Professor Adriana Zavala revalues lesser-known figures in Mexican art – Tufts University

The mention of “Mexican art” immediately brings to mind images of the infamous couple, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Conventional art history teaches from a distinctly Eurocentric perspective. Therefore, those with little knowledge of art are likely to have heard of Frida and art history majors wouldn’t get much further recalling other Mexican artists. Mexican art, in this way, has been reduced to a few iconic images, a series of generalizations and basic premises lacking in the criticism and scholarship of European movements.

Tufts Art and Art History Assistant Professor Adriana Zavala addresses this issue in her courses, teaching Latin American Cinema and Latino/a Body and Visual Culture this semester. Next semester she will teach 20th Century Mexican Art. Her concern for recovering the complexity in Mexican art recently found an opportunity for exploration in her ambitious endeavor to curate an exhibition revolving around that very topic.”*

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