LUIS GABRIEL SANABRIA
ABOUT

ARTIST STATEMENT
As an artist from a territory grappling with ongoing colonization, my work delves into identity through the lens of carnival characters. I aim to narrate both individual and collective histories by drawing from ancient performative traditions. These encounters, rooted in ritual, reveal the potential of performance to connect spiritual practices with the contemporary political landscape. I seek to reclaim the unique social disruption that carnival and its characters provide, using them as platforms for expressing our definitions of sovereignty across all dimensions. My practice invites a reevaluation of Puerto Rican traditions, exploring them through the lenses of intimacy, queerness, and our ecological contexts. I strive to create new iconographies that reflect the intersectionalities and complexities of Caribbean cultures, particularly within the framework of collective celebrations. Through the art of disguise, I aim to portray the rich tapestry of identities that define Puerto Rican life today. By engaging with these themes, my work not only honors our cultural heritage but also advocates for a broader understanding of who we are in this ever-evolving narrative.
BIO
Luis Gabriel Sanabria (San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1993) is a multidisciplinary artist, performer, cultural manager, and educator whose practice integrates sculpture, ceramics, masks, costume, and community-based processes to explore carnival traditions, identity, and the cultural ecologies of the Caribbean. Following his first solo exhibition, Carnaval Carnal, at PérezPuig in 2022, his career has gained significant visibility. Since then, he has completed artistic residencies in the Amazon through Casa Muyska (Colombia), Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (Canada), SARP Sicily Art Residency Program (Italy), and San Juan 721 (Puerto Rico); presented the exhibition Earthborn at SARP Gallery in Sicily; was selected for El Puente at Penland School of Craft; developed Vejigante Gigante: Vehículo de Protesta Llamativa for the Ponce Carnival with the support of Beta-Local, Máquina Simple, and the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce; and recently participated in a commission for MAC en el Barrio, an initiative of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico. Trained in Acting and Performing Arts and holding a master’s degree in Cultural Management and Administration from the University of Puerto Rico, Sanabria complements his artistic practice with an extensive educational practice, teaching workshops at institutions such as the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico, while also developing independent initiatives such as Criollas and Cálido Laboratorio with Santiago Álvarez. In parallel, he has collaborated with artists such as Matt Louis on music videos and the cover of his album Gamma, as well as with Rauw Alejandro on the design of masks, characters, and costumes for the videos Carita Linda and Besito en la Frente, the Cosa Nuestra World Tour, and the Latin Grammy performance. His work was featured on the runway of MTV's Ru Paul Drag Race All Stars Season 11, worn by April Carrión. He presented Biotopías, his second solo show, at PérezPuig in 2026. His work is distinguished by its integration of research, performance, visual arts, and community participation, establishing him as one of the most active voices in contemporary Puerto Rican art.
