JUAN MUNIZ

Born in Tijuana, Mexico and raised in San Diego Juan was always interested in art. Always drawing and getting in trouble for it. He learned English by just watching Saturday morning cartoons. Moved to Vegas in 1998 graduating high school in 2001.

He attended Collins College in Arizona for animation. After recieving an associates degree he moved back to Las Vegas where he earned a bachelors in graphic design from The Art institute. Through mutual friends Juan became involved with First Friday art shows and found a home where he can show and display his art and meet an amazing group of artist that have become his greatest motivators.

Artist Statement

“Say it simple, mean it deep”. Simply put, that is the basis of my art. I feel that as children we live to create we are always playing using our imagination and we see the world for what it is. As we grow older we loose that. We become jaded and the colorful world we once knew becomes dull and gray. I paint bright simple images that are easy to understand visually but with a deeper connotation.

The character that I use in my newer work “Felipe” (named after my little brother that died at birth) is a person neither male nor female that is wearing a rabbit suit and a mask. The reason for that is that we all as people wear a costume “our skin” our skin doesn’t have to define who we are. It’s just part of us but we shouldn’t be judged for that reason alone and we shouldn’t live our lives by the costume we wear. The “mask” is a blank stare it shows no emotion yet it shows every emotion every human may feel. We wear a mask to tell the world this is who we are.

Exhibitions

July 2008- MTZC, Las Vegas, Nevada

October 2008- Epicenter, Las Vegas, Nevada

February 2009- 111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco, California

August 2009- Monkey House, Los Angeles, California

October 2009- Gypsy Den, Las Vegas, Nevada

November 2009- Ortego Gallery, Las Vegas, Nevada

January 2010- Place Gallery, Las Vegas, Nevada

March 2010- La Luz De Jesus, Hollywood, California

July 2010- lvsk8 Place Gallery, Las Vegas, Nevada

July 2010- La Luz De Jesus, Hollywood, California

November 2010- Rothick Art Haus- Anaheim, California