Mexico City, October 6. A tour of Francisco Toledo's long career as an engraver opened yesterday at the Museo Nacional de la Estampa (Munae). The Oaxacan artist's aesthetic stance, cultural actions, social struggles, and political vision are portrayed as part of his life in the exhibition " Each One with His Toledo: Graphic Work, 1960-2018."
Emilio Payán, the museum's director, said, "He was like a shaman, like a magician who transformed everything into art: a seed, a handful of soil, a rope, a piece of wood, paper and fabric, nature, even the air with his kites; love, friendship, the fight for equality, the right to education and culture." In addition to his legacy as an artist, he was also a creator of institutions and a sower of hope.
The work
Thanks to 185 prints, it is possible to chronologically explore the creations that defined his style, based on the dreamlike images of his childhood and indigenous artistic traditions. This is the largest exhibition ever assembled, and today it makes Toledo, who died on September 5, 2019, a living presence through his graphic works.
Shrimp with heels, elephants celebrating the triumph of Juárez, Byzantine prints, a fish masterfully created by Rufino Tamayo, monkeys, rabbits, grasshoppers, octopuses, snails, erotic dogs... all are Toledo with his mythical and fantastic beings, which he created through experimentation with different techniques.
