Mario Zamora
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
(1920 – 2017)
Mario Roderico Zamora Alcántara was a Honduran-born artist and sculptor who later became a naturalized Mexican citizen. His artistic legacy extends both in Mexico and his home country, and he is renowned for various monumental works.
Born in Tegucigalpa on August 3, 1920, he showed an early inclination for art and began his artistic journey at the Academy of Fine Arts in Honduras under the guidance of Spanish artist Alfredo Ruiz Barrera, who introduced him to the world of sculpture. Due to political circumstances in Honduras, the Zamora-Alcántara family relocated to Nicaragua, where Mario continued his artistic education.
In Nicaragua, he exhibited his works for the first time at the Annual Nicaraguan Art Exhibition, winning the First Prize and receiving acclaim for his creativity. In 1944, he decided to move to Mexico in search of better opportunities to refine his art. There, at the San Carlos Academy, he learned bronze sculpture techniques and created the sculpture of actress María Félix for the film “La diosa arrodillada.”
Subsequently, he traveled to Italy to further his studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Rome in 1950. Back in Mexico, he participated in monumental projects, including the Monument to the Niños Héroes in San Miguel de Allende, as well as statues dedicated to Nezahualcóyotl, Benito Juárez, Amado Nervo, and Adolfo López Mateos.
Zamora Alcántara also created monumental works in his home country, many of which were commissioned by the Honduran government. Mario Zamora Alcántara passed away at the age of 96 in Mexico City on April 24, 2017 . His artistic legacy continues to inspire generations and leaves a lasting mark on the history of sculpture.
