Luca Cruzat (she/her) is a contemporary printmaker based in Southern Illinois. She holds an MFA from Southern Illinois University Carbondale (2006), as well as an MA in Foreign Language and Literature (1993). She works primarily in collagraphy, extending the practice into installation and 3D objects. She is best known for her collagraph prints, which combine a minimalist visual language.
Luca explores the human condition through questions, uncertainties, and thoughts that she translates into visual form often inspired by ordinary and everyday experiences. The result is a fragmentary portraiture of women, men, and children. Her practice is characterized by simplified forms, restrained color palettes, and the use of materials such as garments, which reflect her regard for personal and collective stories.
“I grew up in a large family —my parents and seven siblings—where I learned early on how to share and how to be independent. As a child, I was exposed to sewing machines and designing and making my own clothes became one of my favorite activities. That early connection to materials, fabric, and making-by-hand continues to influence my artistic practice today.
While I was a university student studying architecture in my twenties, Chile experienced the military coup of 1973 and the 17 years of dictatorship that followed. Living in a time marked by violence, censorship, and restrictions deeply shaped how I see the world and understand human experience. Self-censorship has become a way to survive in daily life and overcoming that has been important to my personal and creative process. I am not indifferent to the suffering, joy, and nonsense in life.
I moved to the United States in 1988 and continued teaching French. Around the year 2000, the university allowed me to enroll in printmaking classes to explore my interests, and soon I became an MFA student. Since graduating, I have been working from my studio in Murphysboro, Illinois, and actively exhibiting my work.
Today, my life and practice are shaped by my past and present experiences. Southern Illinois, with its welcoming community and access to nature, is now home, while memories of Chile remain an essential part of me. Travel and continued learning have also been important. I value these broader experiences and the quiet return to my studio where concentration for long hours is possible. Locally, I have been part of the Oak Street Art collective, helping organize an annual art fair in Murphysboro that brings artists and the public together in direct and meaningful exchange.”
Mariana of the Many Talents, 2023
Image provided by the artist
Featured Artworks
Killed in Action, 2010
Collagraph
Image provided by the artist
Aunt Marie, 2020
Collagraph and color pencils
Image provided by the artist
Juneteenth Celebration, 2025
Collagraph, trace monoprint, and water color
Image provided by the artist
In the Future, She will Fly, 2026
Collagraph and chine collé
Image provided by the artist
Deadalus Wings installation view, 2023
Woodcut on paper, bamboo, and threads
Image provided by the artist
Kite #9, 2023
Woodcut on paper, bamboo, and threads
Image provided by the artist