Luis Estrada
Installation Artist, Wood Sculptor, Producer & Musician (b 1974 -Mexico)
From a young age, Luis has shown deep curiosity and abundant creativity. His lack of resources and a profound desire to learn to play the guitar led him to build his first guitar out of wood pieces, nails, and rubber bands lying around the house. That was just the beginning of a lifelong creative journey.
The beginnings
His professional career was sparked many years later during a family vacation in Flagstaff, AZ.
As he walked around the cabin his family was staying in, he began to pick up log pieces and some branches. With the help of a box cutter and plenty of creativity, his first cross came to be.
Luis's work is largely inspired by his Christian faith, his family, and the Catholic Church's social justice teachings.
He incorporates a fusion of traditional Mexican and contemporary Southwestern styles into his woodwork. He takes pride in working with upcycled materials that can be turned into art and be given a second life.
For over 20 years, Luis has led liturgical and youth ministries throughout the Valley of the Sun. In this capacity, he has been able to work and mentor young artists, singers, and musicians who often come from underprivileged backgrounds.
Furthermore, seeing the need to evangelize Spanish-speaking young children and their families dynamically and engagingly, Luis and his wife, Maria del Pilar, formed the Espiritu de los Niños Puppet Ministry in 2000.
For more than 7 years, Luis has worked with EnFamilia Radio, a Phoenix-based catholic radio station, to create two-yearly walk-through Art Installations: The Altares de todos los Santos (Altars of All Saints’ Day) and the Belenes (Bethlehem Nativity Scenes). As he can utilize all his creative and artistic talent, this work has become a highlight in Luis's professional career. Through the use of architecture, art, sound effects, music, aroma, and storytelling, these two installations submerge the audience in the lives of the people depicted in Luis's work and place them at the heart of the events surrounding them. This work is thought-provoking; it touches on human dignity, social justice, hope, and faith.
Weekly since 2014, Luis has written and produced Niños con Palabra, a one-hour variety radio show that provides evangelization and catechesis for children under the age of 12.
Luis loves to play the guitar, write music, and spend time with his family. He is happily married to his wife Maria del Pilar, and together they have 7 children, all of whom are artists.