Victor Reyes is a self-taught artist born on August 12, 1989, in San Jose, California, and raised between Zamora, Michoacán, and Los Angeles. Coming from a deeply creative family, Reyes was surrounded by making from an early age—his mother enjoyed painting and assembling handcrafted gift baskets, while his father built wooden toys, chairs, and traditional sets for Día de los Reyes. Although creativity ran throughout his family, Reyes is the only one who pursued art as a dedicated path.
Growing up, Reyes faced learning challenges and was placed in special education throughout middle and high school. During his youth, his family moved between Mexico and Los Angeles. While in Mexico, he was unable to continue his formal education, which impacted his learning development. After returning to Los Angeles, traditional schooling remained difficult, but he eventually found a creative path through Art Division, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting young adults (ages 18–27) in pursuing higher education and careers in the arts.
Reyes participated in classes at Art Division over several years, where he developed his skills and artistic voice. He supported himself through various hands-on jobs, including warehouse work, dishwashing, and baking. Over time, his connection to Art Division deepened, and he now works there as a Printmaking Instructor, mentoring and guiding emerging artists while continuing to grow in his own practice.
Currently living in East Los Angeles, Reyes

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

Victor Reyes is a self-taught artist raised between Zamora, Michoacán and Los Angeles. Working across oil pastels, oil paint, graphite, ceramics, and mixed media, his practice explores storytelling through mythology, Chicano identity, and contemporary urban life.
Influenced by a deeply creative family background and shaped by nontraditional educational experiences, Reyes developed his artistic voice through hands on making and community based learning at Art Division, a nonprofit organization supporting young adults pursuing higher education and careers in the arts. He now serves as a Printmaking Instructor at Art Division, mentoring emerging artists while continuing to expand his own practice.
Reyes’ work imagines alternative cultural histories and futures, where Indigenous traditions evolve within a modern “concrete jungle.” His imagery often features lowriders as symbolic time machines vehicles that carry culture, memory, and identity across generations. Through vibrant, narrative driven compositions, Reyes creates new mythologies that blend past, present, and future into bold visual worlds.