LUIS EMILIO ROMERO

Luis De Jesus Los Angeles is pleased to announce Luis Emilio Romero: Fortress of Light / Fortaleza de Luz, the artist’s first solo exhibition with the gallery. The exhibition will run from June 22 – August 17, 2024, with an opening reception on Saturday, June 22, from 6–8pm.

Luis Emilio Romero’s geometric abstract paintings are linked to ancestrally passed traditions of woven textiles as a process connected to the ritual of creation. Romero’s work speaks to the lifeblood of cultural methodologies, employing spirituality and indigenous craft as the structural logic in his intricate compositions. His paintings are vessels of process imbued with intention, energy, and devotion.

Romero’s process starts by drawing linear compositions on delicate paper. Using colored pencils, the drawing is replicated on canvas and this foundational blueprint serves as both the guideline and structure of the painting, a step he reveals on the edges of each finished work. He shares, “These lines have their own skeletal system; when merged, they become pillars, and once I combine them, they become like a fortress. The energy flows through me and into the root of these lines. The meditation aspect of this process is similar to the ritual of making textiles in Guatemala. There, I was taught that understanding the tools used in their creation is as important as the final piece itself.” 

The next step in his ritual is activated by meditating on the color spirit of the painting. With a carefully considered palette, he combines bands of color with rows of repeating individual brushstrokes to build tactile woven patterns that evoke rhythm and harmony. Each surface ignites the physicality and movement of the composition, highlighting vivid structures of color, texture, and line. These internal spaces, intricate patterns, and passageways lead to chambers of reflection that trigger a sensory experience.