Monica Leal Cueva is a visual artist based in Los Angeles, originally from Mexico. She grew up in a creative household where her father played and performed ‘boleros’ and her mother practiced classical painting. Her family's shared love of the arts and frequent travel across Mexico and Western United States introduced her to a wide range of visual and cultural traditions.
She studied Communications in Monterrey, Mexico focusing on writing nonfiction for children and leading creative writing workshops. After relocating to California in 2006, Monica shifted her focus to visual art, developing her skills in photography, illustration, drawing, and painting. She worked for Tom Wudl for over a decade and she currently owns Creative Ally and co-owns Tom Wudl Studio LLC and is active in the Los Angeles art community.
Monica’s work blends mixed media, collage, and digital photography. She often incorporates folk art references and physical materials like cut paper to create layered images. Her artwork is shaped by regular trips through the Southern California desert, where she explores the desert, abandoned landscapes, old mines, and archaeological sites.
EXHIBITIONS
2023 The Colburn School, Los Angeles, CA
2019 Explorations, The Colburn School, Los Angeles, CA
2019 Not Real Art Grant Winners Show, ArtShareLA Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2019 Participated in ArtShare’s XXI Anniversary Auction Show, ArtShare Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2018 - 2019 Variations, The Colburn School, Los Angeles, CA
2018 StudioEleven At Work, Pete and Susan Barrett Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2018 Exhibit L.A., ArtShareLA Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2017 StudioEleven at the Neutra, The Neutra Institute Museum and Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2016 StudioEleven at the Ebell, Wilshire Ebell, Los Angeles, CA
2016 Que Ves? by ArtShareLA, Los Angeles, CA
2015 - 2016 Coda, The Colburn School, Los Angeles, CA
2015 Secret Specimens, Lois Lambert Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2015 Public and Private Codes, StudioEleven Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2014 Location!, ArtShare LA Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
TALKS
2019, Searching for Our Lady de Guadalupe, Personal Photo Projects Presentation, LEICA Gallery, West Hollywood, CA
2019 Digital Collage, My Story and Method, Presentation for Digital Lab Artists, ECF Exceptional Children’s Foundation, Los Angeles, CA
GRANTS
2019 Not Real Art Grant Winner
ZINE FESTS
2019 San Diego Zine Fest
2019 Long Beach Zine Fest
2019 Tijuana Zine Fest
2019 Los Angeles Zine Fest
2019 Joshua Tree Zine Fest
2018 Joshua Tree Zine Fest
2018 Tijuana Zine Fest
2018 San Diego Zine Fest
2018 Long Beach Zine Fest
EDUCATION
BSc. in Communication Sciences, Tec de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
Concentration in Scientific Journalism, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
COURSES
2019 Risography Workshop with Tiny Splendor
2019 Photographic Vision, with Nancy Kaye at American Jewish University
2018 Photographic Essay, with Nancy Kaye at Santa Monica College