Miguel de Jezús

Miguel de Jezús is known for his bold work that is shaped by the compositions in chiaroscuro art. His pieces encapsulate the contrasting vibrancies of his own soul. His large body of works were exhibited and published in magazines such as yo MUJER in an effort to transform the paradigmatic views of life into contemporary testimonies about his subjects. His unequivocal chiaroscuro photographic artwork is a reflection of his subjects submergence of empowerment and vulnerability.

His passion for capturing the emotional transgressions within the lives of his subjects stems from the inspiration he obtained from the Dutch artist Rembrandt. Similar to Rembrandt, his photography captures an autobiography within itself, oftentimes a transcript of his own emotional upbringing that is demonstrated in the chiaroscuro theme in his photography.

Born in an Arizona border town of Nogales and raised on the northern border of Mexico, Miguel de Jezús was drawn to exploring and spending much of his time outdoors. Living between two countries, two languages, and two cultures gave him a unique perspective on life. So naturally he was seemingly possessed by all forms of art; He was consumed by his interest in creative lettering and found himself easily overpowered by his need to exhibit his art to the world.

The intimacy of his work quickly grew from notebooks, to walls, to eventually trains under the alias KLIPZ.  By sharing splashes of art onto cargo trains, he hoped part of his own soul would travel across the country. Due to his unwillingness to fully depart from his art, he began to photograph pieces of his work as a reminder of his ability to manifest beauty in seemingly banal environments- a reminder, he still carries in all of his work today.