The Importance of Mexican Art

PM23 Team
Sep 26
3 min read

Updated: Oct 7

Mexican art is a living expression of the country's identity and history, conveying the pride of a culture rich in indigenous roots, colonial influences and contemporary creativity.

Its importance lies in the fact that it not only preserves collective memory, but also inspires new generations to value the diversity, tradition and innovative spirit of Mexico.

David Alfaro Siqueiros

Siqueiros stood out as a member of the Mexican School of Painting alongside Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco. He cultivated public art in service of the people, primarily through mural painting.

In addition to being part of multiple organizations such as the Executive Committee of the Mexican Communist Party, the Latin American Trade Union Confederation, the League of Writers and Artists of Uruguay, and the National League Against Fascism and War, in 1935 he created the “Siqueiros Experimental Workshop” in New York. Three years later, in 1951, he published the magazine Arte Público, and in 1965, he founded La Tallera. Throughout his life, he received numerous honors and distinctions. In 1950, he won the Prize for Foreign Artists at the 25th Venice Biennale, and sixteen years later, in 1966, he was awarded the National Prize for Arts, granted by the Government of Mexico.

María Félix

Iconic Mexican actress and producer from the Golden Age of cinema, known for her strong character, beauty, and status as the great diva of the screen. She starred in around 50 films in Mexico, France, Spain, and Italy.

"La Doña," as she became known after her performance in the film Doña Bárbara (1943), was recognized for her dominant, strong, and intense personality, as well as her great beauty. She starred in nearly fifty films, working with the most important directors of the time such as Emilio "El Indio" Fernández, Ismael Rodríguez, Roberto Gavaldón, Julio Bracho, and Emilio Gómez Muriel, as well as in international productions directed by Jean Renoir and Luis Buñuel.

Natalia Lafourcade

Mexican singer-songwriter and producer, recognized for her unique style that blends Mexican music with Latin American folk rhythms. She is one of the most influential artists in Mexico.

As a teenager, she took classes in painting, music, piano, flute, theater, dance, guitar, acting, saxophone, and singing in Coatepec, Veracruz, where she lived for many years during her childhood. Alongside her mother, she studied music and developed her artistic talents. She loved to imitate artists like Gloria Trevi, Alicia Villarreal, and Garibaldi.

She is the most awarded artist in the Latin Grammys.

Ángeles Mastretta

Mexican writer and journalist, known for creating compelling female characters and fiction that reflects the social and political realities of Mexico.

She rose to prominence in Mexican literature with the publication of Arráncame la vida, a story set in the 1930s and 1940s in the cities of Puebla and Mexico City, which explores the female perspective on power.

Luis Barragán

Mexican architect and engineer, who gained international fame in 1976 after presenting his work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. That same year, he was awarded the National Prize for Sciences and Arts.

Considered one of the most important architects of the 20th century, he was passionate about beauty and nature, and created an exemplary body of work that has influenced both national and international architects.He was the first Latin American architect—and remains the only Mexican—to receive the prestigious Pritzker Prize. The architect from Jalisco was honored in the second edition of the award on June 3, 1980, at Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C.