Today we’d like to introduce you to Emmanuel Nuño Arámbula.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Being native to South Texas, I grew up in a family of musicians whose roots are deeply embedded in the culture and fabric of this land. From folk music and mariachi to cumbia and classical traditions, sound and creativity have always surrounded me.
In high school, I began winning multiple art contests, which encouraged me to expand my creative practice beyond music. In my early twenties, after signing with a label for my band, I decided to formally study art and marketing at South Texas College.
I moved to Houston in 2009, where I began immersing myself in the city’s countercultural art and music movements. One of my first projects was co-founding a fixed-gear bike collective called Noise Haus Bike Cult, which organized community rides and became recognized for its creative activism during the Occupy Houston movement.
By 2012, I started actively exhibiting work across Houston’s diverse art scene—curating and participating in 4 to 6 shows annually, ranging from underground warehouses and cafés to professional galleries. In 2016, I worked with the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, which gave me a deeper understanding of institutional art practices.
In 2019, I returned to my hometown in South Texas to curate exhibitions for the Rio Grande Valley, focusing on elevating local voices and re-energizing the region’s creative networks.
Now, back in Houston since 2023, I’m continuing my work primarily in the Second Ward and North Central Houston—neighborhoods rich with culture and history, yet often overlooked by the city. My current efforts center around creating social change through art, music, and grassroots collaboration, helping activate spaces that serve the community both culturally and spiritually
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I cannot even begin to breakdown the challenges i’ve had to endure and overcome since 2012. Since my art is very political and it’s essence , and it’s aimed towards highlighting social injustice themes like gentrification.I’ve been targeted by many entities and organizations.That meant to silence me and censor my expression, truth, and vision. My family as a whole has been subjugated in Houston for being unapologetically Chicano in North Central. I’ve been arrested several times for my art.There can be anything from graffiti to not identify myself as an aesthetic. This magazine did not want to follow through the interview when they first asked me for a interview seven years ago. Because of this I had to build everything from the ground up with my contemporaries from art magazines to venues to community initiatives. Im a proud member of the Houston Brown Berets a Chicano lead is militant community outreach based organization. For spiritual projection I seek healers and Aztec danzantes for guidance. My X wife a immigrant student from Africa has been abused from the medical and police departments and so have i. My families house got taken from us from back taxes but it was really a family member working w developers and real estate agents to throw us out, the house where my grandfather open one of the 1st mexican recording studios thats has tax history. Ive always lived in is dyer poverty and more families than struggling with homeless for years now. My mother is an amazing artist and city has been turning they’re backs on us and every sector whether it be shelters.Government programs are supposed to help people like us and the art community swell.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Interdisciplinary Artist | North Central Houston / Rio Grande Valley
Oemmanuel Nuno Arámbula | Mono Rosa de TejAztlan | #ena713
Emmanuel Nuño Arámbula is a self-taught interdisciplinary artist based between North Central
Houston and the Rio Grande Valley. His practice is rooted in a deep engagement with cultural
heritage, spiritual agency, and the socio-political dimensions of identity. Emmanuel’s work spans
a wide range of media, including performance art, visual installations, street art, earthworks, and
environmental interventions. Using locally sourced and repurposed materials, his work often
challenges traditional notions of space and place, inviting viewers to reimagine the connections
between art, community, and the environment.
Raised in the Rio Grande Valley and North Central Houston, Emmanuel’s artistic journey began
through self-study and was further shaped by his academic background in Marketing and
Cultural Sociology at South Texas College. He approaches his work through a lens informed by
critical race analysis, queer theory, and the social and political dynamics of the body. His artistic
practice is inherently interdisciplinary, drawing from various cultural and philosophical traditions
to create work that speaks to both personal and collective experiences.
Emmanuel’s performances—both solo and collaborative—often engage with social-political
issues and aim to foster dialogue around topics such as cultural identity, resilience, and
community solidarity. His work is deeply personal, yet speaks to the broader struggles and
triumphs of marginalized communities. He is committed to producing high-quality work that
makes a significant impact, not for monetary gain, but for the opportunity to contribute
meaningfully to the cultural landscape.
As a member of collectives such as the Annunaki$ Art Collective, Continuum Performance Art,
Brown Berets de TejAZTLAN, and Noise Haus, Emmanuel works alongside other creatives to
address social change and environmental consciousness. His artistic journey is a series of
immersive explorations, with each project acting as both a personal discipline and a broader call
for action.
Primarily seeking residency opportunities over financial gain, Emmanuel is dedicated to using
his experiences and skills to manage projects, tackle creative challenges, and solve problems in
innovative ways. He is passionate about collaborating with other artists and creating lasting
cultural impact through thoughtful, intentional work. Emmanuel is equally adept at working
independently or within a team environment, possessing a strong eye for detail and a
commitment to artistic excellence.
How do you think about luck?
I’m definitely someone who doesn’t believe in the concept of luck. I’m someone who study and analyses every approach regarding a creative artistic expression. I’m always mindful enough when I so happen to let a opportunity slip, most of the time is because i have to focus on paying the bills. When ever I feel magnetic, everything should come my way which makes me hyper aware when people or entities get in my way weather it be because of greedy, jealous, or corruption. I was born to be genies, so my full time job is to preserve and project it when they come for it. As 15 year artist, musician, and activist most of the time its a matter of real gate keepers opening the door for you, every now and then a special person gets to sneak in for 15 minutes.
Pricing:
- $33 for prints
- $300-600 paintings
- $300 limited edition prints
- $900 paintings
- $900-1111 Frame original paintings
Contact Info:
- Website: https://artistemmanuelaram.wixsite.com/oemmanuel
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artist.emmanuel.nuno.arambula/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/713ena
- Linktree: https://linktr.ee/ena713
- Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/emmanuel-nuno-arambula
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/monorosa
Image Credits
all my documentation, there is a water mark crediting the main photo.
