Tiburcio Ortiz
Santa Catalina Chinango, Oaxaca, México
(1945)
A prominent Mexican sculptor whose work reflects a deep connection to the cultural roots of his homeland, blending traditional and contemporary elements. He is renowned both in Mexico and abroad for his dedication to stone sculpture and his commitment to preserving and promoting pre-Hispanic cultures. His legacy includes an impressive collection of sculptures depicting Mixtec, Olmec, Teotihuacan, Nahuatl, and Mayan myths and legends.
Tiburcio Ortiz was born in 1945 in Santa Catalina Chinango, a small village in the state of Oaxaca. From a young age, Ortiz displayed an interest in the visual arts, inspired by his father, a seminarian with a great passion for drawing, and by an uncle who was also an artist. His initial ventures into the art world began at Rafael López’s religious sculpture workshop in Huajuapan de León, where he worked with plaster. At the age of 21, Ortiz decided to move to Mexico City to continue his studies at the National School of Plastic Arts (ENAP) at UNAM. During his time at ENAP, he studied sculpture under the guidance of masters such as Manuel Silva Guerrero, Alberto de la Vega, and Elizabeth Catlett, who played a pivotal role in his artistic development.
His first solo exhibition was "Sculptures and Projects" in 1973 at the José María Velasco Gallery of INBA. Throughout his career, Ortiz has created iconic works such as "Monument to the Indigenous" donated to the city of Oaxaca, "Jaguar Warrior of the Night" for the Utsukushi ga Hara Open-Air Museum in Tokyo, and "Bust of Anthropologist Antonio Caso" for the National Indigenous Institute. His work is recognized for its meticulous stone carving technique, an art form he notes "no one wants to do anymore because of the time, cost, and materials required." Ortiz primarily uses black volcanic stone and works each piece with a chisel, ensuring that every sculpture holds deep meaning.
Ortiz has received numerous awards, including the Rodin Sculpture Prize in Japan in 1990. He has held major exhibitions at various venues, including the Chapultepec Gallery in Mexico City, the Ivy Gallery in Los Angeles, California, and the Regional Museum of Tepic in Nayarit. Some of his solo exhibitions include "Bronzes" (1980), "Drawings" (1992), "Sculpture, Painting, Printmaking, and Drawing" (1995), and "Na-Ii Yuu Ka-Ah: People of Stone Who Speak" (2002) at the Mora Institute in Mexico City. His works are part of important collections and museums, such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Oaxaca and the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City.
In interviews, Ortiz has discussed his inspiration and creative process, emphasizing the importance of cultural roots and simplicity in his forms. In an interview with *La Jornada*, Ortiz stated, "All the elements in my hand in terms of technique, composition, and themes... It is important that they say something."
Tiburcio Ortiz resides in Oaxaca, Mexico, where he continues to work and participate in exhibitions, maintaining his commitment to sculpture and the teaching of visual arts.