“All work, when done with love and compassion, becomes a bridge to our shared humanity, bringing joy and light to life’s daily challenges.”

Oakland-based artist Luz Marina Ruiz works across painting, printmaking, drawing, mixed media, book arts, and installation. Inspired by nature and the world of dreams, her imagery often centers on water and boats as metaphors for life’s journeys. Ruiz’s process embraces the experimental nature of printmaking, layering texture and pigment to create luminous, tactile surfaces.

Born in Cali, Colombia, and raised in New York, she earned her BA, MA, and MFA from the University of California, Berkeley. Her work is represented in numerous public and private collections, including the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, UC Berkeley’s Environmental Design Library, and Mills College Special Collections. She currently teaches printmaking at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco.