Biography
Rafael Mejia is a first generation Mexican American Painter, born in 1992 in Ventura, California. He began studying art at Riverside Community College, and recently earned his BFA in Drawing & Painting from Laguna College of Art and Design in 2024. He has exhibited paintings with Pain Sugar Gallery, Salt Fine Art, and Billis Williams Gallery, and currently works out of his studio in Los Angeles.
“I strive to create works that evoke a feeling of harmony and balance. My work explores the intersection of the past and present of my Mexican American heritage, weaving together personal history with broader cultural influences. Using my own symbolism drawn from my memories of rural Mexico, I aim to transport viewers to a place of nostalgia, offering a moment of respite from our rapidly changing world. Inspired by my memories, interests, and family, my work is imbued with personal meaning and significance.”
Recent Exhibitions
2024 “The Future of the Figure”, Billis Williams Gallery- Culver City, CA
2024 BFA 2024 Fine Arts Exhibition, LCAD Gallery- Laguna Beach, CA
2024 Duo Show: Origins, Pain Sugar Gallery- Riverside, CA 2024
Galleries
Pain Sugar Gallery- Riverside, CA
Salt Fine Art- Laguna, CA
Billis Williams Gallery- Culver City, CA
Recent Awards and honors
LCAD Merit Scholarship, 2020-2024
The Plotkin Foundation Scholarship, 2022
