dr. lakra
1972, Mexico City
The work of Jerónimo López Ramírez, better known as Dr. Lakra, is characterized by irreverent and provocative images that transgress established norms, leaving the viewer both attracted and repulsed. He first began developing his practice when joining Gabriel Orozco’s workshop Taller de los viernes from 1988 to 1991, together with Abraham Cruzvillegas, Damián Ortega, and Gabriel Kuri. While he is best known for his drawings and paintings on posters, erotic magazines and postcards, his practice also involves mural painting, collage and sculpture. Through these mediums he explores his interests in anthropology and ethnography, documenting his fascination with taboos, fetishes, myths and rituals of different cultures. An avid collector of diverse objects, Dr. Lakra views the search for materials and images as an essential aspect of his practice. His compositions combine historical and contemporary references, incorporating quotes from popular culture interwoven with religious and social iconographies. The way he juxtaposes and refashions these different elements reveals a deep understanding of art history, as well as a subversive sense of humor. Dr. Lakra dismantles and disrupts dominant ideologies to question what is considered civilized or barbaric, correct or incorrect, “high” or “folk” art.
Dr. Lakra lives and works between Mexico City and Oaxaca, Mexico.
dr. lakra
untitled, 2025
gouache and watercolor on paper
46 x 35.2 x 4 cm (18 1/8 x 13 7/8 x 1 5/8 in.)
dr. lakra
untitled, 2025
gouache and watercolor on paper
63 x 46 x 4 cm (24 3/4 x 18 1/8 x 1 5/8 in.)
dr. lakra
untitled, 2025
gouache and watercolor on paper
46 x 35.3 x 4 cm (18 1/8 x 13 7/8 x 1 5/8 in.)
dr. lakra
untitled, from the series mi vida en la maleza de los fantasmas, 2025
paint on monotype print
95.7 x 77.6 x 4 cm (37 5/8 x 30 1/2 x 1 5/8 in.)
dr. lakra
untitled, from the series mi vida en la maleza de los fantasmas, 2025
paint on monotype print
95.7 x 77.6 x 4 cm (37 5/8 x 30 1/2 x 1 5/8 in.)
dr. lakra
untitled, from the series mi vida en la maleza de los fantasmas, 2025
paint on monotype print
95.7 x 77.6 x 4 cm (37 5/8 x 30 1/2 x 1 5/8 in.)
dr. lakra
fantasma negro, 2024
glazed stoneware
121.9 x 58.4 x 58.4 cm (48 x 23 x 23 in.)
dr. kakra
dragón azul, 2024
glazed stoneware
63 x 28.5 x 28.5 cm (24.8 x 11.22 x 11.22 in.)
dr. lakra
orgía, 2024
glazed stoneware
147.3 x 83.8 x 83.8 cm (58 x 33 x 33 in.)
dr. lakra
tótem (alien lagarto), 2022
fiberglass and cement base
268 x 40 x 40 cm (105 1/2 x 15 3/4 x 15 3/4 in.)
dr. lakra
diablo, 2022
fiberglass
103.5 x 61.5 x 36 cm (40 3/4 x 24 1/4 x 14 1/8 in.)
dr. lakra
tótem (niño llorón), 2022
fiberglass and cement base
276 x 34 x 34 cm (108 5/8 x 13 3/8 x 13 3/8 in.)
dr. lakra
untitled, 2020
enameled high temperature ceramic
26 x 24 cm (10.24 x 9.45 in.)
dr. lakra
untitled, 2020
glazed stoneware
25 x 26 x 26 cm (9.84 x 10.24 x 10.24 in.)
dr. lakra
untitled, 2020
enameled high temperature ceramic
20 x 18 x 18 cm (7.87 x 7.09 x 7.09 in.)
dr. lakra
untitled (elena), 2019
tattooed plastic doll
32 x 20 x 8 cm (12.6 x 7.87 x 3.15 in.)
dr. lakra
untitled (yolanda), 2018
tattooed plastic doll
54 x 37 x 18 cm (21.26 x 14.57 x 7.09 in.)
dr. lakra
untitled (chungo), 2016
tattooed plastic doll
54 x 37 x 18 cm (21.26 x 14.57 x 7.09 in.)
dr. lakra
nagai inkei, 2017
ink on paper
56 x 43.5 cm (22.05 x 17.13 in.)
dr. lakra
anata wa watashi ni iyana omoi o suru, 2017
ink on paper
56 x 43.5 cm (22.05 x 17.13 in.)
dr. lakra
teikoku shugi, 2017
ink on paper
56 x 43.5 cm (22.05 x 17.13 in.)
dr. lakra
untitled, 2026
ink on plastic
40.6 x 15 x 10 cm (16 x 6 x 4 in.)
dr. lakra
untitled, 2014
ink on plastic
17.8 x 116.8 x 30.5 cm (7 x 46 x 12 in.)
