Arizona artist spotlight: Nelson Suarez
Published: 07/28/2025
Tempe-based artist Nelson Suarez, also known as LutPar, finds inspiration in the lines, both literal and symbolic, that shape Greater Phoenix. His work explores form through intricate line drawings, inspired by the region’s blend of geometry and natural sprawl.
“Greater Phoenix has been the sort of extension and amplitude I needed to experience to be able to create my line drawing designs,” he says.
Suarez, whose mixed media piece Dimensional Phoenix is featured in the Greater Phoenix Economic Council’s (GPEC) Perspectives of Greater Phoenix art exhibit, is a Bolivian-American artist who creates drawing design installations called artitoys. His artistic lens is drawn to contrast: the orderly grid of urban streets, the ever-evolving modern architecture against the vast desert landscapes surrounding it all. These elements come together in his designs, which balance structure with imagination.
Though he hasn’t yet reached its summit, Suarez imagines teleporting to the top of Camelback Mountain for a 360-degree view of the region that fuels his creativity. As an artist who values different viewpoints, the city is an infinite source of perspective, a place where every angle tells a story and every corner sparks a new idea.
He draws inspiration from fellow Greater Phoenix artists such as Michael Marlowe, Fausto Fernandez and Dan Mayer. Their abstract work resonates with his own, and experiences like visiting Mayer’s Pyracantha Press at Arizona State University has deepened his appreciation for the creative process behind abstraction and the environments that nurture it.
Dimensional Phoenix
Suarez sees arts and culture as both a mirror and a compass, reflecting the freedom, identity and inclusion of the region. “[Arts and culture] are the north of our possibilities and aspirations, and the guiding light of our excellence,” he says.
His work is deeply rooted in the community, drawing support from institutions like the Tempe and Phoenix public libraries, the Tempe and Mesa arts centers, the Art Resource Center in Tempe, and FEXAM MEDIA, a cultural hub in Phoenix. These spaces offer a creative ecosystem alongside tools and resources.
In addition to the creative support he finds in community spaces, Suarez also draws strength from home. Suarez credits his mother with giving the best advice he has ever received: “No matter what you decide to do in life, make the best of it.” That simple reminder continues to shape his approach to art and to life.
To him, the Greater Phoenix art scene can be distilled into three words: heritage, public and creative. Through that lens, Suarez continues to reimagine what’s possible, one line at a time.
Follow Suarez’s evolving work online at www.lutpar.com and on Instagram at @nelsonsuarez331, and explore his art in the Perspectives of Greater Phoenix art exhibit.