Christian Palacios Cortes
Hand-Painted Wearable Art • San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Where tradition meets the body.
The Artist
Christian Palacios Cortes knew he loved art from the beginning. As a child in San Miguel de Allende, he filled notebooks with drawings, teaching himself through practice and persistence. Life didn't allow for a formal art degree, but it couldn't stop his vision.
He considers himself self-taught—if he loves a particular art form, he practices it until he's satisfied with the result. That discipline led him to hand-painted clothing, a craft he fell in love with while working for a well-known shop in his city. He discovered something powerful: the joy people feel when they wear something he's painted with his own hands.
Today, Christian runs an independent shop with his wife, creating handcrafted pieces on wood, metal, and clothing—either in his own style or in collaboration with the people who commission them.
"When they wear one of my pieces, they're not just wearing an item—they're wearing a part of me, a moment, and a smile."
— Christian
The Craft
Christian's work draws deeply from Mexican artistic traditions—Día de los Muertos imagery, Aztec and Mayan iconography, the vibrant colors and bold symbolism that have defined his homeland's visual language for centuries. But his interpretations feel alive in a way that transcends souvenir-shop reproductions.
His hand-painted jackets transform vintage denim and leather into gallery pieces you can wear. Skulls rendered in intricate detail. Serpents and deities that seem to move. Hummingbirds in impossible colors. Each piece is painted freehand, without stencils—the brushwork is visible, intentional, human.
He also takes commissions, collaborating with clients to create portraits, family pieces, and custom designs that carry personal meaning. This isn't mass production. This is one artist, one brush, one piece at a time.
Materials
Vintage & reclaimed garments — Denim jackets, leather pieces, and clothing selected as canvases
Fabric paints & acrylics — Applied freehand, built up in layers for depth and durability
Wood & sheet metal — Traditional surfaces for standalone art pieces
Commission Portraits
Family portraits, beloved pets, personal symbols—Christian works directly with clients to create one-of-one pieces that carry meaning beyond aesthetics.
The Connection
"I found Christian in San Miguel de Allende. Something told me to stop at his booth—that instinct you develop when you've spent enough time searching for the real thing. His work is straightforward in the best way. No pretense, no overexplanation. Just skill, tradition, and heart are visible in every brushstroke.
What struck me most was how he talked about his work. Not as a product, but as a gift. The way he described seeing people wear his paintings—"a part of me, a moment, and a smile"—that's an artist who understands that what he creates doesn't fully exist until it finds its person.
Christian taught himself because he had to. He practiced until he was satisfied because that's what real artists do. He chose this path not because it was easy, but because he couldn't imagine any other way to live.
That's the energy The House of Grace Huxley is built on."
-Grace Huxley
Instagram: @chriss_cortess
Origin: San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico
Specialties: Hand-painted jackets, wearable art, custom commissions
Collaboration began: 2025