Pepo Art (José Manuel González) was born in Querétaro, Mexico, in 1975, and grew up on the oceanfront in Mazatlán. His life and work have been a constant blend of contrasts: the intimate and the global, the artisanal and the urban, the baroque and the pop. He studied at the Universidad de las Américas Puebla and has lived in various cities, including a formative period in Canada. He has three sisters and an unstoppable visual memory since childhood. From a young age, he mastered the art of hyperrealism, but it was his entrepreneurial and artistic spirit that led him to found La Libélula, a one-of-a-kind factory-studio. Under his creative direction, La Libélula brought together more than 60 painters and artists to produce modern paintings, painted entirely by hand, which reached more than 20,000 homes, offices, showrooms, and film and television sets in Mexico and around the world. Recognized by the government as the country's leading decorative art company, La Libélula marked an era in accessible contemporary art. Today, Pepo works independently from his studio, developing entirely original art collections, charged with irony, symbolic power, and an unmistakable aesthetic. His work revolves around the idea of crowning the everyday, the iconic, and the absurd, transforming it into art jewels, critiques, and mirrors.
Among its most notable series are:
Royal Popz: Collectible mini paintings that reinterpret art icons with sculptural frames and vibrant crowns.
Morir es un lujo: calaveras coronadas con marcas de lujo, una sátira visual sobre el estatus, la ambición y la muerte.
Study of a Carrot: A visual, pop, and surreal autobiography told through key symbols, dates, and memories.
Corona Nation: his most ambitious series, where he crowns the most influential figures in the history of art and culture, from Picasso to Yayoi Kusama, in explosive compositions that blend history, fashion, criticism, and pop devotion.
Pepo Art doesn't repeat, print, or copy. He paints everything by hand. His art is direct, honest, and fiercely personal. Each work is a statement.
He currently collaborates with galleries in Mexico and abroad, bringing his work to collectors, art fairs, exhibition spaces, and curatorial projects that resonate with his bold, contemporary vision.
THE ART OF CHOOSING
In 1804, Napoleon placed the crown on his own head. It wasn't arrogance. It was a declaration: power isn't inherited, it's assumed. Pepo paints with the same conviction. José Manuel González Vega—known as Pepo—doesn't wait for external validation to crown. He does so because he has devoted decades to observing art, culture, and their deepest symbols. Crowning, in his universe, is not a decorative act; it's a visual gesture that elevates, questions, and transforms. Each painted crown—of an artist, a brand, or an icon—is a curated choice, a critical vision, a contemporary homage. It's not about who Pepo is to crown, but rather that only someone who has experienced art from the inside can decide who deserves to be eternal.
Each piece of art tells a unique story.
This section highlights the emotions and opinions of those who have connected with our creations.
Marisa Gutiérrez
Spain
I saw the crowned skull and knew it had to be mine. I don't know much about art, but there's something about this that's inexplicable… it's elegant, strange, and at the same time very powerful. I love having it in my home.
Rodrigo Méndez
México
Pepo told me the story of Yayoi Kusama and how she had reinterpreted it. I was hooked on the work and everything it represents. I never imagined buying a painting, but this one had to be mine. It's art with depth, with strength... and with history.
Andrea Salazar
México
The exhibition at the studio was amazing. I'd never seen such pop art, such crazy art... and such well-painted art. Pepo explained each piece to us with incredible energy. I want to take one home with me right now!
