remedios varo
Before heading home I spent a few more days in Mexico City, where I discovered an artist whom I’d now consider one of my favourites. It all started with a small hand mirror I found in a shop - I saw this picture on the front and was instantly captivated.
The artist’s name is Remedios Varo. She was born in Spain in 1908, but spent most of her life in Mexico. She was friends with Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and like the best of them had a swathe of exotic lovers. Remedios was also pretty foxy herself.
Having found out where I could see some more of her work, I trekked to the Museo de Arte Moderno - no easy feat when you combine a poor sense of direction with an even poorer grasp of Spanish. Turns out they only had a small painting and an even smaller sketch, and that most of her work is privately owned. Very frustrating! Still, the painting I saw (Roulette) was lovely, and reminded me a little of Tim Burton’s style.
I saw a lot of fantastic art in Mexico, but Remedios was a definite highlight. She died October 8 (my birthday!) in 1963.
xx