PRESS
IMPULSIVA STORIES INTERVIEW PART I & II by ELIZABETH LANG
https://www.impulsivastories.com/luis-gabriel-sanabria-part-i/
https://www.impulsivastories.com/luis-gabriel-sanabria-part-ii/
BURNAWAY MAGAZINE INTERVIEW by ALEXANDRA MARTÍNEZ
JAY FONSECA WEBSITE INTERVIEW BY ÁMBAR ROHAMI
https://jayfonseca.com/luis-gabriel-sanabria-una-reinterpretacion-del-carnaval/
LIVE INTERVIEWS
RAW TALKS & MARTINIS INTERVIEW BY ALAN WONG
https://youtu.be/yAYxlx6zeZ0?si=rKQWiQvA-mM6nTbL
https://youtu.be/wrWF56EyqnQ?si=I4eNVmmKpJz5oP4a
https://youtu.be/cgi1yQfMVEo?si=J9F0KDU4S0bQxgOO
EN LA MAÑANA TELEONCE INTERVIEW WITH ELWOOD CRUZ
CUIRTOPIA LIVE PODCAST RADIO UNIVERSIDAD DE PUERTO RICO WITH REGNER RAMOS Ep. 70
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3PARQtnQ93PUkuHcL7J1ba
FENCast PODCAST
CV
Solo Projects, Commissions & Residencies
2026
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Solo Exhibition – Biotopías, presented by PerezPuig, at Nuestro Barrio, San Juan, Puerto Rico (August–September)
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Group Exhibition – La Quema, presented by PerezPuig, at Nuestro Barrio, San Juan, Puerto Rico (August)
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Mask & Headpiece Commission – MTV RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 11, Ep. 4, headpiece and mask featured on the runway for April Carrión (May)
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Artist Residency – Cocina Barro Tejido, Casa Muyska: Guainía and Inírida, Colombian Amazon, ceramics, textiles, and traditional cooking, with a group exhibition at the Museo Comunitario del Guainía (March)
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Community Art Project – Del Barro a la Soberanía by Luis Gabriel Sanabria & Santiago Álvarez, MAC EN EL BARRIO, Museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico (January–February)
2025
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Costume Design & Installation – Contributed to Rauw Alejandro’s Latin Grammy Awards presentation through original costume design, with featured dancers wearing custom Vejigante masks. Designed and executed the “Vejigante Alborada” installation for the closing shows of the Cosa Nuestra World Tour at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico (November).
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Costume Design – Rauw Alejandro’s Besito en la Frente music video (October).
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Artist Residency – San Juan 721 Residency Space & Open Studio (July-August)
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Earthborn – Exhibition with Santiago Alvarez, SARP Gallery, Linguaglossa, Sicily, Italy (June–July).
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Artist Residency – SARP, Linguaglossa, Sicily, Italy (June–July).
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El Puente – Group exhibition curated by Kathryn Gremley (Cristina Córdova, Jaime Suárez, Ada del Pilar & Luis Gabriel Sanabria), John & Robyn Horn Gallery, Penland School of Craft, North Carolina, USA (April–June).
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Casa Muyska Artist Residency – Traditional Cubeo & Indigenous Crafts and Pottery Residency in the Colombian Amazon Region of Vaupés.
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Vejigante Gigante Project – Carnaval de Ponce, Puerto Rico. Sponsored by Máquina Simple, Beta-Local & Municipio de Ponce (March).
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Costume Design – Rauw Alejandro’s Carita Linda music video & Cosa Nuestra World Tour (February).
2024
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Etna Volcano Table Installation – Collaboration with Santiago Alvarez for Carolina Mazzolari’s exhibition Don’t Look Back Orfeo, Sicily, Italy (July).
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Casa Muyska Artist Residency Program – Leticia, Amazon & Boyacá, Colombia (March).
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Workshop – Masks and Costumes with Natural Materials, Casa Muyska, Boyacá, Colombia (March–April).
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Group Exhibition – Represented by Souvenir 154 at MECA International Art Fair, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (May).
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About Clay 2023 – Contemporary Puerto Rican Ceramics Group Show, Souvenir 154, San Juan, Puerto Rico (February–April).
2023
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Residency – Rewilding the Body Eclectic, Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity, Alberta, Canada (November).
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Wild Clay Pots – Internship project with Santiago Alvarez, presented at MOOS SPACE, Berlin, Germany (August–November).
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La Alegradora – Roaming installation & performance, Poncili Creación, Santurce es Ley Mural Festival (May).
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Workshop – Experimental Vejigante Masks & Photo Performance, Museum of Art of Puerto Rico (February).
2022
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FUTUROS – Exhibition, Festival MixTO, Colectivo Artistas S.O.S., Toronto, Canada (September).
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Carnaval Carnal – Solo exhibition, Souvenir 154, San Juan, Puerto Rico (August–November).
Selected Artistic Collaborations & Performances
Kuniklo Collective
2021
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Kvar – Virtual performance (video project), Museum of Human Achievement, Austin, TX. Sponsored by the City of Austin Cultural Funding (June).
