Laura Elenes (1933–2005) was a Mexican painter, sculptor and print maker. whose work was recognized with membership in the

Salón de la Plástica Mexicana Salón de la Plástica Mexicana (Hall of Mexican Fine Art; ''SPM'') is an institution dedicated to the promotion of Mexican contemporary art. It was established in 1949 to expand the Mexican art market. Its first location was in historic center o ...

and several tributes in Mexico and other countries after her death.

Career

Born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico, Elenes trained in art and industrial design, and taught for 23 years at the Centro de Investigaciones de Diseño Industrial of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She was also a researcher of pre-Hispanic literature. Her art career spanned from 1970 to 2005, which included collaboration with contemporaries such as Juan O’Gorman,

Jorge González Camarena Jorge González Camarena (24 March 1908 – 24 May 1980) was a Mexican painter, muralist and sculptor. He is best known for his mural work, as part of the Mexican muralism movement, although his work is distinct from the main names associat ...

and

Raúl Anguiano José Raúl Anguiano Valadez (February 26, 1915 – January 13, 2006) was a notable Mexican painter of the 20th century, part of the “second generation” of Mexican muralists which continued the tradition of Diego Rivera, José Clemente Oro ...

. She had over fifty individual exhibitions and participated in over 100 collective shows both in Mexico and abroad. In Mexico, important exhibitions include those at the

Polyforum Cultural Siqueiros The Polyforum Cultural Siqueiros is a cultural, political and social facility located in Mexico City as part of the World Trade Center Mexico City. It was designed and decorated by David Alfaro Siqueiros in the 1960s and hosts the largest mural w ...

Academy of San Carlos The Academy of San Carlos ( es, Academia de San Carlos) is located at 22 Academia Street in just northeast of the main plaza of Mexico City. It was the first major art academy and the first art museum in the Americas. It was founded in 1781 as th ...

, Galerías Aristos, Museo Nacional de la Estampa, the Contemporary Art Museum in Toluca, Los Pinos and the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana. Her work also appeared in countries such as Japan, the United States, Spain, Portugal, Greece,

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Maced ...

, Turkey, Italy, Colombia and Costa Rica. Elenes’ work can be found in the permanent collection of the Museo de la Mujer in Mexico City, Fundación Cultural Banamex, the Domeq Foundation, UNAM, the Pinacotheca of the state of Nuevo León and the Humor Museum in

Gabrovo Gabrovo ( bg, Габрово ) is a town in central northern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Gabrovo Province. It is situated at the foot of the central Balkan Mountains, in the valley of the Yantra River, and is known as an internat ...

, Bulgaria. During her career, she was active in artists’ associations such as the Sociedad Mexicana de Autores de Artes Plásticas (SOMAAP) and was the director of the Global Culture Center Mexico for sixteen years.

Artistry

Elenes created both abstract and figurative pieces. Her aesthetics were based on patterns, geometry and materials from the pre-Hispanic world. Her works often contrast soft and hard materials and images, often working with loose weave fabric, thread and string. According to the Nadja Betrón, the artist worked to create a Mexican design that was contemporary and not folkloric. One of her last projects, with the name of ''El Largo Viaje desde el Rabinal'' (2002) consists of paintings, sculpture, prints and music inspired by the Mayan work ''El Varón del Rabinal'', blending a pre Hispanic cosmology with contemporary aesthetics. Some of her work was signed with a pseudonym.

Recognition

In 2008, author Nadja Betrón published a book about Elenes’ life and creative process called ''Entre Hilos y Cuerdas'', which contains a collection of personal writings, articles from newspapers and magazines, photographs and more. The title of the book refers to some of the materials she used in her works. In 2009, the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana held a retrospective with fifty of her works and a presentation of the book. This was followed by a similar event at the Anagma Gallery in Madrid in 2010 and a tribute was held in the same year sponsored by the Mexican Embassy in Colombia and the BiblioRed de la Alcaldía in Bogota.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elenes, Laura 1933 births 2005 deaths Mexican women painters Mexican printmakers Women printmakers Abstract painters Artists from Sinaloa People from Mazatlán 20th-century printmakers 20th-century Mexican sculptors 20th-century Mexican painters 20th-century Mexican women artists