Luis Sahagun

Visiting Assistant Professor of Drawing and Sculpture

Education

  • M.F.A. Northern Illinois University
  • B.F.A. Southern Illinois University

Areas of Expertise

  • Drawing/Sculpture
  • Painting/Performance

Background

I have multiple origin stories and communities that all come together in my art practice, which fuels my passion for education.

Along with being an interdisciplinary artist, scholar, and educator, I also practice Curanderismo. I'm Mexican-Indigenous, a former undocumented construction worker, a product designer, and, on top of all that, a comic book movie nerd. Each of these identities shapes how I see myself, how others see me, and the personal and professional communities I connect with. All these experiences have left their mark on me, and together, they form the foundation of my story. 

I have exhibited widely at venues including the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Latchkey Gallery NYC, Charlie James Gallery (Los Angeles), and The National Museum of Mexican Art (Chicago), among others. My work has been reviewed in publications including Artforum, the Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune. My practice has also 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. I am a 3Arts awardee and 2023 United States Artist Fellow.