Francisco Zuniga
1912-1998
Zuniga, who was born in Costa Rica in 1912, was
exposed to art at a very young age, because his father was a sculptor of
religious statues. From 1928 to 1934 he was his father’s assistant in
the workshop and he also began receiving art lessons in drawing and
painting. Zuniga’s early learning was influenced heavily by the
Renaissance style.
Zuniga developed rapidly into one of Costa Rica’s main artists. He
belonged to a generation of creators who published an album of
xylographs in 1934; some of the artists were: Zuniga, de la Cruz,
Salazar Herrera, Amighetti. Zuniga, like other artists, learned the
xylograph technique on his own, with books as his only reference. His
experience in his father’s workshop helped him master this art quickly.
Furthermore, in the 1930’s, Costa Rica experienced a revival of the
Arts, when one of the newspapers, the “Diario de Costa Rica” promoted
several exhibitions. Apart from Zuniga, other painters and sculptors
benefited from these opportunities.
After publishing this important work, some events in Zuniga’s life
propelled him out of the country. In 1935 he won the first Central
American price for a sculpture that depicted an Indian warrior’s head,
called Agonia de la raza. Zuniga was asked to collaborate with Oliverio
Martinez in the monument depicting the Mexican Revolution; this of
course, was an important step towards international fame.
His active participation in the Arts in Mexico, won Zuniga recognition
in the United States. In the 1940’s , the Metropolitan Museum in New
York bought some of his drawings, and other museums soon followed,
buying his xylographs and sculptures. During this decade, Zuniga also
exhibited his work in several cities of the United States. Furthermore,
in 1947 Zuniga embarks on another type of creation- his own family. He
married Elena Laborde in Mexico, with whom he had three children.
After Zuniga’s success in Mexico and in the United States, his works
were exhibited in many other countries. Zuniga continued creating and
participating in exhibitions and large projects, mostly in Mexico. He
lived in this country until his death on August of 1998. Paco Zuniga is
considered one of the most prolific artists in Costa Rica and in Latin
America; even though he chose to spend the rest of his days in Mexico,
his presence lives on in Costa Rica through the numerous statues and
other works that adorn buildings.
Individual Exhibitions
1965 - Scottsdale, Arizona
1966 - Scottsdale, Arizona
1969 - Modern Art Museum of Mexico
1970 - Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego, California
1972 - Phoenix Art Museum, Arizona
- University of Santa Clara, California
1973 - Santa Barbara Museum, California
1974 - Phoenix Art Museum, Arizona
1977 - Everson Museum, Syracuse, New York
- DeCordova and Dana Museum, Lincoln, Massachusetts
1978 - La Jolla Museum, California
- Brewster Gallery, New York City, New York
- Santa Barbara Museum of Art, California
- Tucson Museum of Art, Arizona
1979 - Salt Lake City Art Center, Utah
- Gallery Bel Art, Stockholm
1980 - Galerie D’Endt, Amsterdam
- Galerie Carpentier, Paris
1981 - Galeria de Arte Misrachi, Mexico
- Gallery Theo Waddington, London
- Gallery Levy, Hamburg
1982 - Honolulu Academy of Arts, Hawaii
1983 - Sindin Gallery, New York
1985 - Contemporary Sculpture Center, Tokyo
- National Museum of Costa Rica
- Daniel Yankelewitz Collection, Works from 1924 to 1935
1986 - Tuilleries Garden, Orangerie, Paris
- Braux-Ste-Cohiere, France
1987 - Regional Museum of Guadalajara, Mexico
- The Pape Museum-Library, Monclova, Mexico
1990 - Mexican Museum, San Francisco, California
- Brewster Gallery, New York City, New York
- Sindin Gallery, New York City, New York
1994 - Exhibition at the Communications and Transports Ministry
- National Homage at Palace of Fine Arts, Mexico City
- Airport Gallery, Mexico City
1995 - Oaxaca Contemporary Museum, Mexico
1997 - Sinaloa College, Mexico
- Museum of the Archbishop, Mexico
1998 - Meredith Kelly Latin American Fine Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico
- *Retrospective exhibition at the National Palace of Fine Arts, Mexico
City, Mexico
2001 - Jack Rutberg Fine Arts, Los Angeles, CA
2002 - Pasquale Iannetti Art Galleries, Inc., San Francisco, CA
2004 - Jack Rutberg Fine Arts, Los Angeles, CA
Awards
1931 - 1st Painting Prize and 2nd Sculpture Prize at the National
Exhibition of Plastic Arts, San Jose, Costa Rica.
1935 - 1st Sculpture Prize, National Exhibition of Plastic Arts, San
Jose, Costa Rica.
1957 - Unique Prize, Annual Sculpture Salon, Plastic Arts Organization
of Mexico.
1960 - Tresguerras Award, 1st National Exhibition of Sculpture, Mexico.
- 1st Prize “Diego Rivera,” II International Biennial of Painting,
Sculpture and Engraving, Mexico.
1971 - XI Biennial of Sculpture Acquisition Award, Open Air Museum,
Middleheim, Antwerp, Belgium. Work: bronze relief “El Umbral” (The
Doorway)
1974 - National Prize for Culture “Magon 73,” San Jose, Costa Rica.
- Nomination as Academician, Parma, Italy.
- “Elias Sourasky” Award, Mexico.
1984 - Great Prize Kotaro Takamura, III International Sculpture
Biennial, Japan.
1991 - El Angel Award, Bilingual Foundation for the Arts, Los Angeles,
California.
1992 - National Award for the Arts, Mexico.
1996 - Goya Gold Medal from the Domecq Foundation.
Museums
Museo de Arte Modern, México
Museo Biblioteca Pape, Monclova, Coahuila, México
The Phoenix Art Museum, Arizona
Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego, California
Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University
Museo de Arte, Ponce, Puerto Rico
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington
University of California, Los Angeles, California
The Museum of Modern Art, New York
University of Tucson, Arizona
Metropolitan Museum, New York
University of Southern California Fisher Gallery, Los Angeles,
California
Santa Barbara Museum of Art, California
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California
Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach, California
Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, University of Florida
From
Tellluride Gallery of Fine Art