An internationally renowned Mexican artist, mentor, and creative entrepreneur, specializing in fine art and working across gallery and urban art settings. His artistic repertoire encompasses various mediums, including screen prints, stencils, stickers, masking film illustrations, wheat paste, collages, sculptures, posters, paintings, and murals.
As a young adult, Luis grappled with the challenges of maintaining a solid connection to his Mexican culture and roots in the face of the influences of the Mexican-U.S. border. This struggle catalyzed his creative growth, as he keenly observed and responded to his surroundings.
Growing up in Tijuana, Luis found himself amidst a vibrant community of individuals migrating from South to North in search of improved opportunities, resulting in significant new subcultures. During this period, he developed a remarkable ability to visualize and articulate the cultural discontinuities between the South and North, recognizing that migration reflects the societal needs and aspirations of individuals within a specific environment.
Raised in the 70s and 80s in the most visited border on the planet, Tijuana, Mexico, Luis relocated to the United States in 1985. He pursued his artistic education at the esteemed Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1990.
Luis’s artwork has garnered widespread recognition both nationally and internationally. His art pieces are featured in over 380 private and institutional collections throughout the United States, Mexico, and Latin America, including prestigious institutions such as the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York, the Minneapolis Institute of Art in Minneapolis, the Minnesota History Museum in Saint Paul, the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, The City of Albuquerque, and the Tamarind Institute.
In addition to his extensive collection of accolades, including the McKnight Visual Artist Fellowship, the Ohio Art Council Fellowship, the AIGA MN Fellowship, the Peter Glen Special Award for Public Services, and the 2018 City Pages Artist of the Year, among others, Luis frequently shares his expertise at creative art conferences and universities worldwide, delivering lectures on the intersection of art, design, and commerce.
Luis’s recent endeavors include illustrating four stamps for the United States Postal Service and creating an art collection for Target stores nationwide to commemorate the Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead). These projects exemplify his ongoing commitment to bridging cultural traditions with contemporary artistic expressions.