dr. lakra
me ves y sufres, 2024
ink on plastic
11 x 46 x 14 cm (4.33 x 18.11 x 5.51 in.) each
dr. lakra
untitled (japanese y cigarret), 2009
ink and acrylic on japanese print
36 x 34.6 cm (14.17 x 13.62 in.)
dr. lakra
untitled (sumo), 2009
ink on paper
39.9 x 26.5 cm (15.71 x 10.43 in.)
dr. lakra
untitled (hiroshima tomonohira take-emon), 2007
pigment on japanese woodblock print (ukiyo-e)
35.1 x 23.4 cm (13.82 x 9.21 in.)
dr. lakra
untitled (box), 2004
ink on vintage magazine
28 x 21.5 cm (11.02 x 8.46 in.)
dr. lakra
untitled, 2004
ink on vintage magazine
24 x 28 cm (9.45 x 11.02 in.)
dr.lakra
untitled, 2004
ink on vintage magazine
24 x 28 cm (9.45 x 11.02 in.)
dr. lakra
untitled (alma delia alucinando), 2003
ink on vintage magazine
26 x 36 cm (10.24 x 14.17 in.)
dr. lakra
untitled (griselda mejía), 2003
ink on vintage magazine
28 x 21 cm (11.02 x 8.27 in.)
dr. lakra
untitled (vea), 2003
mixed media on antique magazine
25.5 x 30.5 cm
(10.04 x 12.01 in.)
installation view of contracorrientes: dr. lakra & miguel covarrubias, kurimanzutto, new york, 2026. photo: zach hyman
installation view of contracorrientes: dr. lakra & miguel covarrubias, kurimanzutto, new york, 2026. photo: zach hyman
installation view of contracorrientes: dr. lakra & miguel covarrubias, kurimanzutto, new york, 2026. photo: zach hyman
installation view of dr. lakra: tupi or not tupi, kurimanzutto, mexico city, 2024. photo: gerardo landa / eduardo lópez (glr estudio)
installation view of dr. lakra: tupi or not tupi, kurimanzutto, mexico city, 2024. photo: gerardo landa / eduardo lópez (glr estudio)
installation view of dr. lakra: tupi or not tupi, kurimanzutto, mexico city, 2024. photo: gerardo landa / eduardo lópez (glr estudio)
installation view of dr. lakra, kurimanzutto, mexico city, 2018.
installation view of dr. lakra, kurimanzutto, mexico city, 2018.
installation view of dr. lakra, kurimanzutto, mexico city, 2018.
installation view of dr. lakra: monomito, kurimanzutto, mexico city, 2015.
installation view of dr. lakra: monomito, kurimanzutto, mexico city, 2015.
installation view of dr. lakra: monomito, kurimanzutto, mexico city, 2015.
installation view of dr. lakra: mexican demons and dancing skeletons, with josé guadalupe posada, hostelbro kunstmuseum, denmark, 2012.
installation view of dr. lakra: mexican demons and dancing skeletons, with josé guadalupe posada, hostelbro kunstmuseum, denmark, 2012.
installation view of dr. lakra: mexican demons and dancing skeletons, with josé guadalupe posada, hostelbro kunstmuseum, denmark, 2012.
installation view of dr. lakra, the drawing center, new york, 2011.
installation view of dr. lakra, the drawing center, new york, 2011.
installation view of dr. lakra, the drawing center, new york, 2011.
installation view of dr. lakra, institute of contemporary art (ica), boston, massachusetts, 2010.
installation view of dr. lakra, institute of contemporary art (ica), boston, massachusetts, 2010.
installation view of dr. lakra, institute of contemporary art (ica), boston, massachusetts, 2010.
installation view of dr. lakra, kurimanzutto, mexico city, 2009.
installation view of dr. lakra, kurimanzutto, mexico city, 2009.
installation view of dr. lakra, kurimanzutto, mexico city, 2009.
Solo exhibitions include: Contracorrientes: Dr. Lakra & Miguel Covarrubias, kurimanzutto, New York (two-person exhibition) (2026); Tupi or not tupi, kurimanzutto, Mexico City (2024); Dr. Lakra, Museo de Arte Miguel Urrutia (MAMU), Bogotá, Colombia (2024); Dr. Lakra, as part of Siembra, kurimanzutto, Mexico City (2021); Carlos Amorales & Dr. Lakra, kurimanzutto out east, East Hampton, New York (two-person exhibition) (2021); Sin título, as part of Siembra, kurimanzutto, Mexico City (2020); Diario de viaje, Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca (IAGO), Mexico (2019); Yurugu: Diálogo entre Dr. Lakra y René Bustamante, Museo de la Ciudad de Querétaro, Mexico (two-person exhibition) (2018); Dr. Lakra + mezcal, kurimanzutto, Mexico City (2018); Dr. Lakra, Museo Mario Testino (MATE), Lima, Peru (2016); Monomito, kurimanzutto, Mexico City (2015); Black Hole, Nordiska Akvarellmuseet, Skärhamn, Sweden (2015); Dr. Lakra y Toño Camuñas, Museo de los Pintores Oaxaqueños (MUPO), Oaxaca, Mexico (two-person exhibition) (2014); Mexican Demons and Dancing Skeletons, Holstebro Kunstmuseum, Denmark (two-person exhibition with José Guadalupe Posada) (2012); Dr. Lakra, The Drawing Center, New York (2011); Dr. Lakra, The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston (ICA Boston), Massachusetts (2010); traveled to Museo Amparo, Puebla, Mexico (2011); Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey (MARCO), Mexico (2011); and Museo de la Ciudad de México (2011); Dr. Lakra, kurimanzutto, Mexico City (2009); Los dos amigos, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Oaxaca (MACO), Mexico (two-person exhibition with Abraham Cruzvillegas) (2005), among others.
