Luis Nishizawa

**Luis Nishizawa Flores** (2 Februar 1918 - 29 September 2014) wis a Mexican airtist who is kent for his landscape wirk an murals, which aften shaw Japanese an Mexican influence. He began formal trainin as a airtist in 1942 at the hicht o the Mexican muralism muivement but studiet ither pentin styles as well as Japanese airt.  In addeetion tae pentin canvases an murals, includin murals made wi ceramics, he wis a professor o fine airts at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México frae which he receivit a honorar doctorate. The State o Mexico, whaur he wis born, creatit the Museo Taller Luis Nishizawa tae honour an promote his life’s wirk.

## Life
Nishizawa wis born on 9 Februar 1918 at the San Mateo Ixtacalco Haciena in the Cuautitlán municipality o the State o Mexico. His faither, Kenji Nishizawa, wis Japanese an his mither, María de Jesús Flores, wis Mexican. Syne he wis a bairn, he wis introvertit an solitar, spendin his bairnheid tendin cattle for his faimily. The faimily muivit tae Mexico Ceety in 1925, whaur Nishizawa learned tae creaut jewelry an studiet muisic wi a teacher namit Rodolfo Halfter.

Awtho he haed interest in airt at age 15, he began airtistic trainin at the Academy o San Carlos in 1942, when he wis 24, at the hicht o the Mexican muralism muivement . He learned tae pent landscapes as well as abstract airt an graphics wi a interest in the airt tradeetion o Japan.  Aither as teachers or wirkin for thaim as assistants, Nishizawa haed various mentors sic as José María Velasco, Julio Castellanos, José Chávez Morado, Alfredo Zalce an Benjamin Correa . Awtho naitionalism wis the prevailin sentiment in airtistic production in the 1940s, he studiet ither muivements sic as expressionism, abstract airt an figurativism as well. He receivit his maisters in fine airts in 1947.

In 1955, he began teachin airt at the Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas at UNAM.

In 1963, he studiet engravin wi Yukio Fukazawa an teuk anither course in engravin at the Center for Japanese Airtists in Tokyo.

He marriet Eva Zepeda in 1964, wi whom he haed fower childer.

On Monday, 29 September 2014, Luis Nishizawa dee'd at age 96.

## Career

Nishizawa wis a penter, engraver, graphic airtist, sketch airtist an ceramicist. His techniques include drawin, wattercolor an ink. Most of his wirks depict landscapes o the central hielands o Mexico sic as the Valley o Mexico, auries in Morelos, Guanajuato, Puebla an the State o Mexico . He is considered tae be ane o Mexico’s best landscape airtists, kent for his pentins o volcanoes. Some o his mair important canvases include Paisaje: Valle de México (1947), Paisaje de Yagul (1976) an Pátzcuaro (1960) whaur the blendin o this Mexican an Japanese heritage an trainin are evident. His wirks hae been exhibitit in the Museo de Arte Moderno for ower fowerty years, but maist o his wirks can be foond in the permanent collection o the Museo Taller Nishizawa. He creatit murals, pentins, drawins, ceramic an gless pieces an sculptur. His wirks can be foond in the permanent collections o the Centro Cultural Mexiquense in Toluca, the Museo de Bellas Artes in Toluca, the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura, the Museo de la Estampa an the Museo Carrillo Gil, the Engravin Museum in Bulgarie, the Cultur Museum in Yokohama, the Museum of Modren Airt in Kyoto, the Shinanu Museum in Nagano. His wirks are in private collections in Mexico, Japan an the Unitit States an aw.

He pairticipatit in numerous individual an collective exhibition in Mexico an abroad, wi his first individual exhibition in 1951.  Individual exhibitions include Pago en especie in Cancún (a collection o pentins donatit tae the Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público), Retrospective in the Gallery o the Varsity o Colima, De Ayer y Hoy at the Teléfonos de México, The wirk o Nishizawa at the Ruth Hermose Galleries in San Francisco as well as various exhibitions at the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana an the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes, an “Las vacas flacas y los sueños rotos” in various locations an times. In 1995, the Casa de Cultura in Cancún held a exhibition tae honour his life’s wirk. The Institutto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literature sponsored a exhibition o his life’s wirk at the Museo Nacional de San Carlos in 2008.

Nishizawa pentit his first major mural “El aire es vida y la salud es la mayor riqueza” at the Centro Medico Siglo XXI, wi anither shortly efter in 1969 at the Hospital General de Zona No. 4 in Celaya, Guanajuato wi the name of “El Nacimiento de la Vida” done wi heich fire ceramics. Ane o his important wirks is a ceramic mural done in a Keisei metro station in Japan in 1981. Ither murals are foond at the Centro Cultural Martí, the Centro Cultural Universitario, the General Archives o the State o Mexico in Toluca, the Procuraduría General de la República an the Secretaría de Educación Pública . Ane o his maist recent murals is “La Justicia,” which wis creatit in the main stairwell o the Mexican Supreme Court for the Bicentennial o Mexico’s Unthirldom in 2010 .

## Airtistry
Ower his career Nishizawa employed various techniques an styles in his wirk, wi some o his best kent wirk bein in ink. He is ane o few penters who draws as a end rather than juist a means an aw. Maist o his wirk is dedicatit tae natur, the universe an the human figur, wi hintle o the imagery influencit bi his bairnheid contact wi the landscape o Mexico.  His Japanese an Mexican ethnic heritage is evident in his wirk, wi themes maistly relatit tae Mexico but Japanese style an technique evident, especially wi the uise o colour.

## Recogneetion
He receivit recogneetion frae the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, as a judge for the Premio Universidad Nacional, receivin a honorar doctorate frae the schuil in 1996 an namit Maister Emeritus (Maestro Emérito) as well. Relatit tae the Mexican govrenment he wis namit Creautor Emeritus bi CONACULTA, receivit the Premio Nacional de Artes in 1996 an wis commemoratit wi a Mexican postage stamp. He wis honored various times bi the State o Mexico, which creatit the Museo Taller Luis Nishizawa in a auld mansion near the Palacio de Gobierno in Toluca.

Ither honors include membership in the Academy o Airts o Mexico, various institutions namit efter him sic as the Galería Luis Nishizawa at UNAM an the Centro Cultural Luis Nishizawa at the Campus Estado de México o ITESM, an receivit the Sacred Treasur o the Draigon awaird frae the govrenment o Japan.

## Museo Taller Luis Nishizawa
The Museo Taller Luis Nishizawa wis inauguratit in 1992 in a mansion frae the end o the 18t hunderyear in Toluca, restored for its current purpose. It wis creatit in recogneetion for his creative wirk as well as his wirk as a airt professor. The institution functions as baith a museum an wirkshop as well as centre o documentation on the airtist for researchers an the general public. The museum is locatit in a mansion frae the end o the 18t hunderyear. It wis restored for its current purpose an opened in 1992 bi the State o Mexico. Its main function is tae preserve an promote the wirks o the airtist an conteens aboot 800 wirks in various media. It haes seiven haws for temporar exhibits, a librar an spaces for concerts, conferences an wirkshop in ceramics, engravin an drawin.

## References