October 28, 2025

Niño Sol 

Luis González Palma creates portraits of Guatemalan people of Mayan descent to honor their heritage and draw attention to the discrimination and exclusion they have faced. In doing so, he has gained a deeper understanding of his own mestizo ancestry. As González Palma notes, he has lived “in a country ravaged by more than thirty years of armed conflict.”

Blending Christian iconography with social and cultural symbolism, González Palma has developed a unique visual language that explores universal themes of life and death, fate, spirituality, and mysticism. Through the poignant, searching gazes of his subjects, he invites viewers to reflect on Mayan identity and the complex social history of Guatemala.

Another layer of meaning emerges—one that speaks to the recurring story of humanity’s trespasses against itself. These are not pristine photographic prints meant to impose a single narrative, but tactile, textured objects that bear the mark of human touch and serve as poetic evidence.

González Palma’s work is included in numerous museum collections worldwide, and he has published three monographs to date.

On view through November 22 a KMR Arts
2 Titus Rd, Washington Depot, kmrarts.com