Adolfo Mexiac Retrospective

Adolfo Mexiac: Homenaje Nacional is the title of the retrospective exhibition that the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes (INBA) presents, through the Museo Nacional de la Estampa (MUNAE), in recognition of the artist¿s transcendent oeuvre in the print-making genre. Gathering key works from the Mexiac Archive, this tribute show is based on three essential themes: Mexiac's mastery of technique, his contributions as a graphic historian to the country's cultural legacy, and his final creative achievements starting with the new century, as noted by curator Tania Morales Olivera. Born in the heart of the state of Michoacán, at the age of 17 the artist decided to change his name from Mejía to Mexiac and to leave the countryside in search of an artistic education. These choices give us a clear overview of the path followed by a prolific artist whose life was filled with great achievements and experiences carved by himself. Mexiac began his artistic education at the Escuela Popular de Bellas Artes in Morelia, and later attended the Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas in Mexico City and became a regular student at La Esmeralda. By the time he started working and producing in full with the Popular Graphics Workshop, he already had an abundant technical background. Adding to this was his work alongside noted artists like Leopoldo Méndez, Pablo O'Higgins, and Luis Arenal, and his focus on the production of posters, illustrations, and print works, all of which enriched and perfected his skill. An example is Despertar, from 1961, presented in this retrospective from its conceptualization as a color sketch, though its materialization into a wooden carved matrix, through the final product, the work printed on paper. Also, Libertad de Expresión, created in Chiapas in 1954 and acclaimed nationally and internationally as a banner for social movements in the 1960s, which presents the image of the quieted voice of a fierce man. Also included in the show is a selection of post-2000 works by the artist, outstanding among which is a series of devils where the main character, a fun-loving, smiling devil, serves as a self-portrait.