Caute, meaning “Careful” or “Beware”, was the motto Spinoza used to seal his letters, accompanied by a rose with a thorny stem and the initials BDS. The word acquired particular resonance in a life marked by adversity: Spinoza kept the cloak pierced during an attempted assassination as a reminder, while the brutal murder of his friends, the De Witt brothers, profoundly affected him. Ruiz Guiñazú’s painting evokes this history of danger, loss and resilience.

In 2008 I discovered the philosophy of Spinoza, and it became a fascinating subject for my painting, in fact an obsession. He was a precursor to Freud and psychoanalysis, which also has an important place in my work as a painter. I am fascinated by realism, though with a minimalist touch. I like to work in series. My medium is acrylic, which allows me to work quickly, layer after layer, through washes and reworking. However, because my work is meticulous, the process is slow.

Born in Malargüe, Argentina. Studied at the National School of Fine Arts, University of Córdoba, and graduated from the ED Higher School of Interior Architecture, Córdoba, in 1974. She first travelled to Paris in 1978 and later worked in the studio of Antonio Seguí. Her first exhibition was in 1998. She has exhibited in France, Spain, Argentina, the Netherlands, Belgium, Korea, Croatia, Greece, Mexico and Tunisia.

Her Spinoza series has been exhibited at Galerie Popy Arvani, Paris, in À la recherche du bonheur; at London Art Fair with Aleph Gallery in 2022; at Galerie Argentine, Paris, in La Géométrie du bonheur selon Spinoza in 2023; and at Chateauform Rio – Galerie Frédéric Roulette, Paris, in Modernité de Spinoza in 2024. New projects are planned for 2027 in France and the Netherlands.