Diego León

Diego (he/him) is an artist born and raised in San Diego CA, where he continues to create and exhibit. While he began as a self-taught artist, he earned his BA in Art at UCLA. His work is informed by the maximalist sensory experience he had as a kid growing up amidst swap meets, preparing scavenged items to be sold anew. His process begins by gathering materials from trash heaps, which then take the shape of accumulation, excavation, and preservation. His work is also deeply inspired by his love for skateboarding, graffiti, video games, and found objects. Diego’s teaching experience comes from working with system-impacted youth with the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory in Los Angeles and K-12th grade students at the Institute of Contemporary Art in San Diego.