Joon the Goon

Juan “Joon" Alvarado graduated from Art Center College of Design in 2007. Since then, he has shown his collections at the Museum of Latin American Art, La Luz de Jesus, and was a featured artist (and winner) for Secret Walls and PowWow! Joon's art reflects his upbringing in Los Angeles, and is heavily influenced by graffiti, animation, Japanese woodblock art, and comic books.

Joon creates pieces that capture moments of solace, while being immersed within chaotic environments. As a resident of greater Los Angeles, he notices these moments occur on a daily basis (being stuck in traffic, waiting in lines, etc.). He realized that although one may live in a populated area, often times you can still feel completely alone. His motif often reflects an exposed midsection, signifying that we are all slowly dying in one way or another. His colorful smoke bubbles express moments that you often wish could be articulated, but have the lack of words to express.