Footwork," operated by Bobbito Garcia (Fondle ‘Em Records, Nike, Adidas). Between 2003 and 2011, numerous music releases and T-shirts were produced by Beams Records and Beams T clothing.

La Mano Fiera founded his own record label in 1999, launching Beta Bodega, Botanica del Jibaro, Rice and Beans, and Arepaz, among others. In addition to his work with his own label, he designed countless CD and 12-inch record covers, logos, and T-shirts for numerous artists, including Prefuse 73, Common, Raekwon from Wu-Tang Clan, Pharoah Monch, Myka 9, The Last Poets, Dead Prez, Wee Bee Foolish, and DJ 3000.

La Mano Fiera has graced the cover of Studio Voice magazine and been featured in Tokion, Fader, Remix, Blast, Massage, and Woofin’ magazines. He performed at the Sonar Festival in Barcelona in 2004 and at the Medelink Festival in Medellín, Colombia in 2008. He held art exhibitions at the Serralves Auditorium in Portugal in 2005, in the Netherlands in 2004, and at UPLINK GALLERY between 2005 and 2013.

In 2008, he began live graphic performances using duct tape, touring Puerto Rico, San Francisco, the Netherlands, and Japan. As the creator of the "Miami & Tokyo Beer Tour," he has collaborated with Asahi, Kirin, HITACHINO NEST BEER (Japan), Minerva, Magna (Mexico), Sweetwater, New Belgium Beers, and Hatuey (USA). He has worked as a cultural consultant for product/81 and South Florida Ford and co-produced Ista Magazine and Infiltrate Zine.

La Mano Fiera is the founder and curator of the "Purvis Young Graffiti Wall of Fame" with his GPK graffiti crew, and he organizes the "Sud Swap" event, also known as the Miami Beer Tour, in Miami's Wynwood Art District. After working with JETS at the NSU ART MUSEUM in Fort Lauderdale, he returned to his roots in underground record label work, starting the Internet and cassette tape labels "Sud Swap Audio Brewing" and "Botanica1."

He is also a co-founder of Tokyo Book Club & Machete Moderno and a member of Sopa del Letras, Kahhhsko, and Totemo. Post-Covid-19 exhibitions include: Takarzuka Art Center, Art for Thought (Ginza), Ultra Super New Gallery (Harajuku), Adam by GMO (Shibuya), Gallery Ether (Nishi Azabu), FWD/Dante's (Miami Art Basel), Black Label Gallery (Harajuku), Mauri Department Store (Sapporo), and more.

Exhibitions