FEATURED ARTIST | Ana Serrano

Inspired from childhood by both the vibrant streets of Los Angeles and her grandfather’s knack for DIY craftsmanship, sculptural paper artist Ana Serrano offers a delightfully vivid and playful reimagining of common architecture. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Serrano has long been captivated by the city’s eclectic neighborhoods, where facades from different eras and cultural influences coexist along a single block. That layered visual landscape is what continues to inform
her practice today.

Working primarily with brightly-colored painted cardboard, Serrano constructs intricate architectural installations that celebrate the personality, improvisation, and visual language of urban Latino communities. As a first-generation Mexican American, she draws from the intersection of her dual cultural identities, observing how residents transform ordinary buildings into vibrant expressions of self through paint, signage, ornamentation, and plant life. She is especially drawn to unexpected, whimsical details like unconventional color palettes, eclectic planters, and hand-painted flourishes. What some might dismiss as tacky, Serrano embraces as deeply human gestures; intimate reflections of the homeowner’s spirit and story.

“I can see people reflected in the architecture, whether it’s in the signage, the colors, or symbols decorating the facades… I’m really looking for the unexpected, anything that moves away from the traditional or what the mainstream would consider good design.”

Since relocating to Portland, Oregon, her perspective has subtly shifted. Surrounded by dense greenery and a more immersive natural landscape, Serrano has begun to reflect more deeply on family history and personal narrative, considering not only the built environment but her own relationship to it. Nature, once observed within manicured Los Angeles settings, is now something she feels physically embedded in, expanding the emotional range of her work.

From small, intimate dwellings to expansive installations that transform entire gallery spaces into miniature metropolises, Serrano’s meticulous craftsmanship and joyful sensibility remain unmistakable. Her work not only evokes a sense of home for Angelenos, but also inspires classrooms around the world, inviting young makers to see their own neighborhoods with fresh eyes and embrace their creative potential.

Ana Serrano (American, b. 1983) earned her BFA from Art Center College of Design in 2008. Her works have been exhibited in both solo and group museum shows, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Fowler Museum of Cultural History, Vincent Price Art Museum, and the National Museum of Mexican Art. Serrano’s sculptures are held in private and public collections, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the AltaMed Art Collection, the Museum of Latin American Art, and The Phyllis & Ross Escalette Permanent Collection of Art at Chapman University. She has been featured in various publications such as Juxtapoz, American Style, Vogue (Mexico), and In the Company of Women (Artisan Press, 2016). Serrano currently lives and works in Portland, Oregon