Roberto Cortázar

Roberto Cortázar was born in Tapachula, Chiapas. He grew up between his hometown and Mexico City, within a dedicated family involved in the world of craftsmanship and, more prominently, fine arts. His deep creative vocation led him to begin his art journey at the age of 14 formally. He completed his initial professional studies in the Mexican capital at the School of Artistic Initiation No. 2 (now INBA, at the initial level). Subsequently, in 1977, he enrolled at the National School of Painting and Sculpture "La Esmeralda" (now better known as part of INBAL), which was founded, in part, by the muralist Diego Rivera. The school counted among its faculty other prominent figures such as Francisco Zúñiga, Frida Kahlo, Federico Cantú, Maria Izquierdo, among others. In 1979, he received his first scholarship in Production from the National Directorate of Plastic Arts of INBA Mexico. Prematurely, before concluding his academic studies, he embarked on his professional career, participating in various high-level competitions and exhibitions across the country.

Starting in the 1980s, he embarked on a trajectory of countless exhibitions, consistently drawing attention from institutions and important collectors and art enthusiasts. In 1981, he won the José Luis Cuevas Prize at the First Drawing Biennial of the National Salon of Plastic Arts at the National Palace of Fine Arts. This event particularly caught the attention of acclaimed art critic Raquel Tibol and the legendary Mexican museographer, Fernando Gamboa. In 1983, he held a significant solo exhibition at the Sloanne Racotta Gallery in Mexico City. The following year, in 1984, he exhibited individually at the Reynold Kerr Soho Gallery in New York City and at the Misrachi Gallery in Mexico City. Subsequently, he participated in countless exhibitions, both solo and collective, internationally in various museums and galleries, mainly in Central and North America. He concluded his first decade in 1988 with a fruitful solo exhibition titled "Anatomies" at the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City, which was later presented in other venues such as the Museum of Monterrey and the Regional Museum of Guadalajara.

In 1991, he exhibited at the inauguration of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Monterrey (MARCO), with an exhibition titled "Myth and Magic in America of the Eighties." During this second decade, he had special involvement in cultural management and art education as a founding member of the National Council for Culture and the Arts (CONACULTA, Mexico). He also served as an academic tutor and jury member of the same institution from 1990 to 1994, while also delivering numerous talks, lectures, and specialized courses at various universities, institutions, and academic extension venues. From 1993 onward, he maintained intense activity in galleries and museums, as well as appearing at art fairs throughout the American continent, with a notable retrospective of his work titled "Postmodernity" held at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Mexico City in 1995.