Alfredo Castañeda

Biography

Alfredo Castañeda, like José Luis Cuevas, took up the mantle of the surrealist movement that came from Paris in the 1920s and was adopted by many Mexican artists, such as the iconic and enigmatic Frida Kahlo. Rejecting what has been called "artisanal textures" adopted by many of his countrymen under the influence of Rufino Tamayo, Castañeda referenced folk art, particularly pre-Columbian pottery, but adds mysticism and impossible twists and juxtapositions to his compositions, evidence of the influence artists such as of René Magritte. Combined with his impeccable technique for drawing, Castañeda's singular style has created a fantastical universe unlike that of any other artist. He has since become one of Mexico's most valued and beloved artists. Born in Mexico City in 1938, Castañeda received a degree in architecture from the University of Mexico in 1964. In 1969, he had his first one-man show at the Galería de Arte Mexicano. In 1983, he had the first of several individual shows in the United States at Mary-Anne Martin/Fine Art, and showed frequently in Mexico and the U.S. until 1999. A retrospective of his work was held at the Monterrey Museum in Mexico in 1990 and a monograph celebrating twenty years of work was published in the same year. Castañeda lived in Madrid, where his family owns and runs a highly successful Mexican restaurant, until he passed away in 2010.