Past group exhibitions and biennials include: Unter die Haut. Tattoos im Blick, Kunst- und Kulturstiftung Opelvillen Rüsselsheim, Germany (2026); Terrafilia. Más allá de lo humano en las colecciones Thyssen-Bornemisza, Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, in collaboration with TBA21 (2025); 2025 Annual Exhibition, The Campus, Claverack, New York (2025); Diary of Flowers: Artists and their Worlds, MOCA Grand Avenue, Los Angeles (2025); An Unlikely Inventory: Dialogues with Surrealism, kurimanzutto, Mexico City (2024); Primero fue la raicilla: Arte y cultura del agave y sus destilados, Oficina de Proyectos Culturales, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (2024); A Story of a Merchant, kurimanzutto, Mexico City (2023); On Point, Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art, Israel (2023); TODOS JUNTOS (All Together), kurimanzutto, New York (2022); Ayuujkjä’äy ëy Konk. Una fabulación basada en un mito mixe, organized by Hacer Noche–Promised Land, Casa de la Cultura Oaxaqueña, Oaxaca, Mexico (2022); traveled to Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA), Spain (2022); El tiempo en las cosas II, Museo Amparo, Puebla, Mexico (2022); The Stomach and the Port, Liverpool Biennial 2021, United Kingdom (2021); XYLAÑYNU. Taller de los viernes, kurimanzutto, Mexico City (2016); Caleidoscopio y Rompecabezas. Latinoamérica en la Colección MUSAC, Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno (CAAM), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain (2016); Magnificent Obsessions: The Artist as Collector, Barbican Centre, London (2015); Gradi di libertà, Museo d’Arte Moderna di Bologna (MAMbo), Italy (2015); Punxdefektuozoz. Work in progress, Muzeum Współczesne Wrocław, Poland (2015); Tatoueurs, tatoués, Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Paris (2014); traveled to Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Toronto, Canada (2016); Tattoo – From Maritime Heroes to World Art, Brandts – Museum of Art and Visual Culture, Odense, Denmark (2014); El hombre al desnudo. Dimensiones de la masculinidad a partir de 1800, Museo Nacional de Arte (MUNAL), Mexico City (2014); Mexiko – Poesi & Politik, Nordiska Akvarellmuseet, Skärhamn, Sweden (2012); Viva la Revolución: A Dialogue with the Urban Landscape, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD), California (2010); Size DOES Matter, The FLAG Art Foundation, New York (2010); América Latina y el Caribe, 2da Trienal Poli/Gráfica de San Juan, Puerto Rico (2009); Desenhos (Drawings): A–Z, Museu de Lisboa, Portugal (2009); Inauguración del nuevo espacio, kurimanzutto, Mexico City (2008); Wunderkammer: A Century of Curiosities, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York (2008); Martian Museum of Terrestrial Art, Barbican Centre, London (2008); Escultura Social: A New Generation of Art from Mexico City, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA Chicago) (2007); Goth: Reality of the Departed World, Yokohama Museum of Art, Japan (2007); Pin-Up: Contemporary Collage and Drawing, Tate Modern, London (2004); Elephant Juice (Sexo entre amigos), organized by kurimanzutto, Restaurante Los Manantiales, Xochimilco, Mexico City (2003); kurimanzutto @ Galerie Chantal Crousel, organized by kurimanzutto, Paris (2000), among others.
We are thrilled to be a part of this new gallery-led initiative - an online community of 50+ galleries dedicated to art from the Global South and its diaspora.
Listen to the playlist Punk: sus rastros en el arte contemporáneo by Daniel Guzmán, Dr. Lakra and Miguel Calderón on Spotify.
In White Columns, Dr. Lakra will present some recent, never before-seen collages.
Many of the works, both contemporary and ritual, contains symbols and concepts that seek to show the invisible. Its strength and visual and aesthetic impact come from this symbolic load, precisely because they convey ideas and concepts that go beyond the everyday and utilitarian.
