Luis Alfonso Jiménez Jr. (1940–2006) was born in El Paso, Texas, the son of a neon-sign artist who instilled in him a love of color, craft, and the vernacular traditions of the American Southwest.

He received his degree from the University of Texas at Austin and later studied the great Mexican muralists in Mexico City before launching a celebrated career in New York.

Jiménez became internationally recognized for his monumental, polychromed fiberglass sculptures. He was also skilled with color lithography and colored pencil drawings. His works celebrated Hispanic culture in America, from barrio workers and vaqueros to Native American dancers.

Luis died tragically in 2006 in a studio accident.

His work is in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum among many others.