I am a Peruvian-American visual artist and third culture kid exploring themes of cultural awareness and societal injustice. Raised in various U.S. cities and influenced by francophone countries as an adult, my otherness has been a source of artistic expression in the face of monoculturalism. My mixed-media practice—rooted in my mixed heritage—reflects an immigrant journey: conforming, resisting, and breaking free to create something new. I embrace my interrogated identities as many parts of a whole, rather than scattered, unsettled pieces.

As a highly sensitive, adaptable, and queer artist, my fluidity is reflected in my style across mediums and substrates, ranging from paint markers and charcoal to collage, oil, and acrylic. I aim to mesmerize with a playful application of gestural and linear abstraction or symbolic expressionism rooted in identity and personal experience.

In 2023, I adopted the name Rebel Leona—a nod to rebellion and the lion’s roar that broke through the silence that kept me contained. Proudly in D.C. since 2017, I’m currently a Certificate student at Washington Studio School, fueled by experiential learning and curiosity. Through my practice, I tell my story and invite others to share theirs too. ¡Te invito a mi mundo!