Rocío Caballero facts for kids

Rocío Caballero (born June 1, 1964) is a talented Mexican painter. She creates art that shows real-looking people and objects, but often in magical or dream-like worlds. Her paintings are known for using lots of symbols, which are like hidden messages or meanings.

Rocío's artwork has been shown in many places. You can find her art in museums and galleries in Mexico, the United States, South America, and Europe. One important place where her art is kept is the National Museum of Mexican Art. She is also a member of the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana, which is a special group for important Mexican artists.

About Rocío Caballero's Life

Rocío Caballero was born in Mexico City in an area called Azcapotzalco. She grew up there and decided to become a painter when she was young. For her, painting is more than just a job; it's a way of life.

She started her art education at the "School of Artistic Initiation 4" from 1982 to 1985. After that, she went to the "National School of Painting, Sculpting and Engraving, The Esmeralda" (which is part of Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado "La Esmeralda"). She studied there from 1985 to 1990. Even though many students at her school were focused on abstract art (art that doesn't show real objects), Rocío chose to do figurative painting. This means her art shows things that look like they do in real life.

Today, Rocío Caballero still lives and works in Mexico City.

Her Art Career

Rocío Caballero has been showing her art regularly since 1991. She often displays her paintings at the Oscar Román Gallery in Mexico City and the Corsica Gallery in Puerto Vallarta. She has had many solo shows, which are exhibitions just for her art. Some of her major shows include La Búsqueda de la Ataraxia (The Search for Calmness) and Código Gris (Gray Code).

Her art has been part of many group exhibitions too. These shows have taken place in Mexico, the United States, South America, and Europe. Her work has been seen in famous places like the José Luis Cuevas Museum, the Museo de Arte Moderno, and the National Museum of Mexican Art.

In 1994, Rocío was chosen for a special art exchange program. This program allowed her to work at Art Awareness in Lexington, NY. Later, in 2003, she had another residency at the Vermont Student Center.

You can find Rocío's artwork in several important collections. These include the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago and the SCHP collection in Mexico City. Her art has also been featured in many books about Mexican painters.

Rocío has received several awards and honors for her work. In 1988, she got an honorary mention at an event called El Nuevo Pintor Mexicano. She also received honorary mentions in 1993 and 2002. In 2002, she won second place at a big painting competition in Mexico City. She is also a proud member of Mexico’s Salón de la Plástica Mexicana.

Rocío's Artistic Style

Rocío Caballero's art style is figurative, meaning it shows recognizable people, objects, and scenes. Her paintings often make you feel a sense of nostalgia, like remembering old times. She creates mythical worlds that look dream-like and airy. She uses a lot of symbolism, which helps her tell stories about the modern world.

In her art, you might often see:

• Dancers
• Sculptures
• People interacting
• Toys
• Adults in suits
• Hearts that seem to float
• Faces that look proud or arrogant
• Animal masks

Rocío doesn't like to be called a "female" artist. She believes her art is simply "human." She once said that her last name, "Caballero," which means "gentleman" in Spanish, is a fun game for her. She paints like a "Caballero." For a long time, people told her that her drawing style was "masculine," but she didn't think that had anything to do with being a woman.

One of her most famous series of paintings is called "Código Gris" (Gray Code). She worked on this series for over ten years, starting in the 2000s. It has thirty "lessons" or parts. In this series, Rocío explores the feelings and social rules of men in business and politics. She was inspired by the "yuppie" trend, which was about young, successful business people. She wanted to understand their world better.

In the "Código Gris" series, the powerful men she paints start out looking very attractive. But as the series goes on, the characters might show more negative or hidden sides. A common symbol in this series is the mask. The mask shows how these men might hide their true selves. For example, one painting shows a man in a fancy black suit wearing a pig's mask. Another part of the series, which deals with power, was inspired by the childhood game Simon Says.

More recently, Rocío has created a series called La búsqueda de la Ataraxia (The Search for Calmness). These paintings are like a "visual theater," telling stories through images.