Lilia Carrillo facts for kids

Lilia Carrillo García (born November 2, 1930 – died June 6, 1974) was a talented Mexican painter. She was part of a group of artists called the Generación de la Ruptura. This group changed how art was made in Mexico. They moved away from the older style called the Mexican School of Painting.

Lilia first learned a traditional painting style. But her art changed a lot after she studied in Paris in the 1950s. She and her husband, Manuel Felguérez, were abstract artists. It was hard for them to sell their new style of art. They even sold Mexican handcrafts and folk art to make money. Eventually, Lilia's paintings were shown in big art places in Mexico City and around the world. Her art was even in the first show at the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City in 1964. After she passed away in 1974, her work was honored. It has been shown in many art galleries since then.

Lilia Carrillo's Early Life and Art Training

Lilia Carrillo was born on November 2, 1930. Her parents were General Francisco Carrillo and Socorro García. She was their only child. Lilia's father left the family when she was young. Her mother raised her all by herself.

When Lilia was a little girl, she wanted to be an astronomer. She grew up in Colonia Roma in Mexico City. Many smart people, poets, and artists visited her home. Her mother was good friends with María Asúnsolo. She also knew famous artists like Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros.

When Lilia was a teenager, she decided to become a painter. Her mother hired her friend, Manuel Rodríguez Lozano, to teach her. Soon after, Rodríguez Lozano helped her get into a special art school. It was called the Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado "La Esmeralda". She started there in 1947 and finished with high honors in 1951.

Her art studies were very traditional. They followed the popular Mexican School of Painting style. While at school, she helped paint a mural. It was at the old Monastery of San Diego. During this time, she fell from the scaffolding. She hurt her back. She got better, but this injury might have caused health problems later in her life.

Exploring New Art Styles in Paris

Artist Juan Soriano encouraged Lilia to try different kinds of painting. In 1953, she received a scholarship to study in Paris. She moved there with her new husband, Ricardo Guerra. She joined a school called the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. There, she learned about new art movements. These included Cubism, Surrealism, Expressionism, and different types of abstract art. At first, she was careful about these new styles.

She came back to Mexico in 1956. She and Ricardo Guerra had separated. In 1960, she married Manuel Felguérez. He was also a Mexican abstract artist. They were both part of the new Generación de la Ruptura art movement. It was hard for them to sell their paintings in regular art places.

Carrillo and Felguérez made and sold Mexican crafts to earn money. Lilia also had two children to support. She even used a different name, "Felisa Gross," to create art just for selling. In 1962, she traveled to Peru with Felguérez. They showed their art at the Instituto de Arte Contemporáneo. There, she met other new artists like Fernando de Szyszlo.

Lilia Carrillo's Later Years and Legacy

In late 1970, Lilia had a serious health issue with her spine. She had to go to the hospital in 1971 and 1972. Doctors tried to help her recover from being partly paralyzed. But she returned home in a wheelchair. This stopped her from painting until 1973. She started painting again, but not as much as before.

A special easel was made so she could paint from her wheelchair. She created a painting for the Museo de Arte Moderno. She also made one for the Museo de Rufino Tamayo. Rufino Tamayo bought this painting early to help her with her hospital bills. She also made five paintings for the Galería Ponce and one for the Galerái Juan Martín. Just before she passed away, she left a large painting unfinished. Lilia Carrillo died on June 6, 1974.

Lilia Carrillo's Art Career and Exhibitions

Lilia Carrillo's art was mainly paintings on canvas. Her work was shown in many places. These included Mexico City, other parts of Mexico, and countries around the world. Some of these places were Washington, D.C., New York, Tokyo, Lima, Sao Paulo, Madrid, Barcelona, Bogota, and Havana.

Her first professional art shows were in Paris in 1954. When she came back to Mexico in the mid-1950s, she became a teacher. She also started showing the art she made in Europe. She had many shows at the Galería Antonio Souza from 1957 to 1961. Then, she showed her work at the Galería Juan Martin from 1963 to 1970. Both galleries were in Mexico City.

Some important shows during her career include:

• The Gallery of the Pan American Union in Washington, D.C., in 1960.
• The VI Tokyo Biennale in 1961.
• The Instituto de Arte Contemporáneo in Lima, Peru, in 1962.
• The Arte Actual de América y España exhibition in 1963.
• The Casa del Lago in Mexico City in 1964.
• The Pintura Contemporánea de México exhibition at the Casa de las Américas in Havana in 1966.

She was part of the first art show at the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City in 1964. This museum helped define the new, modern art style. Lilia's work won second prize at the Salón Esso event there.

The year 1969 was a very busy year for Lilia. She created many artworks. These were shown in several exhibitions in Puerto Vallarta, Paris, and at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

She also took part in group art shows. These were held in Mexico City, St. Louis, San Diego, Portland, Oregon, Austin, Texas, Paris, Tokyo, Sao Paulo, Madrid, Barcelona, and Barranquilla. She was part of the Confrontación 66 show at the Palacio de Bellas Artes.

Besides painting, Lilia helped start the Galería Antonio Souza. She did this with artists like Juan Soriano and Rufino Tamayo. This gallery supported artists from the Generación de la Ruptura. She was also a founding member of the Salón Independiente in Mexico City. In the 1960s, she designed sets and costumes for plays. These were directed by Alexandro Jodorowsky. In 1970, she painted a mural for the Expo 70 in Osaka, Japan.

Since her death, Lilia's art has been shown and honored. In 1974, she was honored at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. She was honored again in 1979 in Monterrey. In 1992, the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey held a special show. It had over 130 of her artworks. Her work was also in a 1993 show called Regards de femmes in Lieja, Spain. Her art was shown at the José Luis Cuevas Museum in 2003.

Lilia Carrillo's Unique Art Style

When Lilia Carrillo was studying at La Esmeralda, she did not like abstract art. Her early work was very much like the Mexican School of Painting. For example, her self-portrait from 1950 shows figures. After she finished school, Juan Soriano told her to explore other art ideas. So, she went to Paris.

In Paris, she started trying out Cubism. She was influenced by artists like Matisse, Modigliani, and Picasso. She also explored Surrealism, Expressionism, and abstract art. When she came back to Mexico in the mid-1950s, her art already showed signs of abstract styles.

In the 1950s, she became interested in something called "automatism." This idea came to Mexico from an Austrian painter named Wolfgang Paalen. It's based on Surrealism. It suggests that an artist's hand should move freely. This helps them connect with their subconscious mind. Later, she developed her own abstract style. People called it "lyrical informal abstractionism" or "informal expressionism." She didn't mind these names. But she always said she didn't have one strict way of creating her art. She said her method often changed.

Lilia was part of the Generación de la Ruptura. Other artists in this group included Vicente Rojo and José Luis Cuevas. These artists broke away from the old styles of Mexican painting. It was hard for them to get their art shown in traditional places. Many older artists criticized them. But some older artists, like Rufino Tamayo and Juan Soriano, eventually accepted this new art movement.

See also

In Spanish: Lilia Carrillo para niños