Barrida: Gloria “Lochita” Nuño & Maria “Toñita” Nuño

Completed

2022

Medium

Charcoal, paper, Amethyst, obsidian crystals, resin, beads, gorilla glue, rope, joint compound, gold leaf, family photos, found objects, and caulk

Dimensions

90x56x4

Description

My artistic practice investigates the intersection of spiritual reclamation, cultural preservation, and healing, using a multidisciplinary approach that reimagines traditional Mexican-Indigenous rituals and crafts in the context of contemporary art. Grounded in the spiritual practices of Curanderismo, including limpias (spiritual cleansings) and soul retrieval, my work serves as both offering and ritual. I merge industrial materials such as silicone, drywall, and concrete with organic and symbolic elements like beads, maize, shells, and feathers. These materials transform into objects that speak to labor, spirituality, and resilience, embodying a dialogue between ancestral practices and modern frameworks.

Central to my research is Alivio y Asilo, an ongoing series that explores the curative potential of portraiture. This body of work is deeply informed by the rituals of Curanderismo, where healing and storytelling intertwine. Each portrait is created through a collaborative process involving the subject, with whom I perform multiple limpias during the creation of the work. These sessions integrate materials charged with symbolic and medicinal significance—resin beads infused with plant medicine, chants, and personal imagery—along with miniature animal sculptures that communicate suggested remedies. The final artworks become layered compositions that transform traditional portraiture into a spiritual process of healing and restoration. This project bridges ancestral traditions with contemporary methodologies, reframing art as a vehicle for resilience and renewal.

By integrating traditional Mexican craft, spiritual healing, and contemporary art, my research contributes to broader conversations on cultural preservation and interdisciplinary art practices. It seeks to reclaim and recontextualize Indigenous traditions, positioning art as a transformative

tool for decolonization and healing. My work honors the resilience of undocumented laborers and Indigenous communities, underscoring the potential of art to repair the spiritual, cultural, and historical wounds of colonization.

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About this Artist

Luis Sahagún Nuño

Luis Sahagún Nuño

Luis Sahagún Nuño is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice transforms drawing into ceremony and art into medicine. Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México, and raised in Chicago’s Southland, his practice is grounded in curanderismo, the traditional healing practices of Latin America. His work reimagines Mexica and Yucatec Maya rituals within contemporary art. Incorporating limpias (energetic cleansings) and soul retrievals, his practice functions as both offering and ritual, acts of reclamation, reconnecting lost energies, and weaving fragmented memories back into wholeness. Sahagún received a BFA from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and an MFA from Northern Illinois University. His work is part of the permanent collections of Fidelity, AltaMed, and the Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art, as well as private collections including Amir Shariat, Carmen Rita Wong, Nick Cave, and many others. He has exhibited globally, including at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, The Bronx Museum of Art, Roswell Museum of Art, DePaul…
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