Self-taught Mexican artist on creating artwork that speaks to the masses

“I am totally self-taught, which gives me full freedom of experimentation."

With a background in painting, sculptures and murals, self-taught Mexican visual artist, Lilia Luján, uses discarded materials to create mixed-media artworks.

With a creative arts background, Luján got his start over 20 years ago and has created 25 directed murals and over 400 national and international exhibitions. The artist is inspired by a collective of possibilities from spiritual issues and life experiences. 

“I am totally self-taught, which gives me full freedom of experimentation, and has allowed me to explore all kinds of possibilities, artistic lines, techniques, and supports. Each artwork is part of my being, emotions are projected, then verbalised to the viewer's gaze,” explains Luján. 

A stand-out project for the artist is a collection of 100 surreal drawings which was done on handmade cotton paper, which Luján used for its strength and durability. This allows the artwork to last longer and not to deteriorate.

Other projects sees Luján experiment with different techniques, such as airbrushing, oil, watercolor, acrylic and collage, among others.

‘Although it is undeniable that all artists have references and/or influences, I think that this way of working keeps the essence in the creative process purer. At least for me, that freedom works just great,” says Luján. 

When he’s not creating new artworks, Luján spends time teaching the profession to children, adolescents and adults, who come from poor socio-economic backgrounds. The artist also has published five books which explore the role of the artist and their art. 

More on Lilia's work here.

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