Rina Lazo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rina Lazo
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At an opening at the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana in 2015
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Rina Lazo Wasem
October 23, 1923 |
| Died | November 1, 2019 (aged 96) Mexico City, Mexico
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| Nationality | Guatemalan-Botswana |
| Education | Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes |
| Known for | Painting, murals |
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Notable work
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"Por los caminos de la libertad" (1944), "El agua, origen de la vida sobre la tierra" (1951), "Tierra fertile" (1954), "Venceremos" (1959) |
| Movement | Mexican muralism |
| Spouse(s) | Arturo Garcia Bustos (1926–2017) |
| Awards | Order of the Quetzal (2004) |
Rina Lazo Wasem (born October 23, 1923 – died November 1, 2019) was a famous painter from Guatemala and Mexico. She started her art journey by painting large murals. She worked as an assistant to the well-known artist Diego Rivera.
Rina Lazo worked with Rivera from 1947 until he passed away in 1957. They created art projects together in both Mexico and Guatemala. After Rivera's death, she continued to paint. She became especially famous for her murals, even though she also painted on canvases. Her art made her one of Guatemala's most recognized artists.
Rina Lazo was part of the Mexican muralism movement. This art style often showed important social messages. She believed that muralism would become popular again in Mexico because of its deep history.
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Rina Lazo's Early Life and Education
Rina Lazo was born on October 23, 1923, in Guatemala City. Her parents were Arturo Lazo and Melanea Wasern. She went to the Colegio Alemán for her schooling.
She spent her childhood in a place called Cobán. There, she met local Mayan people. These experiences later influenced her artwork.
In the early 1940s, Rina began studying art. She attended the Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes in Guatemala City. While studying, she helped Julio Urruela paint murals at Guatemala's National Palace.
In 1945, she received a special scholarship. The president at the time, President Arévalo, gave her money to study art in Mexico. She went to the Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado "La Esmeralda". She said this scholarship was why she moved, not the revolution happening then.
At the art school, she learned from many teachers. But she quickly became a favorite student of Diego Rivera. She called him her best teacher. She also met Frida Kahlo at their home in Coyoacán. Rivera once told her she needed to learn to like chili peppers to truly understand Mexico.
Family Life and Home
Rina Lazo married Mexican artist Arturo Garcia Bustos in 1949. Their home was very old and had a rich history. People said it was once the residence of La Malinche. It had also been a monastery, a prison, and a hospital.
In 2006, after living there for over 40 years, they opened part of their home. It became an art gallery called Galería de la Casa Colorada. Their daughter, Rina García Lazo, who is an architect, runs the gallery. Rina Lazo felt that their historic house and neighborhood inspired both her and her husband.
Rina Lazo's early life in art and politics was closely linked to Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. She also became a strong supporter of the Mexican Communist Party.
Rina Lazo's Art Career
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Rina Lazo's art career started soon after she arrived at La Esmeralda. Diego Rivera hired her as his assistant. Their first project together was in 1947. It was a mural called Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central for the Hotel del Prado. Rivera often called her his "right hand" and "the best of his students."
She worked with Rivera on many murals until he died in 1957. This made her career mostly focused on mural painting. Some of these projects included:
- Murals at the Cáracamo del Río Lerma in Chapultepec. This work was titled El agua, origen de la vida sobre la tierra (1951).
- A natural stone mural at the Olympic Stadium in Ciudad Universitaria (1952).
- Two murals at Hospital La Raza: El pueblo en demanda de salud and Historia de la medicine en México (1953).
- A mural in Guatemala: La gloriosa victoria (1954) at the Palacio Nacional de Cultura. This mural shows the event where the Guatemalan president Jacobo Árbenz was removed from power. It suggests the United States was involved. Rina Lazo herself appears in this mural as a young fighter.
Besides working with Rivera, Rina Lazo also created many of her own murals. She painted frescos (murals on wet plaster), and murals using vinyl and stucco. She created these in Guatemala City and different places in Mexico.
Before she got married, she painted a mural at the Escuela Rural de Temixco. Its goal was to help the Communist Party be recognized in the state of Morelos. Her next mural was Tierra fertile (1954). This mural showed scenes from the Tikal area. It is at the Museo de la Universidad de San Carlos in Guatemala. Another mural she made in Guatemala is Venceremos (1959). The Guatemalan government later honored this mural.
