Below are selected biographies of Hispanic artists. 

Rupert Garcia 

Rupert Garcia is a California born Chicano artist who works in primarily paint, oils, silkscreens, and pastels.  Garcia studied art at Stockton College yet signed up for the airforce in the 1960s and served in the Vietnam War.  Upon his return to the U.S., Garcia became involved in anti-war, civil rights, land rights, and United Farm Workers support movements.  His art is unique in that it channels these 60s and 70s Chicano ideals, yet with a twist of a modern Hispanic Andy Warhol.  Much of Garcia’s art uses vivid colors along with an occasional use of printed images to highlight political issues or depict portraits of Hispanic influential figures. 

Ester Hernandez is a Hispanic artist from the San Francisco, California area.  Hernandez is the daughter of farm worker parents, and whose parents and grandparents were artists themselves in the areas of embroidery, carpentry, photography, and visual arts.  Hernandez studied at UC Berkley and is well known for her paintings, many focused on the theme of women.  Her art reflects numerous themes including political, social, and spiritual themes.  One of Hernandez’s most famous works is called Sun Mad which is a play on a box of Sun Maid raisins, calling out socio-economic themes from her farm worker roots.  The box depicts a skeleton on the front, instead of the picture of the woman typically depicted on the front of the carton.

Frida Kahlo – 1907-1954

Frida is a famous Mexican painter who has achieved worldwide acclaim for her unique colorful art work, larger-than-life “look”, and involvement with fellow Mexican artist Diego Rivera. Frida had an accident as a young girl which caused multiple injuries from which she experienced extreme pain throughout her life.  As she recovered from these injuries, Kahlo turned to painting as she was immobile for quite a while during her recovery.

Kahlo approached Rivera for advice on pursuing art as a career, and they eventually married.   Kahlo and Rivera were married when Kahlo was just 22, their marriage was tumultuous however – and they later divorced…but eventually remarried for a second time.  Kahlo and Rivera both had extramarital relationships, Kahlo with both men and women. 

Kahlo’s ashes are preserved in her home in her former home “La Casa Azul” which is located in Coyoacan.  The Casa Azul also serves today as a museum tourists can visit to see her personal objects and selected pieces of her art.

Kahlo’s art didn’t become as prominent as it is now, until the 1980s when the NeoMexican movement took place.  But as of now, Kahlo has certainly earned her place in the Latin American art world as a unique Mexican talent.

César Augusto Martínez

César Augusto Martínez was born in Northern Mexico and grew up in South Texas.  Martinez was greatly influenced by bullfighting and trained as a bullfighter (matador).  The theme of the matador is a theme that runs throughout his art. 

Martinez spent time in the army in the 60s and early 70s and after that settled in San Antonio, Texas.  He is well-known for his images of pachucos.  Pachucos was a term coined in the 1930s and 1940s are Mexican-American youths who dressed in a style of zoot suits, popular during that time.

José Clemente Orozco 1883-1949

José Clemente Orozco was born in Cuidad Guzman, Mexico.  He was heavily influenced by  Jose Guadalupe Posada, a Mexican satirical illustrator.  Orozco was stongly influenced by symbolism and took part of the Mexican mural movement, however he took a critical eye of the Mexican revolution.  Orozco also was well-known for his political cartoons which were published in local newspapers.  He lived in the U.S.  between 1927-1934 and painted murals in the U.S.

Diego Rivera 1886-1957

Diego Rivera was born: Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez.  Rivera was born in Guanajuato City, Mexico.  Rivera studied art at the Academy of San Carlos in Mexico City.  He continued his studies in Spain and then in France.  In France he befriended a group of painters (now famous) including La Ruche, Modigliani, and Max Jacob.  Rivera was greatly influenced the cubism movement which was rising during the 1913-1917 era.  Rivera returned to Mexico in 1921 and became involved in a Mexican mural program which was sponsored by the Mexican government.  He developed a mural style using vivid bright colors, simplified figures, and Aztec influences.

Rivera was a strong Communist who spent spent time painting murals around the world, including in the Soviet Union and the United States.     

Marta Sanchez was born in San Antonio, Texas and grew up there – she currently lives in the Philadelphia area.  The San Antonio area is rich with the tapestry of Mexican-American culture and Sanchez’s work is heavily influenced by traditional Mexican folk art.  Sanchez is widely recognized for her retablo paintings.  These are religious paintings which are done on a metal backdrop. 

Jesse Trevino 

Jesse Trevino is a native of San Antonio, Texas and is famous for his depictions of the people of San Antonio, primarily of the West Side where he grew up.  He lost his right arm in Vietnam, but that didn’t stop him from producing some powerful masterpieces upon his return.  In fact, Trevino learned to paint with his left hand.  Trevino’s style in Hispanic modern art at its finest.  He is especially well known for painting wall size murals and mosaics currently found on building throughout the San Antonio area.