Luis Castaneda

Luis is a professional graphic designer, graphic artist, and Associate Professor who teaches graphic design at FSU, bringing over two decades of international work and teaching experience. Growing up in New York City, he began his career specializing in corporate visual identities through strategic branding, which inspired him to mentor interns and high school students in art and design, thereby paving the way for a career in education. 

After earning his master’s degree and working as a designer in the Netherlands, he taught in Philadelphia before moving to Dubai, where he instructed students from various nationalities and developed innovative courses that integrated graphic design with fields like film and printmaking. While there, he forged enduring collaborations with a diverse range of authors, artists, and publishers. As a graphic artist, Luis completed an artist-in-residency program at the Mokuhanga (Traditional Japanese Woodblock Printing) Innovation Laboratory situated in Kawaguchi-ko, Japan. That experience led to Luis being invited to produce a series of prints, which were exhibited as part of the United Arab Emirates Pavilion at the World Expo, Milan 2015. After completing his work in the Middle East, he relocated to Germany to engage in interdisciplinary art and design projects focused on the convergence of art, architecture, history, and education within diverse cultural contexts. Now at FSU, and following his career path, Luis is part of a team of passionate designers and instructors who aim to develop an interdisciplinary approach to art and design, offering students a pathway to a fulfilling career in the field.

Luis continues to engage in impactful projects related to art, design, culture, and education. Noteworthy work includes his continued collaboration with artist and educator Jaime Arredondo, designing the exhibition “Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Quiché through Illustration,” which launched at the Irving Archive and Museum in Irving, Texas, and is now part of a travelling exhibition series supported by the Midwest Arts Alliance. He is also part of the artist collective OCRE, which focuses on public space art projects in Normandy, France, merging branding, painting, and graphic design. Recently, he became a board member of The Peanut Factory, a non-profit artist and conservation farm community in Edenton, North Carolina, where he is helping to develop their visual identity and achieve their goal of integrating art, design, and scientific research through education.