Benito Zamora
Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco in 1951, Benito Zamora began his artistic training in his teens, taking classes with the master Miguel Contreras. Although he considers himself self-taught, he formally studied at the School of Visual Arts of the University of Guadalajara. From a very young age, he dedicated himself to painting, making it his way of life, and participating as a founding member of the Plaza del Arte at the Torres Bodet Municipal Gallery in 1977.
Her work has been exhibited in important cultural venues in Mexico and abroad, including the Palace of Fine Arts, the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Arts of the University of Guadalajara, the Museum of Painters in Oaxaca, and galleries in San Francisco, Denver, Santo Domingo, and Granada. She has received numerous awards, such as the Aguascalientes National Young Artists Prize, first prize for printmaking at the Tonalá Art Fair (1990), and honorable mentions at the October Salon.
Zamora's work is distinguished by a figurative approach with a strong foundation in drawing, and a symbolic content that borders on the dreamlike and the mythical. He himself defines his style as a form of magical realism, where chiaroscuro, classical composition, and elements of nature take on a profound expressive dimension. He believes that form is content, and his work, laden with technique and symbolism, seeks to convey an authentic voice.
In addition to painting, Benito has worked with engraving, screen printing, sculpture, and jewelry. He won a diamond-level award in the jewelry category, which broadened his range of materials and techniques. He is also recognized for his meticulous use of the pen and ink, a technique he has mastered and which reflects his character and manual precision.
In 2023, Galería Vértice presented a retrospective exhibition titled “The Song Remains the Same,” celebrating 50 years of his artistic career. This exhibition brought together more than 60 pieces, many of them previously unseen and from his personal collection, arranged chronologically to showcase the evolution of his work. Benito continues to create from his studio with the same dedication and passion with which he began.
True to his ideology, Benito Zamora has lived off his art since he was young, remaining outside the traditional commercial system. His legacy lies not only in his pieces, but also in his artistic philosophy: to resist, create, transform, and leave a mark with his own unique and inimitable visual language.
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