Amor en los tiempos de Redućion Painting

Born 1969 in McAllen, TX and raised in the states of Jalisco and Nayart, Mexico. Early in his life DeLaTorre migrated with his mother and his two older brothers to the Bridgeport neighborhood in Chicago.

While attending Curie high school in Chicago the paintings of artists such as Salvador Dali, David Alfaro Siqueiros and comic book illustrators Alan Lee and Bill Sienkiewicz. Inspired DeLaTorres creativity it was then that he decided to pursue an education in art. After developing his art skills he enrolled at the American Academy of Art in Chicago where he had the opportunity to study under Master Watercolorist Irving Shapiro and earn his degree in Fine Art.

DeLaTorres art is exhibited frequently in the U.S., Mexico, and Europe. He recently received a grant from the Illinois Arts Council for an exhibit at La Llorona Gallery in Chicago. This fall he has been commissioned to do two murals one at Spry Elementary School and one at Columbia Explorers Elementary School. He will also be participating in several group shows including Neleh Gallery in Chicago and the Owings -Dewey Fine Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His artwork is currently in museum and private collections.

DeLaTorre has exhibited at four Da De Los Muertos group exhibits at The National Museum of Mexican Art Including the 20th Anniversary Exhibit in 2006.

In the fall of 2006 DeLaTorre created visual elements for a Teatro Vista production and in 2005 he designed and painted an enormous backdrop mural commissioned by Luna Negra Dance Theatre for a performance at the Harris Theatre for Music and Dance.

In 2005 he designed and produced a mosaic mural created for the Columbia Explorer Elementary School. The mural was done with children from the Yollocalli Youth Museum (a initiative of the NMOMA). DeLaTorre has also implemented an artist apprentice program in conjunction with the Big Picture H.S. in Chicago that includes the participation of two students a year.

Luis De La Torre arrived in Chicagos neighborhood of Bridgeport at the age of seven. Although he had spent most of his childhood in the states of Jalisco and Nayart in western Mexico, he was actually born in McAllen, Texas, near the U.S.Mexico border in 1969. These early years may continue to unconsciously inspire the work of this accomplished and dedicated artist.