Rune de Leon

"Where Jaguars Roam, Wild Tongues Speak"

February 22 – March 14, 2025

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Rune de Leon is a third-year Chicano Studies major at UC Berkeley. In 2024 he conceptualized and illustrated Lorena: And the Truth of the Lagoon, a children’s book tackling Chicana themes, forthcoming from Eastwind Books. He is currently researching for a second book in association with the UC Berkeley Ethnic Studies Library about the library’s history.

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Rune’s illustrations draw on intersections between identity, literature, and nature. He has always been drawn to stories about the natural world, along with the books, park brochures, maps, and other ephemera that make up a broader view of nature. Now, as a student of Chicano Studies, he works between the conceptualization and aesthetics of wildlife. His work blends these views to create powerful images of wildlife as metaphors for diverse Latina/o experiences.