Manuel Felguérez Barra ‑ a Mexican abstract artist, part of the Generación de la Ruptura which broke with the muralist movement of Diego Rivera and others in the mid 20th century – passed away after contracting coronavirus on June 8, 2020.
Felguérez was born in the state of Zacatecas in 1928, but political instability caused his family to lose their land there and move to Mexico City. In 1947, he had the chance to travel to Europe and, impressed with the art there, decided to dedicate himself to the vocation.
Unhappy with the education at the Academy of San Carlos in Mexico, he did most of his studies in France, where he specialized in abstract art, something that was not accepted in Mexico at the time.
His exhibitions were initially limited to galleries and the production of “sculpted murals” using materials such as scrap metals, stones, and sand.
As attitudes in Mexico changed towards art, Felguérez found acceptance for his work and remained active at over eighty years of age.