Santiago López
Growing up between San Diego and San Miguel de Allende, I realized art had the power to bridge cultures, communities, and lived experiences. I use my illustrations to build connection, spark a shift, flip the script and turn difference into dialogue.
As a neurodiverse artist, my illustrations explore my ASD and Latinx identity while amplifying voices around our shared humanity. My artwork has been exhibited at venues including OECD Headquarters Gallery in Paris, on Capitol Hill, the Kennedy Center, California Center for the Arts and at Nickelodeon. In 2023, I was selected as a Kennedy Center Emerging Young Artist. The next year I was chosen to represent the United States at an international art exhibition and forum during the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. These experiences shape how I use art to build worlds where every story belongs.
About my work
Through visual metaphors and symbolism, I search for hidden narratives and explore what connects people and our stories. Blending traditional and digital media, I focus on detail, texture, and layered imagery to evoke emotion and illuminate diverse perspectives. My work is both a personal reflection and an invitation to a more inclusive world.
Recent feature of art in Canvas Rebel Magazine.
Explore resources I’ve created around disability, storytelling and community centered artwork. Smithsonian Learning Labs.
PAST EXHIBITIONS
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Washington D.C.
Organization for Economic Cooperation -OECD Headquarters Gallery Paris, France.
Art Access Gallery Raleigh, North Carolina.
Los Angeles City Hall Los Angeles, California.
The Collective Lafayette, Colorado.
Alhambra City Hall Gallery Alhambra, California.
California Center for the Arts, Escondido, California
Santiago López Studio 