Spanish Artists-in-Residence: Luis NCT at MICA

Spanish illustrator Luis NCT participates at the Spanish Residency program thanks to the collaboration of the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain and Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).

The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) hosted in October 2022 Spanish multidisciplinary artist Luis NCT, as part of the Spanish Artists-in-Residence program of the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain. This residency is the result of the collaboration between both institutions, which aims to support interdisciplinary artists to engage in multiple networking activities as well as share and display their work and ideas.

The one-month residence at MICA in Baltimore, with the collaboration of the Spanish artists-in-residence program by the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain in Washington, D.C., has been a great experience as an artist and as a person, which has also made me discover a facet in which I did not think I would feel comfortable: teaching. I have been able to be in contact with students from different disciplines such as comics, illustration, animation, and design, reviewing their work and answering their questions. I also had the opportunity to give a small improvised masterclass.

Sometimes the best way to move forward on a long road like the artistic one, is to look back and face again the problems of creation from the fresh look of someone who encounters stumbling blocks for the first time. I was also able to show my work in an exhibition (open to the public for the whole month) and give two lectures.

In addition to the experience at MICA, I’ve had the possibility to move into the professional circles of the American comic book industry (not only working for them from Spain, as I have been doing for years), attending the New York and Baltimore Comic Con. In the midst of the Internet era, face-to-face is still the best way to make contacts.

And last but not least, living in the cities (Washington, Baltimore, NY), breathing their air, and visiting their museums is a wonderful and enriching life experience.

—Luis NCT

About the artist

Luis NCT is a Mediterranean storyteller and comic-book artist. Illustrator, concept artist, character designer, painter, writer, and colorist, he studied at the Facultad de BBAA San Carlos (UPValencia) and began his career as an illustrator doing artwork for roleplaying games and short films. His career as a comic-book artist started much earlier, as he used to self-publish his own stuff when he was in high school, and doing comics always has been his main goal.

He has won some awards and has been selected for many exhibitions in Spain, the U.S., and Canada. He’s been working for almost ten years as a colorist for U.S. comic books (Image and DC, mainly) and publishing his creator-owned graphic novels Sleepers (Spain, 2012), Wahcommo (Spain, 2018; France, 2019; USA, 2021) and Kaya (Spain, 2022) as well as short stories in comic-book magazines and anthologies – a highlight being a 32-page one-shot manga in the Japanese magazine Tezucomi (2019). He also worked as a concept artist and character designer in the animated feature film Another day of Life.

About MICA

Acknowledged nationally as a premier leader in art and design education, the Maryland Institute College of Art is cultivating a new generation of artist – one that is capable of seamlessly integrating innovation, entrepreneurship and creative citizenship with contemporary approaches to art, design and media. MICA is redefining the role of the artists and designers as creative, solutions-oriented makers and thinkers who will drive social, cultural, and economic advancement for our future.

As the oldest continuously degree-granting college of art and design in the nation, MICA is located in Baltimore. It is a leading contributor to the creative economy regionally and a top producer of nationally and internationally recognized professional artists and designers.