| Verónica Ruiz de Velasco | |
|---|---|
Veronica Ruiz de Velasco (1994) |
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| Born | 1968 México D.F. |
| Nationality | Mexican |
| Field | Painting |
Veronica Ruiz de Velasco (born in 1968 in México D.F.) is a neo-figurative painter of Mexican origin living in the United States. She was a disciple of Teodulo Romulo, Rufino Tamayo, Jean Dubuffet, and Gilberto Aceves Navarro.
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Juana Veronica Ruiz de Velasco Zenteno was born in the Spanish Hospital of the District Federal of Mexico to Susana Zenteno de Ruiz de Velasco and Pedro Thomas Ruiz de Velasco. Ruiz de Velasco was the fifteenth child of eighteen brothers and sisters, and was raised as a Catholic in Lomas de Chapultepec; she attended elementary school at Buckingham Institute. At the age of 11, she was sent to Nauvoo, Illinois to study at Saint Mary's Academy. Age 13, she returned home to Mexico and studied at the Lyceé Franco-Mexicain. At the age of 16, she again left home to study in London, England with her two sisters, at the Belair School. During this time she attempted to start a modeling career and was featured in several magazines, including Vogue. Four years later, she returned home, happily.
In 1983, Ruiz de Velasco was accepted to take art courses at La Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes La Esmeralda in Mexico City, whose past students included Diego Rivera, Francisco Zúñiga, Frida Kahlo, Rufino Tamayo, and Gilberto Aceves Navarro. In 1984, the curator of the Gallery of Lourdes Chumacero in Mexico exhibited her work. This was a springboard into the Mexican Art community, as it was attended by many leading painters such as Teodulo Romulo, Thomas Parra, and Gilberto Aceves Navarro. Romulo offered Ruiz de Velasco lessons on his technique.[1]
In 1984, Ruiz de Velasco went to Paris, France, to discuss art technique with Jean Dubuffet. In 1985, Rufino Tamayo asked Ruiz de Velasco to come to his studio to take some private lessons with him. Tamayo commented that Ruiz de Velasco's art had "an excellent Color". Tamayo gave lessons to another prominent living Mexican Artist, Francisco Toledo, his godson, who was also influenced by Jean Dubuffet. [2]
1985–88, Ruiz de Velasco took several courses at the Antigua Academia de San Carlos (Old San Carlos Academy) in Mexico City while taking private lessons from Gilberto Aceves Navarro: she considers him as her most important teacher. Several famous Mexican painters have attended the Antigua Academia de San Carlos in Mexico City such as Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, David Siqueiros, Rufino Tamayo, Francisco Hersúa, and Manuel Felguérez. [3]
In 1985, Ruiz de Velasco held an exhibition at the Gallery of the Loteria National of Mexico. In 1986 she held an individual exhibition in the Gallery of the Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City. In 1987 she was the youngest artist to exhibit at the Museo de Arte Moderno (national Museum of Modern Art) in Mexico. The exhibition was an homage to Andrew Lloyd Webber and had reference pieces such as Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Starlight Express, and the Phantom of the Opera. The Museo de Arte Moderno published their twenty five year celebration book and included Ruiz de Velasco as one of Mexico's leading artists.
In 1989, Ruiz de Velasco painted a mural in the American British Cowdray Medical Center in Mexico D.F.. This mural took almost a year to complete. The inauguration of the mural was a national event in Mexico, unveiled by the U.S. Ambassador in Mexico, Charles Pilliod. [4] Prince Charles of Wales was also present and congratulated Ruiz de Velasco on the donation of her time and effort.[5]
In 1991, Ruiz de Velasco created a painting for the Playboy Collection in Chicago, Illinois.[6] She was then asked by the curator, Jack Bolton, of the Rockefeller Collection in New York to create a piece for their collection.[7] In 1994, Goodyear Corporation in Akron, Ohio held an exhibition of Ruiz de Velasco's artwork in their private executive gallery. In 1995, Coronado S.A. de C.V. held an exhibition of Ruiz de Velasco's artwork in their gallery in México, D.F.
In 1996, Ruiz de Velasco created a portrait for President Bill Clinton[8]. President Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton sent a letter of appreciation for this portrait. [9]
In the summer of 1995, Ruiz de Velasco was vacationing for two weeks with her father in Cozumel and met her future husband. In July, 1996, she married him at the Igelsias San Miguel on the Isla de Cozumel. In August her father died at the age of 81. In September she returned to Dallas with her husband.
The January 1997 edition of the Lifestyle Magazine contained a biography of Ruiz de Velasco's Career. In February the Anasazi Gallery in Dallas held a solo exhibition for Ruiz de Velasco. In April, Lucent Technologies held an exhibition of her work in their private executive gallery in Mesquite, Texas. In June, AT&T held an exhibition in their private executive gallery in Las Colinas, Texas. In October, Nordstrom of the Gallería in Dallas promoted Ruiz de Velasco's oil paintings throughout their store in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. Ruiz de Velasco signed several hundred autographs. Nordstrom of the Gallería also held a fashion show with their top clothing lines with Ruiz de Velasco's art images used as a photographic backdrop.
In 1997, Mrs Nancy Hamon asked Ruiz de Velasco to create a mural for the Nancy and Jake L. Hamon Biomedical Research Building at the Southwest Medical Center in Dallas. The mural was 3 meters by 4 meters. It was inaugurated by Nancy Hamon and the Director of the Southwest Medical Center, Dr. Kern Wildenthall.
In April 1999, Ruiz de Velasco held an exhibition at the Florence Art Gallery in Dallas, Texas. [10] In July 1999, the Beaux Art at the Dallas Museum of Art chose Ruiz de Velasco to provide several of her paintings to auction off for charity. In October, she held an individual exhibition at the Irving Art Center (Museum) in Irving, Texas. [11] In April 2000, Ruiz de Velasco held an exhibition at the Mission Gallery in Highland Park, Texas. In 2003, she created two murals and donated them to the Beaty Early Childhood School in Plano, Texas. In 2005 she painted an airplane hung from the ceiling of the new International Terminal at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. In 2007, she painted the front cover of the September/October 2007 edition of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
In 2009, Veronica Ruiz de Velasco is one of five Mexican artists selected to create a painting representing Mexico at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.