Juan Soriano Exhibition Opens in Seoul
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
A retrospective of the works of the late renowned Mexican painter and sculptor Juan Soriano opened in Seoul last week.
Soriano, who died at the age of 85 last year, was closely identified with the Mexican cultural movement together with artists Frida Kahlo, Rufino Tamayo and Nobel Prize Laureate for Literature Octavio Paz.
``Juan Soriano on Paper, Tapestry, Bronze and Silver'' is a chance for art lovers to see Soriano's best works in different mediums. The exhibition, which includes 27 paintings, five tapestries and 25 sculptures in bronze and silver, runs through Nov. 28 at the Gallery Areum and Nuri, Korea Foundation Cultural Center.
Marek Keller, director of the Juan Soriano Foundation in Mexico, said Soriano may have been a Mexican artist but his works are ``international.''
``He did not do folkloric art, but abstracts and portraits. Of course, his roots are Mexican and he is Mexican, but you can't say his art is purely Mexican. His work is international and belongs to the world,'' Keller told The Korea Times at the exhibit's opening last week.
Born in Guadalajara in 1920, Soriano displayed his first painting at the age of 14. He later moved to Mexico City. He has done abstracts and portraits, as well as sculptures in terracotta, ceramics and silver and bronze. He received the National Art Prize from the Mexican government in 1987,
Soriano has had more than 130 one-man exhibitions in Mexico, United States and Europe. His only show in Asia was held at the Fine Art Museum, Beijing in 2000.
Most of Soriano's works involve nature. ``I think his work is very close to nature. He was fascinated with nature. His works are inspired by birds, snakes and people. He was also famous for making portraits. He had a very long career, working for 70 years,'' Keller said.
Soriano's friend and Nobel Prize Laureate for Literature Octavio Paz was once quoted as saying ``his work is the fortunate fusion of three powers of Art: tradition, poetic fantasy and visual imagination.''
``Paz once wrote an article saying he (Soriano) was a `nino de milenios' or a thousand-year old child. He was very childlike, but at the same time he has a wonderful sense of humor. He wasn't childish, but he had the freshness of a child, and wisdom of a person who loved so many things about life and the world,'' said Keller, who was Soriano's agent and close friend for 30 years.
Soriano's sense of childlike wonder can be seen in his vibrantly colored, striking works. Some of the key pieces in the exhibition include a portrait of his sister ``Marta's Portrait,'' and a brilliant tapestry ``The Blue Snake.''
``I think people who can see this exhibition will have a clear idea of what Soriano's art works are,'' Keller said.
For information, visit https://portal.sre.gob.mx/corea/ (Spanish, Korean, English) or www.kfcenter.or.kr (English, Korea).