About

Born in 1996 in Guadalajara, Mexico, Luna de Jesús Licea is a self-taught painter currently based in Los Angeles, California. He immigrated to the United States at the age of 10, moving frequently before settling in Yakima, Washington, where he spent his teenage years. Luna initially pursued a career in the culinary arts but was later drawn to graphic design, which eventually led him to explore the visual arts. He began painting in 2021 and has been developing his artistic practice ever since.

Statement

Luna de Jesús Licea’s work is a powerful response to the speed, noise, and disconnection of modern life. He firmly believes that true human progress doesn’t come from machines or algorithms, but from the nurturing of intimacy, culture, and community. His art, predominantly oil painting, presents a world that operates at a more contemplative pace, listens more attentively, and values sustainability not just in material choices but in systems of thought and living.

He draws inspiration from Indigenous ways of knowing—rooted in balance, relationship, and reverence for the land. By incorporating elements from pre-Columbian and Jalisco culture, Licea crafts contemporary figures of a future world, adorned with symbols of resistance, care, and identity. In his paintings, clothing, jewelry, and hairstyles are not just decorative, but also serve as acts of storytelling and survival—a visual language that preserves culture and envisions a future shaped not by technological advancement, but by ancestral strength.

“Everything that was will be, and everything that is will not.”

This belief forms the foundation of Luna’s practice. In a culture obsessed with acceleration and virtual validation, he turns to the past to shape the future. His paintings serve as offerings—acts of remembrance and resistance that center identity, community, and cultural survival. They stand as a necessary counterbalance to the prevailing culture of speed and disconnection. Through this work, Luna not only invites viewers to reimagine progress but also to reconnect with their lineages. His art encourages us to find meaning in the small, deeply human moments that often go unnoticed, thereby enriching our understanding of culture and community.