Johnny “KMNDZ” Rodriguez is a native Angeleno and proud Latino artist.
He pulls inspiration from his childhood memories, Nicaraguan family heritage, and LA culture, and depicts them as recurring motifs in his pieces including robots, birds, adorned robes, and vintage toys. Over time this has evolved into the world of the Never Forgets – a place where robots hold our memories and carry them through the world and into the future. A place where objects and sentiments of hate and hurt are repurposed into vessels of protection, vulnerability and love.
KMNDZ’s creative journey began in the entertainment design industry at Disney as a 19 year old, kicking off a passionate career creating for titans including MTV, WB, Sony, Zedd, and NIN, to name a few. Amidst all the commercial work, KMNDZ continued to create artwork from the heart for himself. Through personal connections he started participating in group shows in his 20’s alongside commercial work, and quickly garnered attention from gallerists including Merry Karnowsky of KP Projects. Since teaming up with Merry in 2012, KMNDZ has had several highlights in and out of the gallery including:
Prominent artwork titled “Atascado” commissioned for the AltaMed Art Collection, which toured influential latino museums in Los Angeles and Mexico including the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) and the Museo de las Artes de la Universidad de Guadalajara.
60 ft main concert hall mural, “Low Fidelity,” at House of Blues in Anaheim, CA
Mural in Warner Records headquarters in downtown Los Angeles, CA (proudly alongside Shepard Fairey and Tristan Eaton)
Mural celebrating Wish Kids’ journeys for Make-A-Wish Southern Florida
2 murals for Nine Inch Nails’ Year Zero album, in London and Los Angeles
200 ft mural celebrating the Oneida Indian Nation’s culture and history at the Wynn Hospital in Utica, NY
Pearl Jam tour poster featured in the “PUSH ME, PULL ME: Pearl Jam and the Art of the Screen Printed Poster” display in the MoPOP in Sea-Tac airport in Seattle, WA (done in collaboration with Craola)
A recent career highlight uniquely combined KMNDZ’s commercial and fine art worlds, making him a recipient of the 2026 THEA Outstanding Achievement Award for his branding and visual development work on WishWorks – Make-A-Wish Southern Florida—an interactive wish discovery experience that inspires children to dream up their one true wish.
