Joan Zamora is a mixed media artist who came to the United States illegally at the age of eight from Mexico. Her addresses have included Bell Gardens, Panorama City, Sun Valley, London, San Francisco, and East LA. She earned a bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University with an emphasis in painting and photography. In 2013, she joined the Ovarian Psycos, an all-women of color bicycle brigade, and appeared in the PBS documentary about them. Three years later, she left the Ovarian Psycos to help cofound Ni Santas, an all-women of color art collective. Ever since she has been making her artwork, along with making collaborative art and conducting free art workshops with Ni Santas. 

Joan Zamora lives in South Central Los Angeles and works all over Los Angeles as a substitute teacher. Her art has appeared in the television show Insecure (season 4, episode 8), and one of her Day of the Dead altars was featured in a web episode of PBS’s Craft in America. She is also a teaching artist for Self Help Graphics & Art’s Barrio Mobile Art Studio.