LUIS GABRIEL SANABRIA
ABOUT

ARTIST STATEMENT
As an artist from a territory experiencing ongoing colonization, my work explores identity through carnival characters and the performative traditions of the Caribbean. I am interested in investigating ancestral practices and their possibilities for expression within a contemporary context, from everyday rituals such as sharing food in community to performative practices associated with masks, disguise, and bodily transformation. These encounters offer ways to explore the relationships between spirituality, collective memory, and political action.
Through sculpture, ceramics, masks, and costume, I seek to reclaim carnival’s capacity to disrupt social order and create spaces for expression and reflection on sovereignty, intimacy, and our relationships with the ecological environment. I am also interested in ceramics as a material, cultural, and collective practice capable of fostering encounters, transmitting knowledge, and strengthening community bonds.
My work draws from Puerto Rican and Caribbean traditions to develop new iconographies that reflect the complexities of our identities and cultural contexts. I understand craft and performative practices as spaces for collaborative creation, where traditional knowledge engages in dialogue with contemporary concerns. Through these practices, I explore art’s potential to activate memory, build community, and generate new ways of understanding and representing our realities.
BIO
Luis Gabriel Sanabria (San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1993) is a Puerto Rican multidisciplinary artist, performer, cultural manager, and educator. His practice encompasses sculpture, ceramics, masks, costume, and collective creation, with a focus on carnival traditions, identity, and the cultural ecologies of the Caribbean.
In 2022, he presented Carnaval Carnal, his first solo exhibition, at PérezPuig in San Juan. He has participated in artistic residencies at Casa Muyska (Colombia), Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (Canada), SARP Sicily Art Residency Program (Italy), and San Juan 721 (Puerto Rico). In 2025, he presented Earthborn at SARP Gallery in Sicily and was selected for El Puente, a program at Penland School of Craft. That same year, he developed Vejigante Gigante: Vehículo de Protesta Llamativa for the Ponce Carnival, with support from Beta-Local, Máquina Simple, and the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce, and participated in an artistic commission for MAC en el Barrio, an initiative of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico. In 2026, he presented Biotopías, his second solo exhibition, at PérezPuig.
Sanabria holds a bachelor's degree in Performing Arts and a master's degree in Cultural Management and Administration from the University of Puerto Rico. His educational practice includes workshops at institutions such as the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico, as well as independent projects such as Criollas and Cálido Laboratorio, developed in collaboration with Santiago Álvarez.
His professional practice includes collaborations with artist Matt Louis on audiovisual projects and the cover of his album Gamma, as well as with Rauw Alejandro on the design of masks, characters, and costumes for the music videos Carita Linda and Besito en la Frente, the Cosa Nuestra World Tour, and the Latin Grammy performance. His designs were also featured on the runway of the eleventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, worn by April Carrión.
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