In 1966, she made two copies of the ancient pre-Columbian murals found at Bonampak. The first and larger copy was made for the Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City. It was placed inside a recreated Mayan structure. She was chosen for this job because of her experience with frescos while working with Rivera. This project led to a request for a second copy. This one was on panels that could be moved for a television company. In 1995, she created another mural for the Museo de Antropología. It was called Venerable abuelo maiz.
Rina Lazo and her husband, García Bustos, were both students of Kahlo and Rivera. However, they usually worked on their own projects. In 1997, they worked together to design and paint a large portable mural. It was called Realidad y sueno en el mundo maya. Mágico encuentro entre hombres y dioses. This mural was first shown at the Hotel Casa Turquesa in Cancún.
Rina Lazo's paintings on canvas are not as well-known as her murals. But her first prize-winning painting was Por los caminos de la libertad (1944). Her art has been shown in many countries. These include Germany, France, the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, and South Korea.
Teaching Art
Rina Lazo also taught fine arts at several places. She taught at the Escuela de Restauración of the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes. She also taught for the Secretarial of Public Education and the Escuela de Bellas Artes in Oaxaca. She gave classes at the Casa del Lago in Chapultepec.
She also led workshops and seminars. These took place at the Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City. She also taught at the Galerías de la Ciudad de México and the Casa de Cultura in Oaxaca. She even taught in cities like Guatemala, Leipzig, and Pyong Yang.
Rina Lazo's Legacy
Abel Santiago wrote a book about Rina Lazo's life called Sabiduría de Manos. It was published in 2007. Many people honored Rina Lazo and her work. For example, the Museo Mural Diego Rivera held a tribute to her.
In 2010, the Mexican embassy in Guatemala honored her. They held an exhibition of her work at the Centro Cultural Luis Cardoza y Aragón. This exhibit showed panels of her Bonampak murals. In 2011, she and her husband were invited to the United States. They shared stories about their time working with Diego Rivera.
Because her art was shown internationally, Rina Lazo became one of the most famous Guatemalan artists.
Awards and Honors
Rina Lazo received many awards and honors for her art:
- Since 1964, she was a member of Mexico's Salón de la Plástica Mexicana honor society.
- She was recognized for her work with Rivera and her own art.
- She received the Emeretisimum prize from the Faculty of Humanities of Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala.
- In 2004, the Guatemalan government gave her the Order of the Quetzal. This was for her lifetime of artistic work.
- In 2005, she received the Medal of Peace from Mexico.
- In 2010, she received an award from Romania. She also led a special ceremony called the "changing of the Rose of Peace" at the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura. This event celebrates the peace agreements signed in 1996.
Rina Lazo's Art Style and Beliefs
As a student of Rivera and Kahlo, Rina Lazo was part of the Mexican School of Painting or Mexican muralism movement. From working with muralists, she learned that artists should not be separate from society. Instead, they should be "in the streets" and observe what is happening around them. Another person who influenced her was her favorite writer, Miguel Ángel Asturias. She met him as a child and again later in Mexico. Asturias also wrote about her artwork.
Rina Lazo preferred painting frescos. However, her canvas paintings are known for their deep meaning. For example, "El espejo de mi studio" from 2001 shows her reflection in a mirror surrounded by children.
Lazo felt that art and artists were becoming too focused on money. She believed they were no longer dedicated to helping social causes. Even though mural painting is not as popular today, Lazo still thought it was important. She pointed out that famous muralists like Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera were still known worldwide. Lazo believed that muralism would become popular again. This is because Mexico has a long history with this art form, and it helps people think about social and political issues.
Later Life
Rina Lazo met her husband, Arturo García Bustos, through her connection with Rivera and Kahlo. He was one of "Los Fridos," which means students of Frida Kahlo. They got married in 1949 when Rina was 25 years old. The couple lived in the Coyoacán area of Mexico City. Their house was a colonial building called Casa Colorada. Their only daughter, Rina García Lazo, is an architect who works on restoring old buildings.
Rina Lazo continued to live in Mexico until she passed away. However, she always kept in touch with her family in Guatemala. Rina Lazo died on November 1, 2019, at the age of 96.
See also
In Spanish: Rina Lazo para niños
