Juan Espinosa

Juan Espinosa is a Mexican-American, born in San Bernardino, California, and raised throughout Southern California. 

Originally educated in anatomy, kinesiology, and physical therapy, he recently became interested in art while recovering from an injury. His immersion in art was almost accidental—Juan was eating barbecue and didn’t have a napkin to wipe his hands, so he used some ordinary notebook paper. A few smudges later, he started to see a figure, then with some additional strokes with the charred skewers he turned into pencils, had a portrait of his great-grandfather. 

His influences come from his own life experiences, which range from the Hispanic street gangs of San Bernardino and Los Angeles, the culture of his Hispanic background and upbringing, personal identity struggles, his time studying anatomy and physical therapy, and to more recent social experiences in the Palm Springs “forever paradise” scene. 

Juan’s art expresses the human condition through culture, mental health, internal conflict, sexuality, and the beauty of chaos. His style and process vary based on his emotional and personal view of each subject he chooses to express, while also utilizing what he studied in school about figure and form of the body. The control, colors, and expressions in Juan Espinosa’s work offer an introspective look at his perception of the world, both inside and out. His goal is for everyone to experience his art the way he experiences the world.