Rufino Tamayo biography

Rufino Tamayo, born in Oaxaca de Juárez on August 25, 1899, was a Mexican painter and printmaker. Orphaned in 1911, he moved to Mexico City, where he attended a commercial school before dedicating himself fully to artwork from 1917. He studied at the Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas and, from 1921, worked for the Museo Nacional de Antropología.
Rufino Tamayo, influenced by his Zapotec origins, dedicated himself to reworking pre-Columbian forms in his work, as evidenced in his drawings for the museum. This experience led him to develop a unique style, blending Mexican tradition with European currents such as realism, expressionism, abstractionism and cubism. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he preferred easel painting, expressing his sensitive poetics with a refined language.
In 1926, Rufino Tamayo moved to New York, a city that became a second home for him. Here, he held his first solo exhibition and, over the years, exhibited in various galleries, such as the Valentine Gallery. He also became a painting professor at the Dalton School. During this period, he executed several important murals, such as those for the Conservatorio Nacional de Música and Smith College. His work in the United States and Mexico earned him notable recognitions, including the Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor in 1988.
Rufino Tamayo, influenced by European modernism, often travels to Europe, settling in Paris in 1957. Here he creates a mural for the UNESCO building. He returns permanently to Mexico City in 1964, where he continues to receive awards and honors, including the titles of Chevalier and Officier de la Légion d'Honneur from the French government.
The artist, friend of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, stands out for his unique style in the Mexican muralist movement. His graphic artwork, begun in 1925, includes lithographs, engravings and mixed technique prints. Rufino Tamayo died on June 24, 1991, leaving an artistic legacy of international relevance, integrating the artwork of pre-Columbian civilizations and popular art into the European plastic revolution. His hometown dedicates a museum to him, rich with his artworks and important pre-Columbian objects, consolidating his status as one of the first painters of international stature in Latin America.