About

Born in 1996 in Guadalajara, Mexico, Luna de Jesús Licea is a self-taught Artist 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 formative years. Licea envisioned a career in culinary arts, one that later transitioned into graphic design, where freelance work opened the door to a deeper exploration of visual storytelling through Oil painting. Since committing to painting in 2021, Luna has continued to develop a practice rooted in Community, identity, and cultural preservation and development.

Statement

Luna often struggles to make sense of the current reality: a system that seems to work backwards, that strips people of culture in the name of capital, and that moves too fast and does little to serve the ordinary person. A world that values individuality over community, and at the same time feels increasingly destructive—not only for the most vulnerable, but for the earth itself.

Through oil paints and sketches, the Luna captures moments of intimacy, care, & collaboration. focusing on the relationships between characters that are not isolated or individualized , but who exist with one another. Characters are dressed in bright, colorful, and bold garments, visually inspired by pre-Hispanic traditions, Luna place of birth Jalisco, and nature. Beyond the romanticized scenes of community and tenderness, the clothing symbolizes freedom and carries deep cultural significance. Traditional dress has often been among the first elements stripped from Indigenous communities and people of color; in Luna’s work, reclaiming and reimagining it becomes an act of resistance—an armor, a first line of defense for cultural identity and collective spirit. Characters are faceless as well, this is to highlight the collective spirit of the work, it’s used to crush individualism and ego from characters.

Luna aims to produce work that dares to step outside systems that glorify mass production, digital validation, and the acceleration of modern life. It offers an alternative—a return to community, land-based knowledge, and slower rhythms. A world in which progress is not measured by technological advancement or wealth, but by the depth of connection to oneself, to one another, and to the culture and land that shape us.