Luis Arenal was born in Teapa, Tabasco in 1909. He studied mechanical engineering for two years, moved to Los Angeles, where he earned his living washing gasoline cans while at the same time studying architecture. In 1926, he returned to Mexico; worked as a translator in an advertising office. One year later, he studied law and sculpture. In 1930, he began to paint seriously and held exhibitions in Laguna Beach, Los Angeles, Redlands and San Bernardino, California. With the arrival of Siqueiros in Los Angeles in 1932, Arenal undertook the study of fresco painting and worked with him on the mural paintings in the Chouinard Art School: a fresco painted on cement, called "La America Tropical". He was part of the Mural Block Painters together with Jean Abel, Jackson Pollock, Cornwell, Radich, and other famous American painters. In 1937, he was the founder with Leopoldo Mendez and Pablo O’Higgins of the "Taller de Gráfica Popular". He worked with Siqueiros on the murals "Retrato de la Burguesía" and "La Marcha de la Humanidad". In 1944, he made two sculptures from poly chrome for Siqueiros’ mural called "Cuauhtémoc contra el mito". He died May 7, 1985.
