Jun Cruz

Bio

Creating enormous pieces of art that reflect biological processes on the cellular level reminds me constantly of how we are each changed through our personal journeys. We don’t usually see what is happening in our bodies—our cells take care of their jobs automatically, invisible to us, and typically without drawing any attention. But looking closely and artistically at how our bodies work reveals the transformative nature of ordinary biology. Jun Gueco Cruz was born in Angeles City, Philippines, and is currently based in Philadelphia, PA. He is a visual artist and a practicing healthcare provider who seeks to portray the science of life through massive depictions of cellular processes. Cruz merges his spiritual walk with medical science into biomorphic forms of expression in his art. Influenced by his indigenous Kapampangan identity, he draws from cultural ideals such as “planting seeds” and “bringing life out of the soil.” This theme was powerfully introduced in his first solo exhibit, Tanatanaman (1997), which paid homage to planting as a metaphor for the physiology of life. The shooting, spiky structures that characterize much of his work represent germinating seeds—what he calls "biomorphic," literally meaning "life transformation." His 2017 Imperishable Seed series clearly reflects this vision. Ultimately, Cruz seeks to show the spirituality of humanity as it manifests in scientific realities.