Louis Trujillo: Master of All Mediums

Drag is already a complex artform: performers are often slammed if they don’t do their own makeup, make their own costumes, choreograph and conceptualize their own numbers, and then pull it all off flawlessly. Despite the renaissance, multi-faceted requirements of the drag world, Louis Trujillo is still called to take it one step further and capture the whole thing through the medium of visual art. 

“I incorporate my own gender performance into my work,” he explains. “What I mean by that is, before I create any drawing, I’m putting myself or other men, straight or gay, into female—well, what society calls female—clothing, accessories, wigs, and asking them to feel themselves in front of the camera. I do that, and I’ve also had the opportunity to do some drag performances.”  

With talent and a passion for both drawing and drag, Trujillo does run into some time constraints pursuing what could be two full-time jobs, but he does find that the two mediums are complimentary. And by incorporating the connecting medium of photography, he is able to capture the drag looks he creates for himself and others and then draw them later. 

“I get to immortalize these performances and acts by creating these colored pencil drawings that will last a lifetime, and hopefully be shown in galleries and part of museum collections.” 

Having worked with many models, artists, and galleries, including the all-gay, male show Lavendar Mist, and an exhibition during Pride featuring all queer artists, Trujillo is a solidified fixture in the Denver art world. Next, he has his sights set on drag, including learning how to do his own costumes and makeup. 

Trujillo’s art makes no apologies for the bold and beautiful human form, highlighting curvy, full-figured, bearded queens in all their glory. 

“With my drawings, I really love to juxtapose thick beards and hairy chests with beautiful makeup, beautiful wigs, stiletto heels,” he says. “Heels are my favorite. I feel like if I have a couple drinks, I can walk in them pretty good.” 

However, this self-love hasn’t always come so easily for Trujillo. While he is proud and bold now, like many queer people, his early years weren’t as rosy as his present.

“Growing up LGBTQ, I really feel like a lot of LGBTQ people, we kind of experience an identity crisis,” he says. “I’ve really gone through a lot of anxiety in my life because of trauma that I went through as a young person.” 

Through that struggle, Trujillo discovered art, a way to put images and concepts to his thoughts and feelings. 

Next on the horizon for Trujillo, the plan is to keep putting ideas and energy into the world. 

“I definitely want to keep creating my drawings,” he explains. “And what I ultimately would love to do is, with any exhibition that I have my work in, I want to be able to perform, either at the reception or during a different day of the exhibition within the gallery space or the museum. I really want to help elevate the art of drag and gender performance because, to me, it truly is an art form. These performers are artists who are visually creating stories through their movements. I want to take these performances from the nightclubs and bring them into galleries and into museums and open them up to a whole new audience that might not usually see that type of art.”

*Art provided by Louis Trujillo