2020
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Earthquake Relief Benefit Show – Fundraising performance for victims of the Puerto Rico earthquakes, El Cuadrado Gris, Barrio Obrero, San Juan, PR (January).
2019
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Austin Bat Cave’s Reading Bus (Bat Mobile) – Collaboration with SOMA Small Spaces; developed mobile classroom for children, Austin, TX (September).
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Sez Ono – Intersectional performance disguised as fashion show, Fusebox Festival, Museum of Human Achievement, Austin, TX (April).
2018
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Alebrije Dreams – Residency at Mexic-Arte Museum, Austin, TX; culminating in lead float for the annual Viva la Vida parade (October).
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Viduseksu – Analogue VR interactive experience, Fusebox Festival, Museum of Human Achievement, Austin, TX (April).
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Mortinta Akvo – Series of performances, Titeretada International Puppet Festival, La Respuesta, San Juan, PR (March).
2017
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Psychedelic Teepee – Installation & performance, MECA International Art Fair, San Juan, PR (June).
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Hagiografías III – Intermedia collaboration with Aravind Enrique Adyanthaya, Centro de Bellas Artes, Sala Experimental, San Juan, PR (April).
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Performances at Titeretada Cabaret nights, Museo de San Juan, PR (March).
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Piñones/Pilones – Featured performance, OUTsider Festival of Performance and Art, Austin, TX (February).
2016
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Bohíque/Visions I, II, III – Installation and video works, Roberto Paradise Gallery, Santurce, PR (Aug–Oct).
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The Bread Maker – La Titeretada, International Puppet Festival of Puerto Rico (April).
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Bohío – Interactive installation, Bronson Music & Art Festival, Cabo Rojo, PR (April).
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Pop-up Show with Amanda Palmer & Cage Show – Museum of Human Achievement, South by Southwest Festival, Austin, TX (March).
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Chichaíto // Little Fucks – Installation and video Organ Grinder, Taller Secreto, Río Piedras, PR (February).
2015
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Ballenarca Tour – Collaboration with giant puppet whale project (Summer).
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XARDOX / Gongolo / Clones Somos Tour – Collaborative touring show (Summer).
Bread and Puppet Theater
2024
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The Gray Lady Cantata Revival Show
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The Beginning After the End of Humanity Circus and Pageant
2019
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The Honey Let’s Go Home Opera & The Diagonal Life Circus – Residency, Theater for the New City, New York, NY (December).
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Diagonal Life Theory and Praxis Fall Tour – Workshops & performances across Northeastern U.S. (Nov).
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Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes – Charleville-Mézières, France (Honey Let’s Go Home Opera, Sept).
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Michto Festival – Nancy, France. Community workshops, parade, and circus show (Oct).
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The Diagonal Life Circus and Pageant – Glover, VT (July–Aug).
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Extinction Rebellion Parade – Various towns in Vermont (June–July).
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The Diagonal Life Tour – Performances and creative workshops in Northeastern U.S. (Apr–May).
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Residency at Centro Arte para la Paz, Suchitoto, El Salvador. Community workshops, parade, and political theater creation (March).
2018–2015 (selected)
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The Grasshopper Rebellion Circus & Pageant (2018).
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Our Domestic Insurrection Circus & Pageant (2017).
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The Basic Byebye Show (2017).
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Water Protectors’ Parade (2017).
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Prison Demolition and Composting Parade (2017).
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Overtakelessness Circus (2015).
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Comet’s Passage Over Reality Pageant (2015).
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The Situation, Gaza Emergency Pageant, Tar Sands Manifesto Pageant, Fire (revival) (2014).
Poncili Creación
https://www.instagram.com/poncilicreacion/
2023
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La Alegradora – Roaming installation & performance, Santurce es Ley Mural Festival, Puerto Rico.
2014
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Melted Embraces – U.S. Tour.
Areas of Practice
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Multidisciplinary visual & performing arts
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Puppetry & performance
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Ceramics & traditional crafts
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Costume & mask design
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Arts education & workshops