BIO

Luis A. Sahagún (B. 1982) Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, he creates paintings, performances, and sculptures that confront the palpable inescapability of race, transforming them into acts of cultural reclamation. Like DNA strings of mestizaje, his practice sits at the intersections of contradictions — indian/conqueror, violence/unity, and ancient/contemporary. As the grandson of a Curandera and a practitioner of Curanderismo, Luis makes art that conjures indigenous spiritualities to embody personal histories, cultural resistance, and colonial disruption. As a formerly undocumented immigrant and laborer, Luis reveals the aesthetics of relocation and transgenerational trauma by utilizing building materials such as silicone, lumber, drywall, concrete, and hardware - symbols representing working class immigrants.

Luis has exhibited widely at venues including the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art (Roswell, NM), Latchkey Gallery NYC, Charlie James Gallery (Los Angeles), Arvika Art Gallery (Sweden), The National Museum of Mexican Art (Chicago), EXPO Chicago, and the Chicago Cultural Center, among others. His work has been examined in publications including Artforum, the Los Angeles Times, Newcity, New American Paintings, and the Chicago Tribune. His practice has been spotlighted as having a unique voice helping to shape, shift, and touch the world on radio, podcasts, and television networks such as MundoFOX, NBC, UNIVISION and WBEZ-NPR. Sahagun has held residencies at the Lucas Artists Residency Program at Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga, CA; Roswell, NM; Oaxaca, Mexico; the Chicago Artist Coalition; Mana Contemporary in Miami; and was an Artist in Residence for Critical Race Studies at Michigan State University. His work is included in the Fidelity Collection of Boston, Alta Med Collection of Los Angeles, the Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection, Junhwan Ko Collection, among others. Sahagun received his undergraduate degree from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and his MFA from Northern Illinois University. He is represented by Latchkey Gallery in New York City, and is a 3Arts awardee and a 2023 United States Artist Fellow.

L u i s A l v a ro S a ha g u n N u ño (Mexican, b . 1982) Magia Madre (Mother Magic) Graphite and charcoal on Arches Rives BFK paper, 2021 As you walk through the MSU Union Art Gallery you’ll find Sahagun’s surreal and glorious
L u i s A l v a ro S a ha g u n N u ño (Mexican, b . 1982) Magia Madre (Mother Magic) Graphite and charcoal on Arches Rives BFK paper, 2021 As you walk through the MSU Union Art Gallery you’ll find Sahagun’s surreal and glorious
L u i s A l v a ro S a ha g u n N u ño (Mexican, b . 1982) Magia Madre (Mother Magic) Graphite and charcoal on Arches Rives BFK paper, 2021 As you walk through the MSU Union Art Gallery you’ll find Sahagun’s surreal and glorious
L u i s A l v a ro S a ha g u n N u ño (Mexican, b . 1982) Magia Madre (Mother Magic) Graphite and charcoal on Arches Rives BFK paper, 2021 As you walk through the MSU Union Art Gallery you’ll find Sahagun’s surreal and glorious
L u i s A l v a ro S a ha g u n N u ño (Mexican, b . 1982) Magia Madre (Mother Magic) Graphite and charcoal on Arches Rives BFK paper, 2021 As you walk through the MSU Union Art Gallery you’ll find Sahagun’s surreal and glorious
L u i s A l v a ro S a ha g u n N u ño (Mexican, b . 1982) Magia Madre (Mother Magic) Graphite and charcoal on Arches Rives BFK paper, 2021 As you walk through the MSU Union Art Gallery you’ll find Sahagun’s surreal and glorious
L u i s A l v a ro S a ha g u n N u ño (Mexican, b . 1982) Magia Madre (Mother Magic) Graphite and charcoal on Arches Rives BFK paper, 2021 As you walk through the MSU Union Art Gallery you’ll find Sahagun’s surreal and glorious
L u i s A l v a ro S a ha g u n N u ño (Mexican, b . 1982) Magia Madre (Mother Magic) Graphite and charcoal on Arches Rives BFK paper, 2021 As you walk through the MSU Union Art Gallery you’ll find Sahagun’s surreal and glorious